7 Series

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

At times, it's rather scary to think of just how big the BMW SUV range has become. What started in the late 1990s with just the X5 has now ballooned into a series that incorporates an additional four models, with the recently-revealed X2 Concept indicating no less than six crossover-style vehicles will be sold by the Bavarian company at some point. Even more amazingly, there's scope for even more SUV expansion, with BMW Blog going as far to say the German carmaker's already drafting up plans for an M version of a giant 4x4 it doesn't even offer to the public yet.

According to these new reports, the business case for a sportier range-topper for the upcoming X7 family is currently being considered at BMW, with the likelihood being that the project will be officially given the go-ahead before the end of 2018. Mechanically, it'd be presumed this X7 M will adopt an all-wheel drive setup (though BMW Blog does also suggest the non-M variants could be offered with rear-wheel drive), and it's also suggested this halo super-SUV will feature the same powertrain that'll be slotted under the sheetmetal of the upcoming G30-series BMW M5. Whether the world needs a car like this is anyone's guess, but this X7 M will certainly be a headline grabber.

More interesting to us, though, are the details surrounding the standard X7 this M version will be based on. According to BMW Blog, the plan is to have the X7 positioned above the 7 Series in terms of opulence and status, with the high-end Range Rover models being targeted as the car's prime competitor. Plus, though a seven-seater model will be offered, there's also scope to offer the BMW X7 in an "ultra-luxurious" four-seater model - with sufficient styling variations between both models to differentiate them from each other in a meaningful way. It'll be interesting to see what all these details amount to when the production-ready BMW X7 is shown off in full before the end of the decade.