Cheapo BMW 750Li

[Rick101]

I'm thinking of replacing my 2001 XC70 with a 2006 750Li

A bit concerned the boot looks quite small.
Read some stuff about a common oil leak being a 10hr labour job
Lots of electrics to check

I'm going to look at one today. http://www.dsccilismotors.co.uk/vehicle/bmw-7-seri...

Anything else I should be checking?

Thanks

[Duhh]

I bought myself a shed version a few years ago.
Cost me more in tyres in a year than I paid for the car. Lovely car though, no regrets.

[Rick101]

Doing very few miles now. Probably 5k a year, maybe 8k maximum.
Not too concerned on consumables.
Will have maybe one medium run a month and a French trip once or twice a year.

Main concern is major failure, engine, box, electronics.

The more toys the better for me.

[Prinny]

It has the comfort seats (good), and the later cd unit, so adding an ipod is possible, if that matters.

Looks in reasonable nick. It’s not got a huge amount of toys compared to what is possible, but check everything works.

On those 18” wheels, the ride should be very cosseting, and quiet. Any bumps or thunks mean something’s wrong.

Check battery age - they’re very sensitive to voltage. (behind the right-hand trim panel in the boot).

Speaking of which, it’s not ‘that’ small - 500l (17.7 cuft).

Take a cd along & check the stereo - it should sound good (and go LOUD) - if not, there’s multiple known issues with the head(ASK) unit, the amps (£1400 if L7 to replace from dealer)

Engine wise, yes, the valley pipe can leak, and gaskets seem to be luck of the draw for oil leaks, but the engine should do mega mileage otherwise.

[bmwmike]

Leafing out the boot size for a moment wood you not be concerned that it's had tree former keepers...

[Rick101]

Just back. What a day.


Well the car listed above. What a waste of time.
Sales pitch locked up, nobody about bar the guy from next doors pitch.
Car had clearly been stood a while very tatty.
No chance to check anything bar an external look
Owner eventually turned up, seemed plesant but couldn't access the keys or paperwork for at least an hour.

Car 2
Rang this morning, no response. Finally got a call back about 3 hours later to be told it had sold ages ago and they don't know why it's on trader
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Car 3
Rang to check it was available, went over to be greeted with a grunt by a valeter. Asked if they had a 7 Series for sale (the car behind) to be told 'dunno mate'
https://cskmotors.co.uk/vehicle/name/bmw-7-series-...
Also been stood ages, broken trim, flat battery, bag of ste basically.

Car 4
Looked promising from the Ad but was a bit wary of V12 bills.
Seemed a nice chap on the phone, sadly deposit taken.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Car 5
Thought I'd try one more as I had travelled South anyway
Nice guys, clean well presented car, nice setup and Le Mans goers. Always a good sign
Nice looking car, few little marks but reasonable for age. PDC error was showing, no biggie.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Really like the 750, worth going for the Li for the space. Lovely smart and luxurious cars.
Now thinking a 760Li would likely have been a better looked after car. Sadly not many around. The search continues.

[Prinny]

Oh dear. Doesn’t sound like you’ve had the best of days. As a 760 owner, it’s only fair to say that they can come with their own special foibles, above and beyond that of a regular 7 series. The hpfp diaphragms go, and because there’s so few of these pumps made (only ever used on the 760 as far as I know), it’s something like £2500 (per side) plus fitting & VAT. (You can buy another complete car for that price now). If the internet is to be believed, you can replace the diaphragms though, so it’s much cheaper if you’re willing to wield a wrench or two.

(I might have to try this soon - the car always starts, and runs impeccably once started - but the cranking over to start from cold is getting longer and longer = identifying trait).

If you’re ever over Manchester way, PM me & you’re welcome to have a go in mine. (But I warn you - this will make you want one).

[Rick101]

Thanks for the advice and the offer. Very kind.

I've considered several cars over several months and the 750 I sat in today, even though it was tatty, had that lovely feeling of refinement about it.

[Philv8s]

As a former 760 owner I would get another again without a problem. The V8 has more inherent faults and is prone to leak oil/coolant and any time from anywhere (and I own a 4.4 based engine car)! The V12 is sublime in its smoothness and wafting ability. Get a good one and you will be smitten. Don’t buy cheap though, buy the best maintained example you can.
Mine had over 100k on the clock and the only issue I ever had was a rear window motor facing which I fixed myself in an hour with a second motor of eBay. The engine was golden.

[Rick101]

Can one of the owners give me an idea of service schedule & costs?

I'd imagine you must be talking around £500 a time? (Specialist)

Edited by Rick101 on Friday 18th May 05:00

[Erudite geezer]

Flame me, sling my balls in a vice, but I'll ask it anyway.
I don't have any experience of these super-large luxury barges (my current 520D F11 is the largest vehicle I have owned), but what will the V8 or V12 petrol versions of these cars offer that high-spec V6 diesel cylinders cannot?

