#and that was just the last few hours of an accelerating series of v unfortunate events

[witchcrash]

so the last 24ish hours have been. Bad.

[flowerwrites06]

break my mind’s eye II — jjk

Plot: Jungkook thinks marriage is the only way to seal a deal.

Pairing(s): Druglord!Jungkook x Fashion Designer!OC (Name: Belle)

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Special 

Word Count: 5k+ 

Genre: Mafia | Angst/Smut/Fluff

Tags & Warnings (for entire series): drug dealing, marriage through trickery, explicit smut, drug use, dubious consent, prostitution, miscarriage, lots of manipulation, impregnation through manipulation 

“You’re…letting me go?” Belle stared at her manager Yeeun who, by her clear frown was not mistaken in her harsh words. The two stood in the others’ office with her rack of clothing standing hopelessly in the corner of the room.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to book a venue for a designer with no prior backing?” She continued with her berating.

The younger female assumed it must have around an hour since she arrived and began the onslaught of scolding for missing her fashion show. Belle tried to explain that she needed to help her brother out in a personal situation but family commitment apparently to her was not deemed that important.

“I trusted you and you fucking humiliated me in front of fashion critics.” Yeeun gestured wildly before pinching the bridge of her nose. “You had so much potential too.”

Her heart dropped; slowly wishing that she would go back to just scolding her instead of reminding her of what could have been achieved if the fashion show went on. All the building blocks tirelessly built to get to this point now crumbling down. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry isn’t going to bring back what you just threw away.” The older female spoke in brutal honesty as she usually did except it hit Belle harder than normal. “Go on. I can’t help you anymore. Not when there’re plenty of other designers who actually care enough to come to their first fashion show.”

Belle bit down her bottom lip, sun dipping outside casting a dull grey-ish light in the minimalistic office. Photos of all the different designers Yeeun represented now staring down at her in disappointment as she dragged her rack of clothes out of the office.

-

The morning welcomed sharp chills even through her coat and scarf adorned her body. She grabbed the two pieces of clothing hurriedly since her new wardrobe was organized by Nana who didn’t really know how the girl usually kept everything. Of course that led to a crap load of confusion in the morning when Belle tried to pair something decent and it turned out to be too thin for the temperature she struggled through now.

It didn’t help her situation when her lower belly still ached a little from last night and her head pounded from the lack of proper sleep.

Belle stopped short in front of the office building to see two men standing in front of her, one of them familiar enough for her to realize who they were for. “He’s having you follow me now?��� She seethed.

“Master Jeon found out your car was still in the carpark and you took a train so he asked us to drive it here.” Jongho explained plainly, gesturing to the Camry behind them.

Who knew the mere sight of a vehicle could bring this much relaxation in the midst of this stress?

The female sighed pushing the rack towards the hood. “Thank you but please don’t call him ‘Master Jeon’ in front of me.” Belle kept her voice firm, opening the hood and placing all her clothes into an empty box she had with all her discarded designs.

“But we have to.” Jonghos’ brows furrowed, pouting a little; silently reminding that he wasn’t all the much older than any of them, perhaps even younger.

The other guard besides Jongho took the liberty of pushing the rack away in front of the office building.

Belle dared to take another look at the building again. Not too long ago, she walked into this very building with bright eyes and possibly an even brighter future. Memories of Yeeun smiling at her newest designs, approving them to a point where she even got her a chance at a fashion show. Three critics sat at the audience that night and every single one of them looked more important than the last. Unfortunately Belle had someone far more important than any fashion critic or opportunity. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing grew harder and harder to determine.

“Out here, he’s Jungkook.” She spoke still looking up at the building with a more sour expression now at the sound of his name coming from her lips. “And I’m driving.”

Jongho didn’t protest much on the demand and gave her the keys.

“So what’s the real reason Jungkook sent you?” Belle asked as they drove through the city streets. The car had been pleasantly so much warmer than outside or in the train and she grew more thankful as the ice under her skin melted.

Jongho stammered lightly before sighing. “Master—” He cleared his throat. “D-Jungkook did get a little…suspicious that you might try to find a way to get out of the deal. It’s all still—fresh, I guess.”

The female scoffed, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. “He put my brothers’ life under threat and thinks I’m going to run away like some sorry bitch?” She spat pressing down the urge to stomp on the brakes and hopefully run over Jungkook accidently when they reached the mansion. “You’re both going home.” Belle finalized ignoring any stutter of disapproval from the two males.

“But he—”

“But nothing…if he’s so scared of me running away then he should come meet me himself instead of sending his men.” Past the bustling city, Belle drove into the familiar road towards the secluded mansion.

The last time she drove down this path her life was so much more different than it was now. How could it all just change in the span of a day? All because one man had too much power over others.

Then she stomped on the brakes, the shaking hand of the speed checker accelerating at a worrying rate up to the hundreds.

Muffled tire and engine sounds numbing her ears as her stomach jumped from the push across the slightly graveled road.

Heart pumping adrenaline, fueling the wildfire in her body, pushing away memories of his fucking hands on her skin, the disappointment she brought to everyone even herself.

“Ma’am!” A frightened voice called out from behind her, mentally slapping her back to reality.

Letting out deep breath Belle slowly braked the car again bringing them back down from the rush as the mansion now came into view. “Sorry.” She glanced over at Jongho who looked more concerned for the female compared to the guard at the back who feared for his life in a split second.

Into the courtyard she stared at the collection of guards who once again stood lined up the entrance of the mansion. An intense feeling of déjà vu flushed over her before turning to the two guards. “Alright, out you go. I need to get to work.” Going to the fashion-house now became the only thing that could make her day that little bit better.

“Master Jeon—he’ll be angry at us if we left you alone.”

Belle saw something oddly familiar in Jonghos’ eyes that she couldn’t shake off. Seeing the recognizable glint reminded her that Taehyung was not the only victim to Jungkooks’ power. “If Madame Saito sees two strange men with me, she’s going to try and call the police. I don’t want her involved in this whole mess.” She explained. “Is there any way you can keep yourself hidden so Jungkook at least knows that you were doing your job?” Both men nodded thankfully.

She rested back on the seat, closing her eyes as her body reminded her again of the anxiety burning her from the inside. “I need to get some warmer clothes anyway so stay here.”

