BMW reveals new i7 Protection and 7 Series Protection

BMW has revealed its new armoured iterations of the 7 Series and i7.

Both the 7 Series Protection and i7 Protection are said to offer at-risk individuals customised protection from attacks with firearms and explosives.

Both the BMW i7 Protection and 7 Series Protection get specially developed PAX tyres that allow the car to travel at up to 80km/h even when they are completely deflated

The two cars have been classified as offering class VR9 protection based on the internationally recognised official test criteria of Germany's Association of Test Laboratories for Attack-Resistant Materials and Constructions.

Aiding this tall achievement, BMW states, is the fact that production of these armoured models was into the development of the new 7 Series range. This has allowed the car's entire supporting structure (called the BMW Protection Core) to be constructed from armour steel for the first time.

Combined with protection-spec doors, armouring for the underbody and roof, and safety glass, both the i7 Protection and 7 Series Protection will offer occupants protection against explosives, on top of attacks from drones equipped with explosive charges, and from fragments dispersed by hand grenades.

The entire supporting structure of both cars are made from armour steel

The BMW 7 Series Protection also features a self-sealing fuel tank that automatically closes breaches made by the impact of a bullet, preventing the loss of fuel to allow the vehicle to make a getaway from a dangerous situation.

BMW states that the use of this Protection Core also allows both models to look like the respective unarmoured counterparts from the outside, offering an additional safety factor for people requiring protection. This Protection Core also ensures that the levels of room and seating comfort on board hardly differ from those found inside a conventional BMW 7 Series Saloon.

The cars are also fitted with specially developed PAX tyres supplied by Michelin which come equipped with a runflat ring that will allow them to continue driving at speeds of up to 80km/h even in the event of a total loss of pressure.

BMW states that the level of space offered from both models hardly differs from a conventional 7 Series

The BMW 7 Series Protection comes with a 523bhp 4.4-litre V8 that will see it reaching 100km/h from a standstill in just 6.6 seconds, while the BMW i7 Protection gets a total output of 536bhp, allowing it to sprint to 100km/h from rest in 9.0 seconds.

Both cars will be built at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing and are set to make their public debut at the 2023 International motor show in Munich. Deliveries are set to commence in December 2023.