Armoured BMW i7 Protection confirmed

BMW insiders have confirmed the German car-maker will build a bulletproof Protection version of its all-new BMW i7 electric limousine.

It will be the first time BMW will armour an electric car, though there are also whispers that it is working on lighter protection packages for the BMW iX electric SUV as well.

Due to be released towards the end of this year, the BMW i7 Protection will offer at least three different levels of armour to protect its cossetted occupants against everything from small arms to much heavier ordinance.

But the BMW i7, which is not yet on sale, is already the heaviest car to ever wear a BMW badge (though the V8-powered BMW XM hybrid SUV will be heavier when it follows the limousine into production).

Armouring the BMW i7 will add at least 1000kg to the overall weight of the long-wheelbase limousine, and insiders have suggested that even the lightest armoured package will take its kerb weight out beyond four tonnes.

That would require its security drivers to undergo extra license testing, on top of their standard evasion techniques.

Sources say an official announcement on the BMW i7 Protection will be made after this month’s G7 economic summit in Germany, with its official reveal scheduled for later this year.

They also suggested the armoured Protection i7 wasn’t a confirmed project when we drove prototype versions of the new seventh-generation BMW 7 Series and its i7 sibling three months ago, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine threw it up the priority list.

The Protection package will also fit directly on to the standard diesel-, petrol- and plug-in hybrid-powered BMW 7 Series models as well.

For now, the standard 2023 BMW 7 Series and BMW i7 measure about 5.4 metres long and 3.2 metres in the wheelbase – or about five inches longer than the current 7 Series long-wheelbase.

Both new limousine models are due on sale in Australia from around October.

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