-

Nana told Belle that Jungkook was out all morning and a little bit of the day on important business meetings around the city. Not that the younger female really gave a shit where he went but once again…common fucking courtesy.

The drive to the fashion-house was quiet aside from some light music playing on her radio.

They arrived at Madame Saitos’ fashion-house. An elegant slab of purple and gold with the monogram of the Japanese Kanji symbol that meant ‘elegant’. Belle remembered getting the job a few weeks before her parents passed away. It immediately turned from a dream job to the only thing keeping her from breaking down after Taehyung started going into a downward spiral.

Now more than ever she needed the sweet caress of fresh fabric under her fingers to calm her down, to prevent another incident like the one on the road from happening. As per her request, Jongho and the other guard who later introduced himself as Jisung, opted to walk into a nearby café.

Belle walked through the glass doors, all her worries seemingly melting away at the look of neatly organized clothes on the different shelves and stands. Her clothes fit warm and snug on her now and the level upstairs for designing awaited her arrival.

“Bella, darling!” She heard the familiar voice echo through the building.

Turning to the right Belle couldn’t help but smile seeing the bright woman walk over to her in a gorgeous purple pantsuit. She gave her a small bow which she waved away.

“How many times have I told you? You’re a fellow designer.” Saito tapped her chin which would have made her giggle.

But her stomach dropped when reality sunk in and she realized Saito was wrong. “I’m not a designer anymore.” Belle smiled sadly.

“And why is that?” She raised her own chin, deep purple lips looking more defined and her dark brows furrowed.

It was as if her mind opened up the millions of drawers she tried to lock up to help her survive the rest of the day but the younger female adorned a much smaller smile. “Yeeun let me go. I couldn’t go through the fashion show on a family emergency.”

Saito scoffed loudly before waving her hand. “Managers don’t make designers. Designers make designers.” She pressed hand over Belle’s heart. “She’s one manager, darling. Don’t let it get to you.”

If it were a less strange time than this, Belle would instantly be consoled by Saitos’ words but there was so much more. So many more things she wanted to talk about but she feared no one’s ears were understanding enough. Even she couldn’t hear herself talk about what happened. “Thank you.” She muttered forcing her mind to feel somewhat relaxed.

The older female smiled, patting her cheek. “I have to go personally deliver this to a client.” She rolled her eyes looking down at the cover hanging over her arm. “He’s this big businessman who wants a suit tonight and just needs to thank the designer in person.” She scoffed making Belle chuckle. “You’ll be in charge for the rest of the day, darling.”

Belle’s heart fluttered in excitement as she immediately nodded.

“Oh and…since you have more time on your hands without Yeeun pestering you. I was wondering if you wanted to work on a few designs for the Spring Line.” Saito smiled casually not entirely noticing that fireworks were going off in her mind in celebration.

She was getting a chance at another line. Another opportunity. Belle couldn’t help giggling a little but she quickly stopped herself. “You’re not joking?”

“Of course not. You’re the best designer I’ve had in years.” She patted her shoulder comfortingly. “One thing though, I’ll need four designs by tomorrow morning so we can be ahead of schedule. I’ve done six that you can look at to see what the concept is but let your wonderful mind run wild.”

A light hint of anxiety seeped through the thick elation bursting through her veins but Belle ignored it, merely smiling at the older female as she walked out of the building.

-

Sun dipped behind the skyscrapers, warm light shining through the glass giving the whole store a deep warm glow as Belle stood in front of the main counter. Hand ached a little from holding onto the pencil for too long. Grey scratches against the ecru paper of flowy trains and minimalistic patterns to symbolize re-birth in some way.

Something she admired about Saito was her excessive need to shy away from the norm of flowers and nature. Maybe thinking a little deeper into what spring meant and really bringing the art out of her fashion. Part of why despite their prices, people still walked in and out purchasing their numbers.

It was a breath of fresh air from the line of fashion and a wonder to behold during Fashion Week.

Unfortunately Belle’s little bubble of inspiration was rudely popped when the door opened with Jonghos’ voice echoing in the building.

“Ma’am…Master Jeon is asking for you at the mansion.” He tried to speak quietly but the walls resonated even the smallest of sounds.

Her brows furrowed, dropping the pencil on the table making her fingers cramp up ever so slightly. “What does he need me for?” Anger rose and burned through her eyes.

“He said it’s important.” Jongho shrugged.

The woman huffed averting her gaze before jumping off her chair. “Did he call you? Is he still on the phone?” Belle stomped over to the male who tried to back away a little but the glass door closed behind him. “What could he possibly want from me now that’s so damn important?” He already got everything else.

“I don’t know, ma’am…he—he didn’t say.”

“Well tell him that I have a lot of work to do and he can wait.” She glared at the young male even though truly he wasn’t the one she was angry at.

Eventually Jongho walked towards the car with slouched shoulders leaving Belle to go back to work on her counter. The scratches were a lot harsher due to her shaky fingers so she reminded herself to re-do some of these sketches again when it was time for coloring.

“Ma’am?” Jongho called out again in a much softer voice.

Belle’s pencil broke off making her fingers curl up into a fist but she forced herself to take a deep breath. “What is it, Jongho?”

“Master Jeon wants to speak with you.” He held out a phone walking towards the counter.

She glanced at the male before down at the phone, accepting it gently and putting it on her ear. “Yes?”

“Are you trying to be a fool?” Jungkooks’ tone took a dark turn from what Belle heard yesterday; more growly and deep like he had been yelling all day.

“I already said I’m working.” Belle muttered calmly. “What’s so important?”

“We need to go to an event. My aunt and uncle have invited me to come tonight and I need you to be there to get rid of any future suitor arrangements.” He explained with that same infuriating voice acting like she was doing something wrong trying to work.

“I need to some things done, Jungkook, can’t we re-schedule a meeting with your aunt and uncle?” Hands brushed away the pieces of led that broke off from her pencil.

“No we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t think you realize just what’s at stake if you piss me off too much.” He challenged.

“Your deal was that you’ll stay away from Taehyung if I stay with you.” She corrected.

“You should know that I can change deals in an instant.”

Belle gripped onto the phone suppressing the urge to throw it across the room as she gulped down a lump in her throat. Her dormant anxiousness now fully erupting through every limb in her body. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She stated before hanging up not wanting to hear his voice anymore as she gave it over to Jongho.

