Enthusiast website BMW Blog reports the M760i will use a 6.6-liter V12 engine borrowed from the Rolls-Royce’s Wraith and Ghost models. The naturally-aspirated engine will send approximately 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Visually, the M760i will boast a sportier-looking front fascia with a deeper bumper, side skirts, a revised rear end, and bigger alloy wheels.
The M760i won’t be the only V12-powered 7 Series. It’s no secret that BMW is in the final stages of developing a long-wheelbase model called 760Li that will be positioned at the very top of the 7 hierarchy. It will be equipped with the same 6.6-liter 12-cylinder as the M760i but its output will be reduced to approximately 600 horsepower. That doesn’t sound like much, but the Li will be markedly less brisk to drive because the extra sheet metal will make it much heavier than the short-wheelbase M.
The 760Li will also ship with an eight-speed automatic transmission. What remains to be seen is whether the V12-powered 7s will be offered with rear-wheel drive, with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, or both.
BMW hasn’t commented on the M760i, so we’re taking this report with a grain of salt for the time being. If it’s accurate, it’s not too far-fetched to assume the 760Li and the M760i will both greet the public for the first time at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show that will open its doors next March and arrive in time for the 2017 model year.
