RE: SOTW: BMW 750iL (E32)

RE: SOTW: BMW 750iL (E32)

Author
Discussion

SKiwi

31 posts

148 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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A few years ago this was the fastest depreciating car in Australia - over $200k new - $60k about 2-3 years later !!!!!!!!! On the other hand the 318i was the slowest depreciating.......

monthefish

20,439 posts

230 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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Morningside said:
The E38 iL has parking sensors front and back.
yes

TomJS

973 posts

195 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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How bad can this shed be? Tested and from a dealer for under £1k. Surely if the engine drops out on the way home you just hand it back.

Zwoelf

25,867 posts

205 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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TomJS said:
Tested and from a dealer for under £1k. Surely if the engine drops out on the way home you just hand it back.
laugh

Good luck with that.

Penguinracer

1,593 posts

205 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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I've been running my E32 750iL for 11 years without (touch wood) incident. It's done 89K & still returns to the BMW dealer for whatever is needed as it has done since new - I'm the third owner, my brother was the second. Earlier this year we took it to the continent & and had effortless 130 mph cruising in airconditioned comfort. In my experience the E32 is a sportier drivers car than the E38 which is perhaps a more refined limo. The E32 feels stiffer in the suspension and has more steering feel than the later car, but the E38 transmits less road & wind noise. I squeezed it up to 150 mph while my wife slept - no bother. The beauty of the 12 is not just the smoothness but the low rpm at which it does everything. At the speed limiter (155 mph) it's only pulling 4800 rpm & will do it without stress until it runs out of fuel. There's never the nervousness that if you drive it flat out it will blow-up after 2 minutes. As long as you maintain these cars as required by the manufacturer they'll go on indefinitely.

ITech

111 posts

153 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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Zwoelf said:
laugh

Good luck with that.
+1
laugh
Bet the Dealer loves him!

bbd1

306 posts

174 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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I remember when the 750iL first came out, the directors chauffeur at a large company took us out for an attempted 0-60 in there car park wobble it felt Bloody quick from the back seat biggrin

ITech

111 posts

153 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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Penguinracer said:
I've been running my E32 750iL for 11 years without (touch wood) incident. It's done 89K & still returns to the BMW dealer for whatever is needed as it has done since new - I'm the third owner, my brother was the second. Earlier this year we took it to the continent & and had effortless 130 mph cruising in airconditioned comfort. In my experience the E32 is a sportier drivers car than the E38 which is perhaps a more refined limo. The E32 feels stiffer in the suspension and has more steering feel than the later car, but the E38 transmits less road & wind noise. I squeezed it up to 150 mph while my wife slept - no bother. The beauty of the 12 is not just the smoothness but the low rpm at which it does everything. At the speed limiter (155 mph) it's only pulling 4800 rpm & will do it without stress until it runs out of fuel. There's never the nervousness that if you drive it flat out it will blow-up after 2 minutes. As long as you maintain these cars as required by the manufacturer they'll go on indefinitely.
Interesting to hear a 'real life' experience of a well maintained example. I am tempted by one, slightly nervous of the v12, but tempted and they are such good value now. I had an e38 740 and still need to justify in my head, the advantage of the v12 over getting another 740 e38.

6potdave

2,280 posts

212 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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A risky buy, but what a car for a grand!!

Penguinracer

1,593 posts

205 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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My brother sold the E32 750iL to me & replaced it with an E38 740i because he needed the deeper boot for prams when he started his family. He always felt that the the 12 was an entirely different car to the V8 & felt that it was definitely from the class above. It's not that there's a massive difference in the outright performance (not until very high speed at any rate) but that the 12 did everything with a civilised growl at seemingly half the revs of the V8. The E32 has the optional Nappa leather which meant leather covered doorcards, door pulls, glove box, central console & lower facia. His 740 felt plasticy by comparison. If you can find a well-cared for example, with a service history & it checks out - you'll be very happy. Buy a lemon...well you still won't be far out of pocket even if you just walk away. I can remember travelling down the M20 one day & conincidentally noticed I was travelilng in convoy with a Bentley Turbo R, a Lotus Carlton and Mrec 560 SEL - my brother observed that the old '50 was probably worth less than another set of tyres and alloys for the Bentley - but was just as capable.