Angrily packing up her stuff, she decided to let Jongho drive this time to prevent any incidents on the road from her heated up mind.

-

So much for fucking freedom. He couldn’t even re-schedule a meeting to let her work. Maybe it was an overreaction but looking at the situation, Belle thought that being livid and frustrated was called for.

The sky turned purple by the time they reached the mansion and Belle barely waited for the car to stop before she climbed out. Grabbing her things, she walked through the entrance ignoring any attempt at the guards trying to hold the bags.

“Finally her Majesty has arrived, what took you so long?” Jungkook, already dressed up in a black suit with a white shirt slightly unbuttoned, jabbed at the female right as she walked through the archway.

Belle merely glared at the male walking past him up the stairs while Nana followed her helplessly. The older female almost wanted to apologize for him but couldn’t find the time as she chased her.

In their shared room, Belle placed the bags of her work next to her side of the bed. Tears of frustration flooded in her eyes a little which she tried her best to hide when she saw Nana come up behind her.

“Dear…” She muttered comfortingly but the younger female shook her head.

“It’s okay, please. I’ll get ready myself.” Belle smiled through teary eyes before walking past her.

Ankle length daffodil-yellow dress adorned her freshly showered body, long curls with the top half clipped away from her face and some shoes to match. As she coated her lashes her mind tried to organize how she was going to rush to the event and then come back to finish all the designs. The deeper the thoughts moved, the more anxiety bubbled inside her almost making her makeup application a little dodgy but decent enough.

“Dear, Master Jeon is calling for you.” Nana spoke gently as if knowing that the sound of his name stroke a nerve in her constantly.

“I’m done, I’m coming.” Belle answered, hands leaning against the edge of the vanity table in the walk-in wardrobe trying to calm down her breathing. I hope you’re okay, Taehyung. It was only the first day and she could feel the weight of it all bearing down on her body. For the first time since yesterday, the woman almost wanted to admit that she may be lot more vulnerable than she thought.

Shaking her head roughly she stared at herself in the mirror. Dusty rose lips mimicking the light hint of colour on her cheeks and a glimmering eyes mostly from the illusion in the shimmery eyeshadow. At least she looked put together. Her body and mind were a whole different story.

Nana held onto her hand as they walked down the stairs, Belle held onto the dress to ensure she didn’t trip and make her stressful day even worse. Little bits of her hair dropped over her face but it was only when she reached the end.

Her eyes slowly trailed up to see Jungkook staring at her up and down the way he did the first time they met.

“What’s wrong?” She looked down at her outfit for a moment, seeing absolutely nothing wrong but Jungkook must have had something to say.

The man stayed silent for a few minutes shifting in his position. “Nothing. Let’s go.” He muttered coldly walking to the exit with three of his guards already walking behind him like robots.

Belle followed the trail, gripping at her clutch purse.

Dull blue hue adorned the sky when they were outside. The guards dispersed to the sides giving Belle way to move forward where she saw Jungkook looking over his shoulder as if he was searching for someone.

Not a word uttered, Jungkook raised an arm and let it hover over her back as they walked towards the luxurious black Sedan shining even in this grey-ish light.

-

Throughout the car ride, Belle tried to ask Jungkook what the event was for and what they would be doing for the rest of the night. All her questions answered with detached replies that gave her no explanation whatsoever making it highly difficult to keep her patience.

“At least tell me how long it’s going to be?” She asked in a much softer tone now.

“An hour or something, alright? Now just keep quiet and don’t embarrass me.” Jungkook snapped before looking out the window.

Belle wanted to be shocked at the sudden change in behavior from the dashing and charming man she saw yesterday but this just served as a good reminder. This was all a fucking joke. She was dressing up to play pretend with a scum of a man who had no care for anyone but his own needs and reputation.

The momentary silence broke by muffled sounds of flashing cameras and people calling out or yelling at the glimmering bodies on the carpet.

Jungkook had the car door opened for him and the second he walked out, he could hear the people growing more restless and the cameras going wild.

Belle shifted towards his side now keeping her clutch purse on her chest.

He held his hand out and she accepted it to keep up appearances, adorning an elegant smile on her rosy lips. Their fingers intertwined with one another as they walked past them with their personal line of guards on each side.

Sounds of violins made her ears prick up and the smell of chocolate touched her nostrils, her stomach rumbling a little. Thankfully the incessant noise from every corner was able to conceal it.

The event hall shone in golden light with a crystal chandelier centering the ceiling, buffet standing on the far left, slow dancing in the middle and a sitting area on the far right. People were crowded but nothing like a bustling city. Instead of strangers pressing against each other in trains or trying to push past to get to work, people kindly slithered through crowds or made pleasant conversation before they moved onto the next group.

Though Belle despised the reasoning for being here, for years this was an event she has always wanted to attend. The class, the culture, the clothes; all of it surrounded her like a welcoming hug and she didn’t really protest when Jungkook led her further into the hall.

Fake elegant smile now melted into something more genuine as she curiously peered over at the performers in gold satin dresses dancing in the middle of the hall. On her left, a vast selection of foods, some she didn’t even recognize but the chocolate fountain wasn’t hard to detect and her stomach shouted again.

“Auntie!” Jungkook called out, his usual sour mood moved to a smile as he leaned to press a kiss on an older womans’ cheek.

The lady looked as elegant and bright as the hall they were in, wearing a white dress with golden hair pins in her neat bun while the man next to her—Jungkook’s uncle wore the same simple suit his nephew did. Except he had a bow on unlike her ‘partners’ more unkept look. “I’m so happy you could be here!” His aunt cheered softly, her wide smile showing off all the lines on her face.

“Why would I not? Your events are always my favorite.” He smiled again almost to a point where Belle almost suspected it may have been fake.

“There’s someone I want you to meet.” His aunt nodded at the younger male whose lips twitched a little making him grin wider.

This one looking a lot more obviously forced.

His aunt turned to the side and called someone over. A woman who looked around their age, tall and slender with long black hair flowing past her lower back and her body adorning an azure dress, loosely stitched rhinestones in large clusters. All of that topped up with some bright red lipstick and shimmering blue eyeshadow to match the clothes. She gave Jungkook a big, advertisement smile.

Belle felt Jungkooks’ hand leave her and immediately hold his out towards the woman which she accepted happily. She introduced herself as Suyeon, only side-glancing her before fixating her gaze on the man instead.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Suyeon.” His charming tone sounded all too familiar.

