The traditional BMW–Mercedes rivalry enters a new chapter, this time in the luxury class. Unveiled in April 2026, the facelifted BMW 7 Series has gained a new 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 with no form of electrification, developing 578 PS in the M760. It takes on the facelifted Mercedes S 580 4Matic, which features a 4.0-litre V8 producing 537 PS, plus an additional 23 PS from its mild-hybrid system. For now, the BMW M760 is available only in the US.
When the facelifted BMW 7 Series was launched in April 2026, BMW’s flagship was available with inline-six diesel and petrol engines, two plug-in hybrid versions and three all-electric variants, but no V8. Now, the BMW M760 has been unveiled in the US, and rumours suggest it could also make its way to Europe.
Luxury saloons and V8 engines are an ideal combination. It is no coincidence that, at Mercedes-Benz, for example, the S 580 with its V8 engine is a bestseller. Following its facelift, the Mercedes S 580 4Matic received an upgraded engine featuring technology derived from motorsport, including a flat-plane crankshaft, as well as a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The V8 now develops 537 PS, up from 503 PS previously, with a further 23 PS provided by the electric motor integrated into the nine-speed automatic transmission.
BMW also offered a V8 in the current G70-generation 7 Series before the facelift, but only in the US market. The BMW 760i xDrive was powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 producing 544 PS and 750 Nm of torque. European customers were already familiar with this engine from the X7.
When BMW unveiled the facelifted 7 Series in April 2026, it officially announced that a V8 would also be available outside Europe. That engine has now made its debut in the 7 Series in the US. In line with BMW’s new naming strategy, under which petrol models no longer carry the letter “i” in their names, the M760 features the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 but without mild-hybrid assistance. Positioned as an M Performance model, it comes standard with all-wheel drive and develops 578 PS, 34 PS more than its predecessor.
Within the 7 Series line-up, the 578 PS BMW M760 will sit below the M760e xDrive plug-in hybrid, which produces 612 PS. Compared with the all-electric models, it slots between the i7 60 xDrive, with 544 PS, and the i7 M70 xDrive, with 680 PS.
Rumours that this engine could also become available in Europe emerged back in April and have now resurfaced. There is clearly customer demand for such a model, despite the fact that the BMW 7 Series already offers extremely powerful all-electric and plug-in hybrid alternatives. The appeal of a traditional V8, however, never really fades, particularly when BMW’s 4.4-litre unit is arguably one of the finest V8 engines ever developed for a luxury saloon.
At the same time, the new V8 will almost certainly find its way into the first Alpina model of the brand’s new era under BMW ownership. This will be a luxury saloon based on the facelifted 7 Series. The engine is likely to produce even more power in the Alpina, potentially approaching the 600 PS mark.
