It appears BMW may have another M-division vehicle on the horizon.

The automaker has applied to trademark the “M7” name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

First discovered by Bimmerfest, the automaker officially filed and had the trademark approved for use on April 27. The trademark was filed for use with automobiles specifically and currently sits in a pending state for three months until the office completes a further examination.

If BMW does plan for a true M7, it won’t be a glorified sticker and badge pack. The brand has introduced M Performance models to fulfill such a niche, while M-badged models carry the true performance guts. We’re not sure how BMW will top the current M760i M Performance model, however. The sedan already packs a 601-horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 paired to an all-wheel-drive system, though it’s hardly a true M vehicle. Such a car also costs a cool $154,795.

The original report suggests an M7 could fit an uprated 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine from the 2018 M5. Right now, the engine makes a very conservative 600 hp, but perhaps a theoretical M7 will make more with added luxury goodies onboard. The same engine is rumored to make a debut in the 2020 BMW M8, also paired to the M division’s new own all-wheel-drive system. If the engine does find its way to the M8, it would make for some overlap with an M8 Gran Coupe and potential M7.

Source: motorauthority.com