“I think you two would hit it off really well.” Her aunt declared already off of a two second conversation. Finally the older woman managed to look over at her. “And who’s this?”

Jungkook hummed in question before looking at Belle. “Right this is—” He paused for a moment staring at the woman as if he was already starting to have second thoughts. “This is a friend…Belle.”

Belle smiled at the three new people even though her heart burned with anger at how quickly he changed his mind.

“Of course.” His aunt smiled.

The four elites dived into deep conversation as Belle quietly smiled and admired the performances instead; hoping they would distract her somehow. None of them really cared about her presence here which didn’t help her fury towards Jungkook.

Ah Jungkook.

He who conveniently shifted on the other side of her so he could stand next to Suyeon instead, conversing with her pleasantly. Everything about their deal now seemed long forgotten leaving Belle to worry about the fate of her brother.

“So…uh—” Suyeon spoke towards her now.

“Belle.” She answered softly, keeping up with that smile tiresomely.

“I’ve never seen you in these kinds of parties before.”

“This is my first time.”

“Ah—” Suyeon gave her a fake smile. “Makes sense.” She eyed her up and down as the other three of them laughed.

Even Jungkook didn’t seem to stop finding it funny.

“I mean…no offense, darling but yellow isn’t really a nice color for these events. They look a little—childish.” Venom flowed from her tongue when she spewed those words.

Whatever anxiety burning Belle from the inside now was momentarily pushed down as the fashion lover inside her scurried up. “It’s called daffodil…not yellow.” She emphasized the word making it sound like an uncouth description to use. “If we are talking about childish, perhaps you could take a closer look at the plastic rhinestones on your dress hanging on for dear life on a single thread.” She looked at her up and down this time. “I highly doubt that’s Louis Vuitton work.”

Her words silenced the four of them immediately. Suyeons’ photo-worthy smile now turned into an ugly frown, the aunts’ brows were raised in intrigue and Jungkook stared at her in shock. Belle merely smiled as the older woman of the group tried to change the topic now into something more lighthearted.

Once the confidence drowned out, anxiety kicked in again wanting to walk out of this vicinity right now and never look back. The four of them dispersed a little but Jungkook walked straight to her, holding her arm and bringing her close. “Behave yourself, alright? There’s no need to be rude.”

Belle scoffed yanking out of his grip and walking towards the buffet hoping that some food would help her mood. The clip in her hair began to prick at her aching head and her shoes felt like they were tighter by the minute. Nothing felt right about this night.

“Oh Belle…” She heard a drawling, sickly sweet voice.

Just her luck. Looking over to her side, she gave Suyeon a similar grin trying to look as friendly as possible even though their previous interaction was anything but that. “Suyeon—”

“I hope there’s no hard feelings about my comment.” There was no genuine nature in her tone in the slightest but Belle played along, once again playing pretend that everything was going swell.

“It’s all forgotten.” She shook her head.

“I also hope you could give me some more fashion advice.”

Belle turned to look at the female and a dampening chill trailed all the way down from her chest to her torso, body stepping back in shock. She looked down at her daffodil dress now stained with red almost forming into an orangish color. Gasps echoed throughout the room and she could feel the stares on her. Staring up at Suyeon, she was holding out an empty glass with a sinister smirk on her face.

“What color is that, little rat?”

“Suyeon!”

Belle could’ve sworn she heard Jungkooks’ aunts’ yelling but she was already heading for the bathroom, the whole day picked at her final straw.

-

If in a better mood, her eyes would have been shining in glee at the gorgeous white marble bathroom with bright gold detail. But right now they were flooding with hot tears that stained down her cheeks. Body shivering a little from the harsh chill on her entire front, some pieces of her hair completely damp and the skin on her chest reddened as well.

Belle whined lightly under her breath, lips quivering as she grabbed some tissues and dabbed off the excess liquid not wanting to face the crowd outside.

She heard a woman squeal a little when the door opened but she couldn’t care less to look.

Her head was numb, her body flushing from hot to cold and her body too stubborn to stop shaking from the cold and anxiety.

Finally her eyes flickered to the mirror to see a familiar figure standing next to her. The mere sight of him caused her to sigh in elevated frustration. “If you’re just going to yell at me—” Belle spoke in a cracked voice.

“I saw what she did.” Jungkook immediately replied in a mutter.

Belle sniffled washing off the liquid from the ends of her hair, feeling her clothes now sticking to her dampened skin.

The male padded closer reaching out to touch her shoulder.

“Don’t touch me.” She backed away as one hand held onto the dripping hair. “You chose your wife, now leave me alone.” Belle hated that Jungkooks’ previous behavior created a lump in her throat, fresh tears arriving at the brim of her eyes.

A sigh passed his lips as he lowered his head, leaning against the edge of the counter. “Her joke wasn’t funny.” Jungkook murmured. “I just laughed for the sake of my aunt, she stares at my every move when I make conversation with these suitors. I can never seem to gain the courage to upset her.” He shifted in his position. “Truth be told, you were the most beautiful one here.”

Belle shook her head, another tear dropping down her cheek even after touching up her makeup. “I just wanna go home…” She tried to hug herself but it only made the clothes on her front more uncomfortable. “Please.”

Jungkook searched the womans’ expression finding nothing but distress and discomfort in her whole being. He nodded before shrugging off his coat with a sigh. “Here.” He held his coat out.

She hesitated for a moment glancing up at the man before caving as she draped the coat on. Thankfully it was big enough to cover up most of her dress. Once again his hand hovered over her back as they walked out of the bathroom.

Most of the people were back to their own conversations save for Jungkooks’ aunt who still looked worriedly at the two.

“I didn’t know she was going to behave like that, sweetie.” His aunt genuinely looked like she regretted inviting the menace to the event. “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” She rubbed her shoulder a little.

Belle smiled at her and nodded. “Thank you.”

“We’ll talk to you at a better time, auntie.” Jungkook kissed her cheek again before they walked out of the hall in silence.

Trying their best to ignore the paparazzi, the two were led into their car and were driven home in silence. Belle scooched on the far side on the back seat looking out the window hoping that this day would end. But it couldn’t.

Heat flushed at the back of her neck when she looked at the time. Her work tomorrow would start at around nine after she paid a visit to Taehyung in the rehab center. So that left only a few hours with no sleep to finish the rest of her designs for the spring line. Right up until they reached the mansion, her head began planning all the ways she would keep herself awake and finish the job she was set.

