The BMW M-division is a fantastic vehicle line. While the 2018 M5 is certainly a nice car, it's looking like the automaker is looking to expand the line with an M7.

BMW filed a trademark for "M7" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. They were recently approved for use on April 27. It was an automobile specific filing, and it currently sits in a three-month pending process while the trademark office does what it does.

The automaker takes the M models quite seriously. So don't expect this to be simply another vehicle. The M760i M Performance model packed a powerful 601-horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 engine. We don't expect the M7 to reach this, but we're expecting something close. It might also have an uprated 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine, like the 2018 M5. This powertrain is capable of nearly 600 hp and is rumored to be found in the 2020 BMW M8 as well.

Unfortunately, this may simply be brand protection. If an M8 is in the works for 2020, and they're only now trademarking the M7, then they'd not be able to produce the M7 before the M8. It's quite possible that the trademarking is pure to prevent others from taking advantage of the number gap. Regardless of why, it will be at least a few years before we see anything substantial regarding this.