April 20th will mark the date of the first-ever BMW i7 electric limousine. Based on the new G70 BMW 7 Series generation, the i7 will be the new technology flagship at BMW. And of course, the i7 will lead the pack. Built on the flexible CLAR platform, often called the “Power of Choice”, the i7 is fundamentally different than the current electric flagship – the BMW iX. The latter uses a bespoke platform which will not be used by any other BMW models. Of course, with that also comes a freedom in packaging and design.
Yet, according to BMW CTO Frank Weber, the BMW i7’s technology is 80 percent identical to the one in the iX. “The BMW i7 has a unique battery package because the 7 Series is also offered with other propulsion solutions,” Weber told us. “So we had to adapt the iX high voltage battery to the needs of a 7 Series. But I would say that the [i7] is technologically 80 percent identical to the iX.” Furthermore, with the death of the V12 engine, Weber wanted to assure us that performance is still at the top of the list in Munich.
“After the 12-cylinder’s ‘death’, we believe that the 7 Series deserves an adequate replacement that is all electric. So you will see a special version of the 7 Series which will be the most powerful model of the range, and it will be all electric,” added Weber. “It’s a spectacular car.” Weber refrained from naming the top BMW i7 model, or its tech specs, but we strongly believe that this is the BMW i7 M70 which is rumored to deliver 485 kW / 650 horsepower. Just like the BMW iX M60, this is likely an M-tuned product with impressive torque output and mind blowing straight line performance.
Additionally, the BMW i7 differs from the iX with its unique digital architecture. “You could say that this is the next step improving from what it was introduced last year [with the iX],” Weber told us. “You will also see lots of improvements when it comes to autonomous driving – Level 2+.” When it comes to the in-car tech, the BMW 7 Series and i7 will certainly stand out within the BMW family, and within the luxury segment. BMW has already teased the Theater Screen with its 31-inch 8K Display, but other unique tech features are also expected.
Despite all of the high-tech, the G70 BMW 7 Series will be quite controversial because of its design. We’ve already seen the teaser shots which have certainly sparked a lot of conversations on social media. So it remains to be seen how the 7 Series customer base will embrace the bold and daring design language of the new models.
