BMW's New Armored 7 Series Is Built For Handguns, Not Grenades

BMW models like the 7 Series Protection and X5 Protection VR6 are designed to safely cocoon occupants from even the most serious of outside threats, including grenade blasts. However, if you're a high-profile individual and only expect to deal with guns being fired at you, these models are a little overkill. That's where the new BMW Concept 7 Protection comes in.

From the outside, the Concept 7 Protection looks like any regular 7 Series, and that's the point. It's designed to be more discreet than BMW's more heavily armored models, making it ideal for private and corporate customers. Even more important than its subtle looks, it's said to retain the same handling characteristics as a normal 7 Series.

The Concept 7 Protection has been built to the new BayB standard and focuses on providing protection from common handgun ammunition like the .44 Magnum and 9 mm. This means it can't provide the protection high-powered blasts or semi-automatic weapons, which the beefier 7 Series Protection can do. That said, this car has been significantly upgraded.

BMW has equipped the sedan with bulletproof glass and doors made from a combination of ballistic steel and fiber-reinforced composites. These same materials have been positioned beneath the panoramic glass sunroof. From the outside, the glass panel looks normal, but from the inside, the sunblind is permanently closed. The bulkhead also delivers ballistic protection.

This initial show car also rocks an intercom system and an attack alarm system. Crucially, it doesn't sacrifice any of the standard 7er's luxury. The cabin is trimmed in BMW Individual's Smoke White Merino leather with a BMW M Anthracite Alcantara headliner and a slew of other Alcantara elements throughout. It also includes electronically operated sunblinds and a digital rear-view mirror. Premiering on the concept, and set to be added to the full 7 Series range model in the second half of 2027, is a fold-down rear console with a table and cool box.

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As for power, the Concept 7 Protection is built around the M760e xDrive. This means it uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with an electric motor, producing 603 horsepower and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque combined. BMW describes the Concept 7 Protection as an "insight into the potential expansion of the BMW Protection portfolio for additional user profiles," and it seems inevitable that this model will reach production in short order.

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