Following on the heels of BMW’s announcement of the 2017 M760i — the first 7 Series to wear an M badge — are spy shots of a pair flagship prototypes and possibly the new MINI Countryman undergoing high-altitude testing in Colorado. Could the pair of luxo-cruisers be the new 7 Series plug-in hybrid and M760i?
According to BMW, the M760i will be powered by a TwinPower turbocharged V12 making 600 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, power is delivered through an 8-speed transmission to an all-wheel drive system. All this performance will propel the sleek, luxury cruiser from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds and continue onward to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
The 7 Series plug-in hybrid will be designated as 740e iPerformance. Motive force comes from a gasoline-electric drivetrain that consists of a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 258 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A small electric motor built into the eight-speed automatic transmission that provides 113 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of instant twist. The two power sources generate a combined output of 326 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, which is more than the 740i’s 3.0-liter straight-six can produce.
The BMW M760i xDrive reaches showrooms in the United States in early 2017. The 740e iPerformance will be presented to the public next month at the Geneva International Motor Show, and it’s expected to go on sale globally before the end of the year.
Also spied testing alongside the 7 Series pair were MINI Countryman prototypes. The not-so-mini next-generation Countryman is due to arrive in 2017. Looking both wider and longer, the new crossover will likely be offered with the same turbocharged engines used in the current line-up: 1.5-liter 3-cylinder for the base Cooper model and 2.0-liter 4-cylinder for the Cooper S and JCW models.
Thank-you to TFL reader, Bruce K., for being vigilant and ready with a camera.
If you think we got it wrong, let us know which cars you think were caught in our latest spy photos.
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