The new 7 Series models also feature special door sealing, as well as armoured firewalls at the front and rear – designed to protect occupants from poisonous gas attacks. When triggered, a tank in the boot supplies the interior with enough oxygen to create a pressured environment for more than five minutes in what BMW describes as its ‘survival cell’. There are also two fire extinguishers with both automatic and manual discharge.
The armoured i7 is the first EV to be granted VR10 status. Integrated into the i7 development process from the very beginning, the Protection isn’t simply an adaption of the standard model but part of a complete range, albeit with an added 1750kg in kerb weight and, as a consequence, a claimed range that’s 152 miles shorter than that of the i7 xDrive60, at 236 miles.
“It has been developed predominately for urban use cases, offering outstanding refinement and ride quality, but that’s not to say it compromised in any way. It provides all the protection and performance of the 760i xDrive,” says Axel Stanner, BMW Protection product manager.
In lesser-rated armoured vehicles, bullets fired from a Dragunov will penetrate the cabin before exiting the other side. Not so here. Tests at the Munich Ballistics Agency in Germany reveal the toughened 7s provide standard-setting passive defence from repeated and deliberately positioned firing at shutlines, windows and other areas of their exteriors.