BMW took its sweet time coming after the Mercedes GLS and finally launched a fullsize luxury SUV in late 2018 when the X7 hit the market. The M Performance model was initially known as the X7 M50i before the luxobarge’s Life Cycle Impulse arrived in 2022 with a name change to M60i. It still has a thumping V8 but now with a mild-hybrid setup since it’s the new twin-turbo 4.4-liter “S68” engine.
The BMW X7 M60i has now been pitted against the equivalent Mercedes rival, the GLS 580 with its mighty V8 engine, a dying breed in the downsizing era. The two high-powered living rooms on wheels have similar technical specifications since the M Performance SUV packs 510 hp and 553 lb-ft whereas its opponent with the three-pointed star offers 523 hp and 538 lb-ft. The BMW is a tad lighter (5,820 lbs vs 5,895 lbs) and slightly cheaper ($110,900 vs 112,000).
Not that X7 and GLS buyers are necessarily interested in drag racing their posh SUVs, but YouTuber Sam CarLegion decided to line them up for a series of acceleration tests. While the specs would suggest the two SUVs should theoretically be neck and neck, the reality is substantially different. The GLS 580 didn’t stand a chance in the rolling races from 37 mph (60 km/h) and 50 mph (80 km/h).
The BMW also won the subsequent drag races without breaking a sweat, even though the Mercedes had a better start in all three instances, especially the last two duels. In the final fight, the X7 M60i hit 60 mph in four seconds flat and completed the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds while the GLS 580 was two-tenths of a second in the sprint and quarter mile. Impressive performance figures when you take into account these huge SUVs weigh about as much as the moon and don’t have the instant torque you get from an EV’s electric motor.
Both German premium brands have hotter versions of these two large SUVs considering BMW sells the $152,400 ALPINA XB7 while Mercedes has the $145,850 AMG GLS 63.
Source: Sam CarLegion / YouTube