[Philv8s]

Well the vast majority of the smaller engines cars won’t have the good spec in the first place as by virtue the original purchaser had a smaller budget so the extra toys were usually left unticked on the order form. The V12 came heavily loaded as standard mind.
Then there is the refinement, no matter how good the diesel it will never be as nice to drive as the petrol equivalent which has more cylinders, or sound as good.
I have a new TDV8 Range Rover but it is not as smooth or quiet as my £2k flat six 3.0 petrol Subaru Outback!

[shotta287]

The E65 7 series has always come across to me as the perfect luxobarge to waft around in particularly the V8 and V12. If I could afford the insurance I’d love to own one.

[Prinny]

I’ve written a fair bit about it on the smoker barge thread & my rr thread, but the main thing you get from having the v12 is a mental attitude about tranquility. The car has ‘nothing’ to prove.

Simply put, there’s only one naturally balanced engine layout, the straight 6, and then variants thereof. Straight 6 tend to be creamy. V12’s (when not designed for rpm like a Lambo/Ferrari) are double-cream. You genuinely can rest a £1 coin on the engine whilst running (See Mr. Metcalfe & SL600 video).

What this means is that over the course of a long journey, you’re much less subject to vibrations, or secondary effects that may not directly be visible, but may well be picked up in the ear, etc. Couple this with the premium interior, the double glazing, the effort that has been taken to damp unwanted motion, and harmonise seat spring rate with car spring rate, the extensive customisation possible, and for the MD who drives as much as they’re driven, it can start to make sense. When you’re still comfortable, going into the 10+ hour of the drive, that’s when you really start to appreciate it.

Modern car engineers & designers have got very good at the 3 or 4 pot engine, and it’s perfectly adequate. Indeed I drive such frequently with little/no complaint. But it’s the difference between ‘good enough’ & ‘outstanding’ that we’re chasing here, and no matter how well you specify a 3-series (for example) it’s just not the same. In day-to-day use, the v12 engine is inaudible, if you let the gearbox work its magic it’ll shuffle cogs around 2000-2500 rpm. This will more than keep you at the forefront of a traffic flow. Start to use 4000rpm and you’re away from the herd, but still in perfect silence. Over 4000rpm, the variable valve timing kicks in, the exhaust valve opens, and it charges for the redline with a cultured growl. It’s still quiet, but now you’re aware of why you paid the extra! But forget the noise, it’s still composed, comfortable in the car.

It’s not a slow car, even in today’s marketplace, though 14 years worth of gearbox technology advances hurt it most - I’d love to put a zf8 in there. Unless forced otherwise, it starts in 2nd gear, and will run to 70mph in that, in approx. 6.6seconds. It’s honestly just getting warmed up at that point. Cruising on the continent at 200kph, kickdown will select 4th, and accelerate meaningfully. It’s quicker than the majority of the current GTI (not the R/RS level, one below)hot-hatches in a straight line, and it’s only a really tiny b-road that lets them get away in the corners (and it’s hard work at that point, but great fun if you’re in the mood). It’s a 200bhp/tonne car, but a passenger or two doesn’t impact that figure much, as it’s starting from 2250kgs. But this paragraph is not what the car is about.

At the end of the day, the S-class/7-series/daimler/Jaguar (I’m deliberately going to ignore RR & Bentley as they’re a different market) have always been (since the late 80’s when BM & Merc caught up to the series 3 by offering a v12) about the technical showpiece. In other words, “look what we can do”.
The s-class & the 7-series each have multiple ‘first automotive use” accolades, many of them things that we typically now take for granted in the day-to-day Ford Fiesta even.
These flagships never sell in large numbers, overall, and then within that tiny market, the v12 models sell only a tiny, tiny amount. (I think there’s something like 120 v12 E65/66 sold in 7 years in the UK). I’m not sure BMW have actually will ever recover design costs on this v12 engine design yet in terms of units sold..

The same is true of the s-class. An s320cdi is a nice thing to taxi about in. The 5.5lv12 twin turbo is hilariously unexpected.

The best v12 I’ve driven however is the ‘old’ Jaguar v12 in the xjs (5.3 pre H.E.). With the 3 speed auto. That engine defines the feeling of effortless, smooth acceleration. You feel that if minor inconsequential things like drag & gearing were removed from the equation, then the delta-V would be linear, forever.

TL,DR
By any rationale that includes money, a 745/750 is much more sensible, giving 98% of the refinement, 90% of the performance at 60% of the price. The economy is also better, and the handling too.
But to those of us with petrol in our veins, a 745/750 is nowhere near as special.

A v12 is all about that final 2% of superlative refinement. To me, it’s well worth it.