---
title: "Upcoming 2018 BMW X7 Spied Testing on Nurburgring"
description: "The biggest BMW yet looks surprisingly composed in the corners."
date: "2017-06-19"
modified: "2017-06-19"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/11644/upcoming-2018-bmw-x7-spied-testing-on-nurburgring"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "BMW"
  - "BMW X7"
  - "luxury"
  - "Nurburging"
  - "Spy shots"
  - "suv/crossover"
  - "Testing"
  - "x7"
---

# Upcoming 2018 BMW X7 Spied Testing on Nurburgring

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/06/x7.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

We'll have to wait until September's Frankfurt Auto Show [to get our first look](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/11409/bmw-x7-concept-coming-to-frankfurt-in-september-report-claims>) at an undisguised new 2018 BMW X7, but the company's engineers are already busy putting it through its paces. A prototype was previously caught on video doing some cold weather testing back in January; now a [new clip from *autoevolution*](<https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2019-bmw-x7-spied-at-the-nurburgring-looks-chunky-118724.html>) shows a BMW test pilot chucking the husky seven-seat crossover around the Nurburgring.

Riding on the same platform as its 7 Series sedan counterpart, the BMW X7 promises to be a bit more than just a stretched X5. It will reportedly come in two separate versions: the mass-market seven-seater priced to compete with top-flight people movers like the Audi Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS, and an exclusive four-seat model aimed squarely at ultra-lux SUVs like the [Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/7483/the-2016-range-rover-autobiography-sv-is-pure-luxury-and-lots-of-it>) and the [Volvo XC90 Excellence](<https://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/28/volvo-xc90-excellence-106000-msrp-official/>).

BMW head of sales and marketing Ian Robertson told *Autocar* earlier this month that both would feature "all the technology and luxury of the 7 Series \[sedan\]" and a price point to match. Engine options have yet to be confirmed, but it's safe to say they'll also mirror those found in the sedan—a range of six and eight cylinder powerplants, along with a plug-in hybrid model in keeping with BMW's [electrification push.](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/10002/bmw-going-all-in-on-electric-cars-after-ev-sales-jump-50-percent>)

With more tire noise than anything else in the video below (starting around 1:30), it's hard to tell which engine setup is powering the prototype as the big old Beemer does its best impression of an Ultimate Driving Machine on the Nurburgring. But the X7 does seem to acquit itself fairly well in the corners, no doubt thanks in part to its RWD-based architecture. Look for more details about features, pricing, and engine specs to emerge ahead of the official unveiling in September.

https://youtube.com/embed/rXdOanDKWK0

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)