autoevolution
 

2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine

A couple of years ago, BMW Abu Dhabi was bombarding us with boldly colored versions of the M760Li. This is part of the reason why people fell in love with the combination of the V12 engine and M Performance design.
2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine 16 photos
Photo: BMW Abu Dhabi
2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine2020 BMW 730Li Sports Huge Grille and Tiny 2-Liter Engine
However, Abu Dhabi may be running out of cheap oil because the model somebody ordered there is severely downsized. We're referring to the 730Li, though you wouldn't know it just by looking at the car from the front.

The name pretty much says it all. That "L" in the title says you've got the extended wheelbase of a luxury limousine, the kind that stretches for days and offers ample legroom. However, the "30i" means a 2-liter four-cylinder turbo resides under the hood.

This would be the same engine found in American versions of the 330i and 530i, though you can't have a 730i in this market. In fact, you can't buy it in Europe either, as the base engine there is the 30d, which is a 3-liter.

BMW's turbocharged system offers you 258 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque from 1,550 rpm which goes to the back wheels via the usual 8-speed automatic gearbox from ZF. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint time is claimed to be 6.3 seconds and you can still go 250 km/h despite the bulk of this car.

People who don't know how to read BMW badges might think this is a really hot sports sedan because it has been fitted with the M Sport body kit. This makes the front air intakes look almost as bold as those on the M760Li with three times the cylinders and displacement.

You'd think that a smaller engine would need less air for combustion, but BMW still installed its massive and quite controversial new kidney grille, which is about 50% larger than before. With active aero, this can at least close off to streamline the front at speed.

If you'd like to see what the 730Li looks without the M Sport package, we've got one in the luxury line added to the photo gallery below. But there's still no getting around that grille.

Other customization options on the 730Li include the Adventure Red II paint from BMW Individual and some M-themed wheels. The interior is one of the nicest we've ever seen, with a stone-like finish. I think this is Poplar Grain in grey, so it's still technically wood grain unless I'm mistaken.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories