The E32 7 series was introduced in 1986. It was available as 4 door sedan. There were two models available wich both had the M30 6 cylinder engine. The 730i with 184 HP and the 735i with 211 HP. In 1987 BMW introduced a 750i with a twelve cylinder wich had 300 HP and a top speed of 250 km/h.
Also available now were extra long versions of the 735i and the new 750i. In 1992 the new 730i and 740i eight cylinder replaced the 735i and 735iL. The eight cylinder models received the same wide kidney grille as the 750i. In 1994 BMW introduced a new 7 series so the E32 went out of production.
BMW E38 7 Series
In 1994, BMW introduced the E38 7 series. There were two different engines sizes available, the 730i (218 HP) and 740i (286 HP), both with V8. A few months later, a 12 cylinder (326 HP) 750i and 750iL came available. The 6 cylinder did not arrive before 1998 as 728i / 728iL, with 193 HP. At the same time, the 730i was replaced with a 735i / 735iL (235 HP) and the 740i / 740iL received a new engine.
The 725tds diesel (6 cylinder, 143 HP) came available in 1997, followed with a 730d (184 HP) in 1998. In 1999, the 7 series received a small facelift: the headlights and rear lights were changed, and there were some minor changes in the interior. A 740d diesel was now also available, with V8 engine and 245 HP. The last E38 7 series was produced in 2001, to make room for the all new E65 7 series …
BMW E65 7 Series
The BMW E65 7 series was introduced in 2001 and is available as 735i or 745i. Both have the new 8 cylinder valvetronic engine which are good for 272 HP for the 735i and 333 HP for the 745i! Both cars also feature iDrive, a new system, which allows you to control all car functions with a click on a large, round button, located on the front armrest. The design of the car is totally new and never seen before on any other BMW! The trunk seems to be on top of the rear, while the front looks much small thanks to the headlights with the “eyebrows”. If you want to know about bmw m performance, check out here.
The dashboard is also something unique, of course because of iDrive but also because it is clean, not hundreds of buttons all over the dashboard but a simple computer screen with all functions integrated. This means only the airconditioning buttons can be found in the center console, all others moved to the iDrive system! In 2002, the 730d and 740d came available, and in 2003 the 730i/Li and the 12 cylinder 760i/Li. Maybe the car was bit too radical because in 2005, a small facelift was made. The front and rear changed, while the interior was kept as it was. Besides the facelift, almost all engines where new or changed, only the 12 cylinder was left as it was …
