That’s right, the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive is the Bavarian brands most powerful all-electric car yet
It seems just yesterday that the world was in awe of the V8 plug-in hybrid XM Label Red which is the most powerful BMW ever – regardless of type of propulsion. Set to leave us all even more stunned on this performance war path, BMW have now released the i7 M70 xDrive, which is the most powerful all-electric car by the brand.
The i7 is the EV version of the 7 series and follows the same naming convention as the “i” family, such as the i3, i4 and soon to be released i5. The 7 series is the most luxurious car BMW make, so the i7 will be the same, just quieter. Based on the photos, it certainly seems that way.
Design-wise, it still keeps a massively gargantuan grille on the front, which is a much larger version to that of the i4 M50 – which is BMW’s best selling electric car worldwide. It doesn’t seem to be a distasteful car and it could be called handsome in certain lights. Yes, it is not quite E38 7-series handsome, but a good show.
The design is brutish, imposing and screams “Please would you politely vacate this lane so I can pass you safely”. Well, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea. The small slither of LED lights look brilliant and the squared-off body panels seem more reminiscent from BMW’s of yesteryear. It is refreshing to see an EV that isn’t all swoopy and fluid.
The interior is fantastically magnificent as well, using incredibly high quality materials, as you would expect. There’s a large, driver-focused split display that spans the dashboard, something we’re seeing a lot more of since Mercedes started to put it in everything.
Performance
As mentioned, this is the most powerful EV produced by BMW. The motor on the front axle puts out 489bhp on its own. Coupled with the 258bhp motor at the rear, the M70 has a combined output of 660bhp of peak power according to BMW, I’m not sure their maths checks out there. What’s most impressive though is the torque figure, a rather healthy 1100Nm.
All of this is enough to propel the massive 7 from 0-60 in just 3.7 seconds. Top speed is a very German 155mph, so no surprises there. Thankfully, it does feature launch control. BMW have said: “With the M Launch Control function, both drive and traction control are integrated into the engine control unit. This ensures the power generated by the electric motors is metered extremely precisely, allowing the drive system’s M-typical performance characteristics to be instantly converted into stunning acceleration without any loss of traction.”
Economy
BMW state the i7 will manage around 303 – 348 miles according to the WLTP cycle. Thanks in part to the battery that provides 101.7 kWh of usable energy, which is quite sizeable. The car’s range can be extended while on the move by activating a new drive system setting. The launch of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive marks the introduction of a MAX RANGE mode for the all-electric models in the new BMW 7 Series range. In this mode, drive power and top speed are carefully restricted and comfort functions scaled back, allowing range to be increased by some 15 to 25 per cent.
I’d say it was the most ugly too however they seem to have a few contenders for that accolade now
Great post about the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive! The power and torque figures are really impressive – 660bhp and 1100Nm respectively, which enables it to go from 0-60 in just 3.7 seconds. Can you shed some more light on the battery technology used in this car and how it affects its performance and range?
Cheers!
Steven
TEXAS TOWS INC. Dallas Towing Servicehttps://texastows.com
Hey Steve,
It is certainly a mightily impressive achievement from BMW, especially that insane amount of torque! There’s no official word on the construction of the battery itself but it does have a wealth of measures for reducing power consumption. These include adaptive regen when braking and the heat pump technology used in the integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and powertrain.
There’s also ‘MAX RANGE’ feature on the car which limits top speed to 56mph. At the same time, the climate control system is deactivated and the rear window heating switches to a lower setting (if on), seat heating, seat ventilation and the steering wheel heating are all turned off too. BMW state that this should increase battery charge by an extra 15 – 25%.
In terms of performance, the motor is BMW’s 5th generation of their eDrive unit and uses six excitation windings in the motor’s stator instead of the usually found three. They also state that due to its unique construction, no rare-earth metals are used.
Hope this helps!
– Jordan