-

“What happened, mistress?” Nana asked and Belle just replied that a snake got a hold of a wine glass before they walked upstairs.

Jungkook walked over to the bar the last time she glimpsed back only for a second.

Forcing herself to have a cold shower, she put on simple pair of grey sweatpants and a matching sweater with her hair up in a ponytail. Her body million times more comfortable now in dry and warm clothing while her dress was being soaked. Annoyance washed over thinking of the possibility that she might not be able to take the stain off.

Belle sat on the floor of the walk-in wardrobe, the perfect place to lay out all her designs and begin her sketching session.

Jungkook walked into the room when she was figuring out where to add details on one of her dresses. He paused a little looking at her deeply engrossed in her work.

She merely glanced at the male before going back to her tasks. Talking to him or even looking at him would only remind her of the time he stole away and for what? Humiliation and a wine stain on one of her favourite dresses? Belle even physically shook her head at the thought. The fact he even threatened to break the deal for this shit only worsened the fury.

But she couldn’t break any more pencils over her anger. Now Belle had to work. If anything needed to go well, it was this. So as the hours kept ticking away, the woman did nothing but do what she did best.

While Jungkook giving one last glance at her, fell fast asleep on the bed assuming she might just come there when she’s ready.

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Fast charging technologies for a phone battery

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Introduction

Usually, the slow charging of a modern 4,500 mAh battery lasts several hours. But the large screen and many modern functions often discharge it during the day. As a result, recharging the battery becomes troublesome enough for the user. Of course, night slow charging is very convenient. But it negatively affects battery longevity. In this case, 100% battery charge remains until mornings, accelerating its degradation. From this point of view, a charge of 40-80% is optimal for the battery. In addition, battery longevity directly depends on the number of cycles, which usually does not exceed 500 full cycles with a decrease in battery capacity by 20%.

In turn, the number of required cycles depends on the battery discharge time, which is determined by the battery capacity and usage mode. To solve these problems, companies have developed fast charging technologies. Unfortunately, fast charging uses increased voltage and current to increase power. For example, a classic charger typically uses a voltage of 5 V and a current of 2 to 2.5 A. For fast charging, these values can reach 20V and 5A, respectively. In turn, an increase in power increases the battery temperature, accelerating its degradation.

Therefore, companies are forced to choose a compromise between charging speed and temperature. Today, the main direction of improving technology is concentrated in this direction.

Main technologies

Today, the market offers about a dozen different fast-charging technologies. Therefore, the charger must support appropriate smartphone fast charging technology and data exchange protocol. But in any case, almost all chargers support the basic slow mode with a voltage of 5 V and a current of 2-3 A. Of course, a variety of technologies contributes to healthy competition, but complicates the choice of consumers. Moreover, the use of a non-original cable can be dangerous for a smartphone due to insufficient limitation of the maximum current. Today Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung, Oppo, Huawei, Meizu, Lenovo (Motorola) and some other companies use their own fast charging technologies. In fact, all technologies use the same method, reducing charging time by increasing power, increasing current and voltage for this purpose. But companies solve this problem in different ways, finding a compromise between a marketing reduction in charge time and reasonable sufficiency in terms of battery overheating. Mostly, engineers optimize the charging algorithm, minimizing the risk of overheating.

In addition, some companies find original solutions. For example, OPPO VOOC Flash Charging uses an eight-pin battery, separately charging each cell with a current of 4.5 A at a voltage of 5 V. Pump Express works similar to Quick Charge, but with MTK processors, and Huawei's Super Charge with additional cooling provides high-foot speed charging without overheating the battery.

Qualcomm Quick Charge

Qualcomm Quick Charge technology has pioneered in fast charging. Its first version was introduced back in 2013. In fact, the company improves this technology for 7 years.

A Quick Charge-enabled smartphone continuously sends battery status information to the charger. Using it, the power supply optimizes power output by changing voltage and current. Qualcomm calls this technology INOV (Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage). Unfortunately, Quick Charge does not work with all Snapdragon processors. Today, the last Quick Charge 4+ version supports Snapdragon 660, 670, 710 and 845 chipsets, providing power up to 18 W. For comparison, the power of Huawei SuperCharge reaches 40 W, and Oppo Super VOOC technology provides up to 50 W. At Qualcomm 4G / 5G Summit in Hong Kong, the company announced a Quick Charge 5.0 version with a twofold reduction in charging duration.

In particular, the transmitted power over a wired connection will reach 32 W, and up to 15 W via a wireless charger. In the first case, Quick Charge 5.0 will use Triple Charge technology, dividing the input current into three different streams. Many experts expected her debut in the flagship Snapdragon 855 platform, but it uses Quick Charge 4+. Pros - the company has been improving the technology for 7 years, presenting 6 of its versions; - backward compatibility with earlier versions of Quick Charge; - built-in protection against overheating and shorting the electrodes.

MediaTek Pump Express

This technology charges the battery without a built-in controller. In this case, the power supply controls the temperature and operation mode.

According to the company, MediaTek Pump Express 4.0 reduces the charging time of a smartphone’s battery by 50% or more compared to a standard USB charger. At the same time, Pump Express only supports charging via a USB Type-C port with a current of up to 5 A. In addition, not all MediaTek chipsets support Pump Express. Unfortunately, the company does not publish a complete list of compatible chips. Therefore, for each model, the user is forced to clarify compatibility information with Pump Express. Pump Express 4.0 is compatible with the international USB PD 3.0 standard programmable power supply. Accordingly, all standard chargers with support for fast charging are suitable for smartphones with support for Pump Express 4.0.

Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging

The company developed this technology for the Samsung Galaxy Series. Unlike its competitors, it's fully compatible with all Samsung Exynos processors. Adaptive Fast Charging uses 9V / 2A providing power up to 18 W. The technology provides an average charging speed, but operates at a minimum temperature. As known, this factor directly affects the battery degradation.

