This year was a terrible one for many reasons and while the Coronavirus took the main stage, there was other bad news coming our way from other places as well. For example, the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine that was found on the M760Li model was retired and along with it, the car itself. Therefore, if you wanted a V12-powered 7 Series, July was your last chance.
But before the current 7 Series range got its V12 jewel, the company had another model on offer for several years, on the previous generation. The F01 model range was topped by the 760Li model which used an older engine that is considered the forefather of the one found under the hood of the BMW M760Li. Introduced in 2009, the 760Li used a 6-liter N74 twin-turbo mill, capable of delivering 544 HP and 750 Nm of torque if need be.
Unlike the more recent model, the F01 was a rear-wheel drive car and that means putting that massive amount of power down could be tricky at times. Fortunately, it used an 8-speed automatic gearbox that did great given the setup. According to BMW, the 0-100 km/h sprint should’ve taken 4.6 seconds in the 760Li but that was only true if you managed to get proper traction out of the rear tires.
On the other hand, the M760Li was a different monster altogether. It had a bigger, 6.6-liter twin-turbo engine that made over 600 HP initially but was toned down to 585 HP on the facelifted model. However, it also came with xDrive all-wheel drive as standard and, when the car was initially launched, it became the fastest model ever to wear the BMW badge. Do you think the F01 could stand a chance in this drag race? Not really, but it’s still interesting to see how big the gap between them is in real life.
