A camouflaged 2028 BMW X7 M60 rolled through the Nürburgring recently wearing something more telling than any body panel: yellow daytime running lights glowing from its slim upper light strips. That detail, paired with quad exhaust tips poking out of the rear bumper, confirms BMW’s M Performance branding strategy is now reaching its largest SUV.
The yellow lights started life on limited-run CS special editions, inspired by the M Hybrid V8 endurance racer. They were exclusive, rare, a nod to motorsport heritage. Now they’re showing up on everything from the M350 xDrive to the X5 M60e to the electric M3 concept BMW teased back in May.
The X7 M60 joins a list that keeps getting longer, and what was once a subtle wink to racing fans is quickly becoming BMW’s visual shorthand for “this one costs more.”
Under the skin, the second-generation X7 M60 (codenamed G67) is expected to carry over the twin-turbo 4.4-liter S68 V8 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup. The current X7 M60i makes 523 hp and 553 lb-ft from that engine. A modest bump is likely, though BMW hasn’t confirmed numbers.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The smaller X5 M60e plug-in hybrid already produces 603 hp. The X7 reportedly won’t get a plug-in hybrid variant at all, which means the V8 has to carry the entire performance argument on its own.
If BMW doesn’t close that 80-hp gap, its flagship SUV gets outgunned by its little brother. That’s an awkward pitch for a vehicle that starts well north of six figures.
No full X7 M is planned, leaving the M60 as the top of the food chain. ALPINA’s version, reportedly coded G69, is expected to use a V8 as well and could surface in 2028.
The prototype’s exterior mostly mirrors the electric iX7 that’s been spotted at the same track. Split headlights, a large kidney grille with mesh panels in its lower half, thin stacked LED taillights with a gap in the tailgate. But the differences matter.
The X7 M60’s grille has visible air intakes that a V8 demands and an electric drivetrain doesn’t need. The rear bumper trades hidden exhaust outlets for two pairs of round tips at the corners, another M Performance tell that visually separates the performance models from the base lineup, which hides its pipes entirely.
Large dark multi-spoke wheels fill the arches, and a rear wiper still sits on the glass, suggesting the upright rear end of the outgoing G07 carries forward. Nothing revolutionary there.
Production of the new X7 at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant is slated to begin in September 2027. But the M60 may not arrive with the initial wave. BMW followed that same playbook with the X5, delaying the V8-powered M60 by several months after the first models hit dealers.
The pattern BMW is establishing is clear enough without anyone needing to spell it out. Yellow lights, quad tips, visible air intakes. These are the markers that separate the money cars from the volume sellers. Whether slapping motorsport-inspired lighting on a three-row luxury barge dilutes the original intent or simply prints money is a question BMW seems comfortable letting the order books answer.
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