Huawei SuperCharge

Huawei shows impressive innovative activity in this direction. SuperCharge technology provides a relatively low charging speed, but it is compatible with USB-PD and has a high level of security. The Huawei Smart Charge protocol automatically selects the charging type supported by the charger. In addition, it analyzes battery capacity and cable bandwidth, and corrects the voltage to suit them. Additionally, SuperCharge uses special components, including an 8-layer thermal insulation. It lower the temperature by about 5 degrees compared to competitors, reducing battery degradation when using fast charging. Mate 9, Huawei P10 and later flagships use this technology. The built- in microchip in the charger automatically adjusts the voltage and current depending on the state and temperature of the smartphone’s battery. SuperCharge compatible chargers work in 5V / 2A, 4.5V / 5A, and 5V / 4.5A modes. According to the XDA Developers website, the technology provides a Mate 9 charge of up to 90% in one hour. Today, Huawei offers three versions, including FCP, SCP 22.5W and SCP 40 W.

Meizu Super mCharge and Oppo Super VOOC

Meizu Super mCharge

At MWC 2017, Meizu announced for the first time its own Super mCharge technology. According to the company, the technology charges a 3000 mAh battery up to 60% in 10 minutes, up to 100% in 20 minutes. The charger provides a voltage of 11 V at a current of 5 A, or a power of 55 watts. According to the company, the technology practically does not accelerate battery degradation, providing 800 charging cycles with a loss of capacity of up to 20%. In addition, the battery temperature does not exceed 39°C during charging. Oppo Super VOOC Super VOOC is not fundamentally different from the previous VOOC generation, which the company calls Dash Charge. As known, Oppo R17 Pro 3400 mAh battery consists of two series-connected cells with a capacity of 1700 mAh. The charger controls the charging process, providing 10V / 5A. Accordingly, the charging power of each cell reaches 25 W. As a result, Super VOOC charges the smartphone in just 35 minutes.

USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)

As known, USB Power Delivery is a modification of the USB standard in terms of transmitted energy. A large number of different fast charging technologies positively affects competition, but is not very convenient for consumers. At best, the use of third-party accessories reduces the effectiveness of the technology. But in some cases, this can damage the smartphone due to overheating of its motherboard. For several years now, Google has been trying to introduce a single standard for fast charging via USB Type-C port for all Android devices. Of course, this will greatly simplify the use of fast charging technology, allowing the user to safely use any PD-enabled charger. The company has already made significant progress in this area. For example, Qualcomm and MediaTek announced the compliance of their Quick Charge 4/4+ and Pump Express 4.0 of USB - PD.

Conclusion

Despite the risk of accelerated battery degradation due to high temperature, fast charging technologies have no alternative. The increasing processor power and the expansion of the phone functionality will continue to be accompanied by an increase in energy consumption. As a result, companies will continue to increase battery capacity, increasing their price. Accordingly, the dilemma between usability with fast powerful charging and a decrease in battery longevity due to heating will only increase, until the appearance of fundamentally new technologies. But today, a new trend has emerged in this segment. Instead of an emergency increase in power and a reduction in charging time, many companies are increasingly choosing a reasonable compromise, limiting power and lowering the temperature to reduce battery degradation. But, of course, the user must adequately understand the initial purpose of this function. It is convenient and useful if you need to quickly recharge the phone, for example, before work. But, of course, in a normal situation, regular 5V / 1A slow charging is preferable in terms of battery degradation. On the other hand, companies are actively looking for ways to solve this problem. For example, Huawei uses an 8-layer thermal insulation in SuperCharge. In addition, some gaming smartphones already use a liquid cooling system. The form factor of Wireless Charging chargers allows developers to use a traditional cooler to cool the battery during charging. As usual, the most effective solution will win. This video shows the VIVO Super FlashCharge 120W Fastest Charge Smartphone. Read the full article

[themartinsguide]

The United Kingdom and the grand finale

30 June - 14 July 2017

As we wait to board the first flight of three for our journey back to NZ we can’t quite believe this is it. Although we always knew the good thing was coming to an end, the reality of it all never really hit us until now. There have been calls for a statistical analysis of our epic travels and, as we agree that some kind of conclusory comment is necessary, this will not be the final post for the “travel segment” (although, fear not, we have many more ideas percolating) of The Martins’ Guide blog but rather an overview of the last one and a bit weeks of our time in the United Kingdom.

And what a whirlwind one and a half weeks it has been. Thank goodness we had been so fiscally and physically disciplined for the majority of the last six and a half months because it (London in particular) has almost ruined us.

We touched down in Luton airport at 6pm on the evening of Friday, 30 June and made our way directly to Putney (a transit time of 2.5 hours… welcome to London public transport commuting Team Jannah) where we had wine, dinner and a bed waiting at James’ cousins house, who were flying out to America the next day. Unfortunately Aishling had a work function she had to attend but it was great to catch up with Eliza and get into the groove of telling travel stories. The following morning we were up early to jump on a tube bound for the Greenwood pub, the only establishment we could find which was opening early to show the second Lions v All Blacks test match. It was here that we met Fern to collect the keys to our accommodation, ate bacon butties, drank pints (it seemed rude not to), and actually celebrated a Lions victory with a very pleasant and enthusiastic Lions’ supporters crowd. It was a great start to the weekend. After hanging out for a while with a very jovial Fern we attended to some admin, completed a recce of the area surrounding the apartment (which is situated in Stratford, London, near the 2012 Olympic Games Park and, much to Hannah’s delight, a gigantic Westfield shopping centre AND a Sainsburys) and prepared for an evening catching up with friends (a HUGE thanks to everyone that made the effort to come), good chat, drinks, dinner and attendance at a Som Saa “Late Night” event which saw us getting home at 5am the next morning. It’s safe to say that Sunday was a slower day by our usual standards but we ate our weight in meat at a delicious Turkish restaurant which resulted in a night of meat/booze sweats. Delicious.

The following Monday and Tuesday was filled with some typical tourist sightseeing completed with Team Jannah style speed and efficiency, clocking approximately 70,000 steps over two days. London really turned on the weather for us and we found ourselves already wishing we had more time to spend in this fantastic city. We started with a personal tour of the Houses of Parliament thanks to James' cousin PJ, who has the pleasure of working within such a beautiful place. It was a fantastic experience and one that would prove hard to beat. We were off to a strong start. From there, the sites we visited included (not an exhaustive list by any means): - Imperial War Museum (of course); - Hyde Park (and its arches); - Oxford St and Oxford Circus; - Regent Street; - St James Park and surrounding monuments; - Trafalgar Square; - Covent Garden market; - The National Gallery; - The British Museum; - Tate Modern; - St Paul’s Cathedral; and - Buckingham Palace and the Mall. We also caught up with two of Hannah’s old (not an age related reference ladies) school friends and it was great to see them again after all this time. We also managed to fit in a workout at a nearby gym and runs around the Olympic Park through to Victoria Park (which is the spitting image of Hagley Park in Christchurch).

