2017 BMW M760: Our View

           Lightning-quick without the tradeoffs of an M7, the M760i is the ultimate 7 Series.

The verdict: The BMW M760 is the same great 7 Series we love, now with a lot more heft under the accelerator pedal thanks to a 601-horsepower V-12.

Versus the competition: While the M760 isn’t as well-rounded as other super sedans, it hasn’t sacrificed any comfort or luxuriousness with its infusion of M Performance DNA.

BMW went a little mental with the 2017 7 Series. The new M760i xDrive is a 7 Series with serious guts under the hood, growing four additional cylinders and 156 more horsepower over the BMW 750 (see our review of the 2016). Powering the M760 is a 601-hp, twin-turbocharged V-12 that in our acceleration testing propelled the M760 to sports-car-like speeds.

For all its horsepower, however, don't call the M760 an M7. Think of the M760 in the same way you would a BMW M235i, which is performance-oriented but not as track-focused as the BMW M2. The M760 isn't an M7, and I think that makes it better suited to be a 7 Series.
Zero-to-60 in 3.5 Seconds

The 601-hp, twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V-12 moves the 5,128-pound behemoth at a speed that would make Newton himself rethink his silly laws. This is the first V-12 used in the redesigned 7 Series. Though its turbochargers are mono-scroll — versus the twin-scroll used in smaller-displacement BMW engines — boost response is finger-snapping quick. The M760 is deceivingly fast thanks to a whisper-quiet engine that pours on power without a lick of strain.

The secret to putting 601 hp to the ground without massive wheelspin is the M760i's standard all-wheel drive (denoted by xDrive in the luxury sedan's name), which has a default rear bias to drive more like a rear-wheel-drive car. All-wheel drive, paired with launch control, helped the M760i reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds in our testing and complete the quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds at 122.7 mph. Watch a video of the testing here.

Launch control with the eight-speed automatic transmission is the key. To engage it you, first switch off traction control, then it's as simple as flipping the M760i into its Sport driving mode, holding the brake, mashing the accelerator pedal until the engine revs to around 3,000 rpm, and letting off the brake while remaining full-bore on the accelerator. The M760i squeals its tires just a tad leaving the line, then rockets to 60 mph, continuing full steam through the quarter-mile at 120-plus mph.