RE: BMW 750i L (E32): Spotted
Discussion
jaykay42 said:
If I remember this correctly then one USP of the E32 750 was that BMW was offering the first German premium segment 12 cylinder engine for donkeys years, since the war I believe. Before Audi and in particular before Mercedes!
Maybe that is still adding to its appeal...
The last 12 pot with ''bmw'' on it prior to this was made by them in the 30's .Maybe that is still adding to its appeal...
I think the focke wulf was a 14cyl?! not sure though.
Still I say this on every spotted but way overpriced would be reasonable at 3 bags, But every ''modern classics'' dealer is going to try it on with every car in this daft market.
I've run a 1988 E32 750iL for 16 years and it has FBMWSH from new - never been serviced outside the main dealer network. Whatever it needs it gets, no ifs or buts. I'm anal about annual servicing way below the recommended mileage.
It's always had the best available lubricants used for the engine, transmission & differential - currently Millers CFS 5W-40 Nanodrive for the engine, Millers CRX LS in the diff & Fuchs TITAN ATF 6000 SL for the transmission.
Once on the continent it will cruise effortlessly at 130 in full air conditioned comfort without a murmur from the engine.
It's at 90k now, uses no oil & has been reliable and a pleasure to own. Like its contemporaries, the 560 SEL & Bentley Turbo R you need to be prepared to spend decent money on maintenance notwithstanding the vehicle's low market value. With complex cars you need to stay on top of any defects or they'll snowball. You have to keep an eye on the condition of the suspension on any heavy luxury car & service the heating systems & air conditioning annually.
The beauty of these cars is that there's little in the way of ICE & certainly no Nav system to date it - and to me it's the "gadgets" which date luxo barges more than anything else.
It's always had the best available lubricants used for the engine, transmission & differential - currently Millers CFS 5W-40 Nanodrive for the engine, Millers CRX LS in the diff & Fuchs TITAN ATF 6000 SL for the transmission.
Once on the continent it will cruise effortlessly at 130 in full air conditioned comfort without a murmur from the engine.
It's at 90k now, uses no oil & has been reliable and a pleasure to own. Like its contemporaries, the 560 SEL & Bentley Turbo R you need to be prepared to spend decent money on maintenance notwithstanding the vehicle's low market value. With complex cars you need to stay on top of any defects or they'll snowball. You have to keep an eye on the condition of the suspension on any heavy luxury car & service the heating systems & air conditioning annually.
The beauty of these cars is that there's little in the way of ICE & certainly no Nav system to date it - and to me it's the "gadgets" which date luxo barges more than anything else.
In my experience the E32 was a "sportier" drive than the E38. The control weights were heavier and the suspension more biased to "swift progress" than "ultimate refinement" as in the E38.
As the first 7 series to seriously challenge the flagship S-Class models it retained a great deal of the 3 & 5 series owner-driver sports saloon characteristics. The E38 was definitely more of a luxo barge with the 750iL further skewed towards the chauffeur/patron market with passenger comfort prioritised over driver involvement.
When the E32 750iL first came out, "Road & Track" tested it against the E34 M5 (with which it shared the EDC suspension) - both round a track, through a slalom course & in a straight line. While the E32 was slightly slower than the 315 bhp M5 through all these disciplines it was a close run thing & was by no means embarrassed. You wouldn't even conceive of testing an E38 against an E34 M5 - they're chalk & cheese.
As the first 7 series to seriously challenge the flagship S-Class models it retained a great deal of the 3 & 5 series owner-driver sports saloon characteristics. The E38 was definitely more of a luxo barge with the 750iL further skewed towards the chauffeur/patron market with passenger comfort prioritised over driver involvement.
When the E32 750iL first came out, "Road & Track" tested it against the E34 M5 (with which it shared the EDC suspension) - both round a track, through a slalom course & in a straight line. While the E32 was slightly slower than the 315 bhp M5 through all these disciplines it was a close run thing & was by no means embarrassed. You wouldn't even conceive of testing an E38 against an E34 M5 - they're chalk & cheese.
This old thread has some very useful contributions about owning a V12 E32:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=787...
This was from 2009 so I doubt the ownership experience has gotten any cheaper in the last 7 years....
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=787...
This was from 2009 so I doubt the ownership experience has gotten any cheaper in the last 7 years....
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