On Wednesday we traveled to Henley (which was quieting down from the recent closing of the Henley Royal Regatta) to visit Tony and Jacqui Hobbs, longtime family friends of the Ballards. During what turned into a near record-breaking 30 degree day, we were taken on a private cruise of the Henley Lock (Hobbs of Henley have a few boats) and for a lovely lunch at Leander Rowing Club, the oldest of its kind in the world. We were back in London with time to shower and change before meeting Rachael for a “banging” feed of beer, margaritas, tacos and chicken wings. This was pretty much the perfect day.

Not wanting to take our feet off the accelerator for fear we may never regain momentum due to a constant barrage of booze, food, and lack of sleep, the next day we jumped on a bus bound for Wales. This journey took 5 hours each way but thankfully the very cheap MegaBus was surprisingly comfortable and we were able to rest our eyes. As we crossed the border from England the temperature dropped a couple of degrees and the sky became noticeably greyer, causing James to make a few condescending comments. It didn’t help that he’d never really visited Wales before and wasn’t completely sure of who the hell we were visiting. Hannah was having none of it, although she did agree with some of the points James made regarding the factories lining he horizon. Still, we weren’t there for the scenery or the climate and we had a lovely time catching up with various members of the extended Ballard family (including Hannah’s grandfathers’ 93 year old brother) and enjoyed a lovely meal at a restaurant on the beach in Mumbles, Swansea. We even dined next to two Swansea Swans Premier League players who looked decidedly bored; we expect the move from Argentina to Swansea is a difficult one. Even so, we were star struck. We topped off our trip to Wales with an early morning run along Swansea Bay and a visit to Oystermouth Castle (because, you know, one must visit a castle) and on Friday night we were at The Globe watching a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Twelfth Night (there was drag involved which worked surprisingly well for Shakespeare). Drinking wine in the warm summer evening watching the sky get darker as the show progressed… Bucket list ticked.

Our final weekend in London (what?!) saw us return to the Greenwood on Saturday morning with Fern to watch the final game of the Lions 2017 test series (a draw is NOT a win), and travel up to Limpsfield for lunch with James’ auntie, uncle, cousin and cousins’ girlfriend. Once again, the weather came to the party and we had a delicious lunch with lots of booze; it was a grand old catch up. After lunch James insisted on taking Hannah for a walk with the dog around the area (apparently the Wellington boots and walking stick were a necessity) and pointing out all the sites that feature in many of his childhood stories such as St Peter’s Church where he was christened, his great grandparents are buried, and his parent and grandparents were married. The bookshop where his grandmother worked, and was subsequently fired from, also featured in the grand tour. At 6pm we jumped on a train home and two and a half hours later we were back at the Stratford apartment - the earliest we had been back in the evening since we arrived! The transit times in London still blows our minds.

After a decent-ish sleep we decided to check out Camden Markets for a bite to eat on a lovely, sunny Sunday morning (scones with Jame and clotted cream featured) before meeting a few of our favorites for a delicious and traditional Sunday lunch roast at the Drapers Arms gastro pub. We sat around spinning yarns in the sun for a while and then headed back to Oxford Street for some more shopping (neither of us appreciated how excellent the shopping in London is during our previous visits). James’ shopping stamina has vastly improved and Hannah is most pleased. Although he needs to work on his Boots Pharmacy game. Sunday night was spent hanging out at Rachael’s.

By the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (10-12 June) we were spent (not just financially). In an unprecedented move we scratched all our plans and removed all remaining sightseeing ambitions from the list. We were officially tapped out. Instead we shopped, ate, drank, slept, ran, and ate and drank some more. Before we knew it we were saying our goodbyes and planning our transit to Heathrow. Even on the tube to the Airport it still hadn’t sunk in. Still, we had a 39 hour journey (including a day in Melbourne) ahead of us, so there’s still time.

We can’t thank our London based friends and family enough for their generosity and kindness during our stay in the U.K. An extra special thanks goes to Nicky and Steve! We are quite excited about seeing our NZ family and friends and being on home soil again. However, we are genuinely concerned about the winter temperatures!

[eddiejpoplar]

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

[jesusvasser]

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

<a href='http://www.

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[robertkstone]

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

<a href='http://www.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

[jesusvasser]

One Week With: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

LOS ANGELES, California — Ten seconds and a quick stab of the throttle reveal that the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is no ordinary M Performance car with a small handful of performance add-ons and some carbon fiber appliques. It’s a rip-snorting, tire-squealing land yacht for the affluent, the dictatorial, and those who’ve always wanted BMW to build an M7. The more you think of it as BMW’s M7, and not a regular 7 Series with a silly long name, the more you’ll start contemplating a bank heist to pay for one.

Don’t believe the M7 hype? Just look at its specs. BMW swapped the 445-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 of the 750i for the absurdity of a Rolls-Royce-derived 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12. Unlike the Rollers, which have to make do with just 563 hp in the Dawn and Ghost, BMW’s version offers a far more prodigious 601 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque—enough to exit low-earth-orbit.

Hitting 60 mph takes a hair’s breadth over three seconds thanks in part to the M760i’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and gummy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, which glue the bruiser to tarmac and asphalt. BMW states the M760i’s top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, but the physical speedometer affixed to the car’s dash reads a take-off speed of over 200 and we’re inclined to believe the veracity of its claim after our short time in the driver’s seat.

These are proper M numbers—numbers that belong in the same breath as the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6. But if the numbers don’t make you a believer, getting behind the wheel will.

Aboard the BMW on tight California back-roads, the Michelin tires and adjustable sport-tuned suspension permit the big sedan to stick to the pavement with little drama. Here, where corners are strung together with the severity of a shark wound, the titanic sedan feels more similar to its much smaller kin. Its heft is undeniably felt, but there’s an unshakeable agility to the M760i that’s very M3-like and thoroughly enjoyable.

