Armored BMW i7 Will Be the First of Its Kind

BMW is working on an all-electric addition to its High Security lineup, and a gas-engined one as well.

2023 bmw 7series
BMW/Tom Kirkpatrick
  • BMW plans armored variant of the i7 electric sedan, following the debut of the standard model later this year.
  • The automaker has offered a lineup of factory-armored models for decades, sold mostly to heads of state and businesspeople in Europe and Asia.
  • BMW is expected to continue offering armored versions of some of its gas-engined models, including the 7-Series, for at least another decade.

    There are plenty of BMW models that we just don't see stateside, and aside from the usual curiosities like 7-Series models with four-cylinder engines or city cars like the 2-Series Active Tourer, Munich has seldom sent its factory-armored cars stateside. Kofi Annan had an armored E38-generation 7-Series in New York during his tenure as UN Secretary General, but that was likely your best chance of seeing one of these rare sedans on this side of the Atlantic.

    But just like Mercedes-Benz, BMW has an in-house division for producing armored versions of some of its models, which have traditionally included the 7-Series and the BMW X5. The High Security models, as they're officially known, are a much more common sight in Europe and the Middle East.

    Times are changing, and with the debut of electric models, perhaps it was only a matter of time before we saw factory-armored versions of the top German sedans. And it didn't take as long as we thought.

    BMW has confirmed the i7 will see an armored version debut in 2023, with the automaker touting 40 years of experience in creating cars for government leaders.

    "We will continue this tradition in 2023 with a high-security vehicle combining the dynamic prowess, ride comfort, and interior comfort of the new BMW 7-Series with an integrated protection concept that is unique in this segment," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of BMW AG's Board of Management. "And we will also introduce an all-electric high-security vehicle for the first time—with no compromises when it comes to the standard of protection for our customers. It will be based on the BMW i7, demonstrating how sustainability and security can go hand in hand."

    If the gas-engined 7-Series High Security is anything to go by, we can expect VR9 level of ballistic protection that will shrug off most assault rifle rounds, as well as runflat tires, an interior-exterior intercom, separate oxygen supply, strobes along with a siren and PA system (our favorite), and a price tag deep into six-figure territory.

    The overall timing of the debut of the armored i7 is curious, as quite a few regular buyers of armored 7-Series cars live in countries where oil is, ahem, locally sourced, which is why BMW won't be dropping the gas-engined armored 7 anytime soon. But it probably makes sense to offer an electric version to European politicians (to be used for virtue signaling), and the gas-engined version everywhere else.

    Curiously, since the end of the L7 with the 2001 model year, BMW hasn't revisited the concept of an armored and stretched 7-Series, letting Mercedes cater to this clientele with its Mercedes-Maybach sedans that arrived with the W222-generation S-Class, while also offering the even more exclusive Pullman model.

    Could BMW revisit this concept with the debut of its latest 7-Series this year, and offer an extra long variant with the option of an interior partition? Buyers in China certainly seem to be on board with the mini-stretch bodystyle offered by the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

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