Top five BMW V12-powered cars
Special-edition 7 Series will be BMW’s last V12 model as Bavarian brand heads toward an electrified futureBMW has announced it will produce its last V12-powered vehicle earlier than expected in June this year, when it will mark the occasion by releasing just a dozen special 7 Series limousines for the US market.
Although it will continue to power models from sister brand Rolls-Royce well into the future, BMW will farewell its illustrious V12 with a limited-edition BMW M760i xDrive sedan fitted with a host of unique features and exclusive ‘THE FINAL V12’ badging inside and on the engine cover.
There will be no upgrades for the 6.6-litre twin-turbo engine, which helps the M-fettled 7 Series hit 100km/h in a about 3.8 seconds, each vehicle will get 20-inch double-spoke light alloy wheels in a choice of Window Grey or Jet Black, wrapped around big M Sport brakes.
Inside, other special-edition features include a specifically numbered plaque, a panoramic ‘Sky Lounge’ LED roof, high-end Bowers & Wilkins Diamond sound system and a luxury rear seating package, among other things.
Owners can opt for any exterior colour in BMW’s extensive ‘Individual’ colour palette, while a full Merino leather interior package can also be had in any colour.
Other unique features will be a ‘V12’ badge on the boot and a “custom-built desk trophy” that reflects the specification of buyers.
Also available in short-wheelbase form overseas, the BMW M760Li is the only V12 BMW model still available in Australia, where it’s also the brand’s most expensive model at $383,900 plus on-road costs.
Production of the current G11/12-series 7 Series will end in June, ending 36 years of BMW V12 history, before the seventh-generation G70 model enters production in July, bringing the option of all-electric power and full self-driving capability.
BMW’s first V12 production model – the E32 750iL sedan – debuted in 1986 (1988 in Australia), powered by a 220kW/450Nm 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine codenamed M70.
It was replaced by the 5.6-litre S70 in the early 1990s and then the 6.6-litre twin-turbo N74 B66 that continues to the power the outgoing 7 Series, as well as the Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe and Dawn convertible. A larger 6.75-litre B68 version of the N74 is found in the Ghost and Phantom sedans, and the Cullinan SUV.
After the axing of V12 and W12 Audi models in 2018, once the 760Li is discontinued the only auto brands to offer a 12-cylinder model in Australia will be Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls-Royce.
So it’s a fitting time to reminisce on the top five V12-powered models BMW ever built…
BMW 850CSi
Only around 1500 examples of this ultra-high-performance luxury coupe were ever built by BMW Motorsport – just 160 of which were delivered in right-hand drive – from 1992.
In some markets, the E31-series 850CSi was offered with exotic running gear like four-wheel steering, floating front brake rotors and sports seats.
Power, of course, came from an M-tuned version of BMW’s SOHC 5.6-litre V12, mated exclusively to a six-speed manual gearbox, which made it a rather rare offering.
BMW M760Li
Sold in limited numbers Down Under, this flagship 7 Series limousine first broke cover at the 2016 Geneva motor show and will be the last BMW model available with a V12 engine.
Producing an eye-watering 448kW/850Nm from its 6.6-litre twin-turbo engine, the rear-biased all-wheel drive limo can hit 250km/h and is claimed to complete the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.8 seconds.
BMW X5 Le Mans
The BMW X5 Le Mans is one those SUVs that no-one asked for, but everyone wanted all the same.
A prototype born in 2000 and based on the E53 BMW X5, the X5 Le Mans is said to have paved the way for the X5 M we have today, which now uses a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8.
Back in the noughties, however, the one-off X5 was powered by the car-maker’s Le Mans-winning V12 LMR, shoehorning a 6.1-litre V12 under the X5’s bonnet and giving it enough mumbo to hit a top speed of 311km/h and conquer a 0-100km/h dash in just 4.7 seconds.
Shame it never made production.
McLaren F1
Another mega machine to get power from a big BMW V12 was the iconic McLaren F1 – the world’s fastest production car in 1998, when it clocked 386km/h (240mph).
Just 106 examples of the British supercar were produced between 1992 and 1998, each powered by a BMW M-developed S70/2 6.1-litre naturally-aspirated V12 delivering an almighty 461kW of power.
Also making the McLaren F1 so special was its carbon-fibre monocoque chassis – a rarity in its day.
Rolls-Royce Ghost
If you want to get your hands on a new BMW V12-powered car, the $628K Rolls-Royce Ghost will soon be the cheapest way to do it.
Currently available to order for Aussies not short of a quid, the ‘entry-level’ sedan slams down 420kW/850Nm via a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 that also motivates the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan.
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