The BMW 760Li, the largest and most decadent Bavarian machine offered today, just arrived at
Road & Track’s doorsteps for a year-long stay. Not that we consider ourselves gluttons, but this car resides at the top end of a very wide vehicle spectrum—even surpassing the sticker of our previous exotic long-term Audi R8 with the BMW’s as-delivered MSRP of $149,025. What’s unique about the 760Li is that despite the caliber of pricey competition it associates with, it’s one vehicle that can easily fly below most people’s “wow” radar. At a quick glance you wouldn’t be able to tell the 760Li apart from its slightly less lavish siblings, the 740Li and 750Li, except for the quad exhaust tips (or the obvious decklid badge) that hint at a need for more breathing capacity.
The engine, beyond the myriad of luxury items and techno-toy features, is the underlying difference between the range-topping 760 and “standard” 7 Series. The tidy all-aluminum 4-cam 6.0-liter V-12 nesting under the hood, silenced (and enhanced) by a pair of turbochargers, sends 535 bhp and 550 lb.-ft. of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The result: All two and a half tons of finely formed metal are accelerated to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds with the quarter mile coming up in 12.6 sec. at 114.9 mph. The problem we foresee here is not actually going the distance, but rather exhibiting proper restraint in how quickly we get there.
The list of standard features is staggering, but then again so is the 760Li’s base price of $137,000. For starters, BMW’s Active Roll Stabilization, Integral Active Steering (rear steer) and 19-in. wheels are standard items, which surprisingly makes upgrading to the M Sport package (which adds 20-in. wheels, Alcantara headliner, Shadowline trim, Aerodynamic kit and M steering wheel) much cheaper at $3900 versus the 750i’s tab of $7800 for the same hardware. All four seats—yes, there are just four including the driver’s—are heated, cooled, electronically adjustable, provide massages ($200 extra for the rear seats) and have individual climate control zones. The privacy blinds for the rear and rear-side windows can be operated electronically from any seat, as can the high-fidelity 600-watt 16-speaker dual-subwoofer audio entertainment system—should the driver be so daring as to relinquish that control.
Standard Active Blind Spot Detection and Lane Departure Warning provide visual and tactile alerts to keep you safe as rearview, around-view (bird’s-eye perspective) and front flank-view cameras just about eliminate any excuse for a parking lot incident.
The only other big-ticket items we added were the Rear Entertainment Package ($2200) that includes two tilt-adjustable 8-in. color screens replete with remote control, and an infrared Night Vision camera with Pedestrian Detection ($2600) that can scan people’s direction of movement up to 300 ft. and provide a warning if needed.
This is admittedly not an ideal time for excess. But should you decide to partake, we believe it’s best to motor quietly and carry a big stick.
BMW 760Li 2011 models