That personality gives you the confidence to dive deeper into braking zones, turn harder, and throttle out with lightning-like speed and authority. I’d seriously hesitate to challenge the M760i on a racetrack as here, along the snake-like Californian highways, it feels like it would be difficult for a host of modern, more purpose-built sports cars to out-run or out-maneuver the supposedly luxury-oriented sedan.

One small quibble I can almost overlook—almost—is the steering wheel’s girth. For the last few years, BMW steering wheels have gone from perfectly pencil-thin to Gatorade-bottle-thick. The M760i is no different. As such, I never developed confidence in my hand placement while tackling the tight switchbacks.

Nevertheless, while the M760i’s handling makes it feel smaller than it is, once the twelve-cylinder engine and its twin-turbos spool up, you’re glad it has that longer wheelbase.

Put down through a sublimely quick 8-speed automatic transmission, the M760i’s acceleration isn’t like a supercar’s, angrily shouting as the world goes plaid. Rather, the twin-turbocharged V-12 propels the M760i with a force that feels like tectonic plates smashing into one another, pushing aside pieces of each other’s landmass in its wake.

There’s a sense of urgency, but not a sense of harshness. Think of it as the anti-911 Turbo S, where launching from a standstill feels as if you’re damaging your internal organs. That’s not the way of the M760i. Power builds and builds and builds until you’re doing extra-legal speeds stupendously far from where you started. It’s addictive and you’ll find yourself cruising on the highway well above the fastest legal limits in any state of the Union, just as you’d find yourself in any of its real M siblings.

But the M760i needs to be so much more than just a locomotive M car to be a success; it also needs to maintain the quintessential luxury formula of the 7 Series. That formula means transporting the 7 Series’ various owners and/or clients speedily in spacious comfort, devoid of sound, vibrations, and all other senses. A 7 Series should be a perfectly sealed safe, protecting and cosseting its occupants from the outside through thick doors, acoustic glass, and indulgent leather. And BMW’s M760i almost checks each of these boxes.

Inside, the bank-vault-like doors close with a commanding thud, sealing occupants away. Outer noise, whether it is from wind or the throngs of the unclean masses, is practically nonexistent. There’s just a hint of wind noise that comes through near the B-pillar at around 90-95 mph, but fret not, as the M760i comes complete with one of the finest audio systems on sale today and will drown out every ounce of road and wind noise that’s able to seep into the cabin.

Equipped with the standard Hi-Fi Harmon/Kardon audio system (a1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system is available for $3,400 extra), the 16-speaker, 600-watt system is truly wonderful. High notes are crisp and bass notes suitably rumbly. I played concertos by Phillip Glass, Run the Jewels’ bombastic lyrics, operatic solos by Peter Hollens, and the party-starting lyrics of “Do Something Crazy” by Outasight. Nothing became distorted. Even reaching the upper echelons of the speaker’s volume capacity, myself singing along (definitely not in harmony), the music came through crystal clear. You just settle into the indulgent leather seats and let the music wash over you.

What isn’t tailored for anyone without a fetish for masochism, however, is the car’s iDrive system. When BMW first launched the iDrive system years ago, I worked at one of the company’s dealerships. It took five people two hours to figure out how to change the radio station. Somehow, in the interim, BMW has made the system even more impervious to consumer use; for instance, the simple task of pairing my iPhone.

It’s a routine I do on a nearly daily basis. Most systems take a minute. The BMW took nearly twenty—for comparison, I timed Ford’s new Raptor at just 30 seconds the day after I got out of the BMW. I thought I had paired my iPhone on the first try, but nothing worked. Not my phone, not my music, nothing. I unpaired it, re-paired it, unpaired it again, almost gave up, attempted to re-pair the phone, swearing it would be the last time and finally succeeded after finding the right command.

Feeling triumphant, I then made the mistake of looking for the M760i’s massage function—a mistake of biblical proportions, excuse the hyperbole. But buried under layer after layer of menus, and another twenty minutes of damning the iDrive to hell, I finally found the massage seats controls. I may come from the generation where tech literacy is second nature, but this system is maddening to learn even for a millennial such as me.

Where the car falls slightly, however, isn’t in the impregnable interface—that can be learned—but rather after you’ve turned off the serpentine canyons, switched back to Comfort mode, and began cruising along on your daily commute.

In the M760i, BMW made a M7, unfortunately building something slightly antithetical to the 7 Series’ image of luxurious comfort in the process. On uneven pavement, like the kind you get in nearly every state in the U.S. of A., it transmits far too much noise and harshness back into the cabin for the thin royal bloodlines BMW targets with the 7 Series lineup. Our roads aren’t the pristinely smooth ribbons of tarmac that Germany and the rest of Europe enjoy, and that’s a big problem in a car optioned with 20-inch rims and nearly painted-on Michelin summer performance run-flat tires.

Tooling around town, it never delivers the ride quality the 7 Series is known for, let alone that of its main competitor, the S-Class, which, even in S63 and S65 AMG trims, is buttery smooth. While it could never deliver racecar levels of jitteriness, no matter how well the suspension’s “Comfort” mode is able to keep up with the ruts, pitted, and uneven pavement, there’s too little meat on the tires for the suspension to work with and impart a ride that befits its occupant’s stature. A tire with more sidewall would go a long way to helping smooth out the M760i’s ride. The available 19-inch wheels and associated all-season performance run-flat tires could aid in decreasing the relatively harsh ride.

When I was first wrestling with the M760i, I thought the car had too much of a split personality. On paper, the big Bimmer should be everything any monarch, head of state or dictator would ever want. It has a quiet yet powerful twin-turbocharged V-12 that feels as if it relishes in wafting you 3,000 miles to your summer castle and a presence that projects power and control. When I found that it lacked the basic luxuries of ride, comfort, and quietness that a 7 Series should offer, I thought it needed to choose from among its multiple personalities. Now I realize it just needs to have the right name.

If it were up to me, I would keep the upgraded V-12 engine, but add the smaller wheels and tires with more sidewall, and a softer-tuned suspension—a proper M760i. BMW could then label the car we tested a proper M7. But until BMW finds a focus for its top-spec 7 Series, I’ll pretend the “-60i xDrive” fell off the badge and it just says M7.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $157,695/$171,895 (base/as tested) ENGINE 6.6L twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12/601 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 206.2 x 74.9 x 58.2 in WHEELBASE 126.4 in WEIGHT 5,250 lb 0-60 MPH 3.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph