Yahoo Autos First Drive: 2024 BMW i7 M70 xDrive Puts Some More Pep in the i7's Step
Fans of braggadocious luxobarges may have mixed feelings about the 2024 BMW i7 M70 xDrive. On one hand, BMW remains firm in its insistence that a proper M7—one that would follow M's ethos of building road cars from track-borne inspiration—isn't going to happen. On the other hand, the i7 M70 is so thoroughly competent at everything it does that those folks may finally be willing to settle. Maybe. But they should.
The meat and potatoes of the i7 M70 lies under the body. A 255-hp motor—the same one you'll find up front in the i5 M60—drives the front wheels, and a 483-hp monster (BMW's most powerful e-motor to date) lurks aft. Combine the two with a dollop of launch control or the aptly labeled "BOOST" paddle on the steering wheel, and output is an impressive 650 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. Otherwise, however, you'll have to make do with a paltry 748 pound-feet. L'horreur.
That all courses its way to the pavement through single-speed transmissions, express-shipping the i7 M70 to 60 mph in a manufacturer-estimated 3.5 seconds. Considering our test of an i7 xDrive60 shaved four-tenths off BMW's supplied 4.5-second figure, we reckon this half cruise ship/half cruise missile will prove even more unhinged when we test it.
No matter what the stopwatch says, the experience of Full Send in the i7 M70 isn't far off from launching the GMC Hummer EV, or perhaps a Saturn V. Grip the wheel like you'll fall off the planet if you let go, hit the right pedal, and the nose rises as the entire car rail-guns its way forward. We chose not to have the piped-in Hans Zimmer Sound Experience assault our eardrums as this happens, but fans of Interstellar may choose to leave it on and shout, "Don't let me leave, Murph!" for a little extra flavor. It's brutal and silly and exactly as over the top as a $169,495 7-series—roughly $45,000 more than the next-step-down i7 xDrive60—should be.
Of course, BMW didn't only go to the gym on leg day. The i7 M70 features a wealth of upgrades meant to improve stability and handling. There's an additional shear panel between the firewall and the strut towers for extra front-end rigidity. Four-corner air springs and electronically controlled dampers are standard, with M adding its touch to the air springs and hydraulics. Rear-axle steering can turn the back wheels up to 2.5 degrees, while active roll stabilization helps minimize lean in corners.
Does it work? You betcha, insofar as anything can make an i7 M70 (estimated curb weight: 6050 pounds) feel light on its feet. With everything given a Sport-mode stiffening, the M70 does a commendable sports-sedan cosplay, keeping body motions in check and making impressively tidy work of switchbacks where each lane is barely wider than the car itself. Some cars shrink around you as the speed rises—not this one. The lane-departure warning will keep you acutely aware of this BMW's width.
But don't think that the pursuit of playing switchback surgeon has in any way compromised the i7. For as capable as the M70 is when hustling, it's just as happy to dial it back and focus on luxuriating. Like its less powerful xDrive60 sibling, this car will positively glide all day long, soaking up any hint of bad roads and transmitting little motion to the cabin. Wind and road noise are buried three towns over, although the optional summer tires may detract from the hush; stick with all-seasons if you don't plan on acting like a hoodlum.
Providing the electrons for these shenanigans is the same battery pack that's in the i7 xDrive60, measuring 101.7 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity. EPA range is 291 miles with the standard 21-inch wheels and 274 with the 20s, 16 and 24 miles shy, respectively, of the xDrive60's figures. However, our 75-mph real-world range test in an xDrive60 ended after just 260 miles—a far cry from both the EPA's figures and our tests of the i7's closest competitor, the Mercedes-Benz EQS—and there doesn't seem to be any reason to assume the M70 would do any better.
If you're worried you won't be able to make it to that next charger, the i7 M70 has a trick that may help. A new Max Range mode reduces motor output, limits the top speed to 56 mph, and eliminates creature comforts including climate control and the seat heaters. BMW estimates that it can boost the remaining range by 25 percent or so; every situation is different, but it should help. Once hooked up, the M70 can take up to 195 kilowatts via DC fast-charging or 11.0 kilowatts with AC power.
Naturally, BMW zhuzhed up the i7 M70's look to give it a little extra flair. The fasciae have a few more angles, and a thin strip around the front grille lights up. There's blacked-out trim, more aggressive side skirts, and so many M badges you'd think they were on sale somewhere. BMW didn't do anything about that Habsburg jaw of a rear bumper, though.
We enjoyed the i7 so much the first time around that many of us were hard-pressed to figure out what could be added to the equation. Now that the i7 has picked up some added vim with the M70, the question is even harder to answer.
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