ITech

111 posts

153 months

Sunday 6th November 2011
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Penguinracer said:
My brother sold the E32 750iL to me & replaced it with an E38 740i because he needed the deeper boot for prams when he started his family. He always felt that the the 12 was an entirely different car to the V8 & felt that it was definitely from the class above. It's not that there's a massive difference in the outright performance (not until very high speed at any rate) but that the 12 did everything with a civilised growl at seemingly half the revs of the V8. The E32 has the optional Nappa leather which meant leather covered doorcards, door pulls, glove box, central console & lower facia. His 740 felt plasticy by comparison. If you can find a well-cared for example, with a service history & it checks out - you'll be very happy. Buy a lemon...well you still won't be far out of pocket even if you just walk away. I can remember travelling down the M20 one day & conincidentally noticed I was travelilng in convoy with a Bentley Turbo R, a Lotus Carlton and Mrec 560 SEL - my brother observed that the old '50 was probably worth less than another set of tyres and alloys for the Bentley - but was just as capable.
My e38 740 had the better leather, not sure if it was 'nappa', but it was clearly better than the leather I have had in other BMw's, by some margin. The door cards were leather and so was the lower dash and arm rest etc, so perhaps it was an option on the e38 740i also? Mine had the 12 way adjustable electric seats, which were awesome.
It felt a very well screwed together car and was a totally different machine to a friends e38 728i, that I drove a few times. The v8 sounded good and was pretty quick, one of the best cars I've ever owned or even been in TBH. But, I have never tried the v12, so I accept what you say about outright performance and I must admit, from your description, they do sound very special. I personally prefer the look of the SWB E38, but like the e32 also.

Morningside

24,110 posts

228 months

Monday 7th November 2011
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My Friend had the 740 and I the 750iL. I thought the 740 was just another BMW. Sorry, let me explain. It could have been a 5 series as I found nothing special about it. No TV, no rear blind, no advanced stereo, no sat nav, no double glazing. etc.

The V12 model ie top-of-the-range was an amazing bit of kit. It really did feel like something special to drive. From the hum of the engine to the leather dashboard and for such a heavy beast I found that she could easily lift her skirts and pull and pull and pull with no sound and in sports mode it was an easy thing to handle on corners etc. It was like a very large sports car.

Odd features: I liked the system that allowed you to set a time on which you would be using the car and 15 minutes before use it would use the cooling fans to remove that stuffiness on hot days.
Holding down the lock key would close all windows and sunroof or holding unlock would lower windows and sunroof.

'oh, it will cost a fortune in parts'. I suspect it might have, but so do other cars - Look at the cost of a diesel pump for a Nissan Nirvana! I had both rear discs and pads replaced. Cost...£250! Thats it! And they were GENUINE BMW parts.

Only reason I parted with it as we needed an estate for the dogs. Plus for business it was no good for transporting heavy goods (boxes).

More I read these threads the more I wish I had kept it. Out of all the cars I have owned this is the only one I was sorry in letting go.

Would I buy another? To damn right I would but it would be an P reg or later as the earlier models missed out on HID headlights and DVD sat-nav system (easier to update) and wide-screen TV.

Actually, as a side thing these car TV modules will be obsolete in a few days times.


Problems? Well, very few. The double glazing was a pain to defrost on cold mornings as it took time for the heat to come through the glass and being a long model supermarket parking was a bit of a pain (although the front and rear parking sensors helped).

Lastly, remember that these are the one of the highest insurance group so no point buying if a 20yr old with 6 points!

petrol_heads36

10 posts

175 months

Monday 7th November 2011
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I bought just the same car in the same colour a 1988 750iL last friday week with 146000 miles on it for 1250 euro off a Honda main dealer, alas the headgasket was beginning to go and I returned it 2 days ago and got my money back.
A shame really because it was a lovely drive, very powerful and so comfortable but that's life I guess....
They are heavy on fuel but worth every drop...

gentlybentley

5 posts

148 months

Monday 7th November 2011
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Harsh crit. I have a99 735i sport which is without doubt the most comfortable motor car I have ever owned bar none. I prefer it to my Bentley Turbo RT, Continental Le Mans, BMW M6, and 65 Bentley S3 saloon. Banging car, had some cooling issues but new water pump, filler tank, fan assembly sorted it and I've aadded 30k to the speedo which had 140k when I bought it three years ago with only regular servicing and MoT.

anything fast

983 posts

163 months

Monday 7th November 2011
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a great car then and still is, if fuel was not so dear everyone would have one!!

but WTF is up those wheels or are they hub caps, either way they are truly horrid and make the car look like a large sofa..

B'stard Child

28,324 posts

245 months

Monday 7th November 2011
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monthefish said:
Morningside said:
The E38 iL has parking sensors front and back.
yes
So does the non L wink

The parking sensors are handy but having fitted a towbar to mine I am having to recalibrate myself = previously only when I got a continuous beeeep would I stop knowing I was an inch away from whatever was behind me.

My garage door says now I need to stop before the continuous beeep unless I line the car exactly in the same place on the drive and then the towbar ball fits nicely in the recess it's created.

dbdb

4,311 posts

172 months

Wednesday 9th November 2011
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anything fast said:
a great car then and still is, if fuel was not so dear everyone would have one!!

but WTF is up those wheels or are they hub caps, either way they are truly horrid and make the car look like a large sofa..
I really like the wheels, I'd choose to put them on any E32.