The BMW 7 Series of 1995 through 2001 is one of those cars that was instantly immortalized once its less than pleasing successor was introduced. Offered with a the versatile 4.4 liter V8 or the 5.4 liter V12, these executive sedans were slightly less popular with dignitaries and businessmen than the Mercedes-Benz S class, however, they were a more mainstream choice than its other compatriot, the Audi A8.
My favorite of all the E38 7 series is the short wheelbase 740i with the M Package. Included in this option package were the classy 18″ M parallel alloys, black shadowline trim, a stiffer suspension and a modified Steptronic transmission with a higher stall speed on the torque convertor. Low mileage examples are getting hard to come by, but here is 740i Sport in a sinister shade of black for sale in California.
2001 BMW 740i M Package on eBay
You are looking at the cleanest blk/blk 2001 BMW 740I M pkg, sport pkg, and convience pkg. Have all service records and owner manuals. Options, xenon headlights, sunroof, leather seats, wide screen navigation only comes on sport pkg, M steering wheels, and wheels, bluetooth, 6 disc cd changer, rear window screens, wood trim, and much more. This is a one of kind car so dont wait!!!
The buy it now price of $14,500 is in line with market values and given the desirable color, full service history and stunning condition, I have no doubt this car will go fast. I think the complexity and looks of the 7 series that followed beginning for the 2002 model year will continue to put the E38 in a good light and position it as a modern day classic.
-Paul
Gorgeous example, great condition. Similar low-mileage example went for $12K about 3 months ago:
https://germancarsforsaleblog.com/2001-bmw-740i-sport/
It looks sharper in the black on black combo, so that should boost the price a bit. Offer $13 – $13.5, bring it home, and enjoy.
Wish I was in the market for something like this myself…
There is a good op ed piece in the Oct issue of Automobile magazine and they talk about these 7 series and older formerly expensive cars in general.
The conclusion is they are nice cars but in the end they need lots of care and when you go to fix them they are still $80k cars so they are very expensive to own. In terms of technology they are a joke too. The same 280 bhp this 7 series makes is easily matched by any Honda or cheap car these days and the new ones do it with 2 or more times the MPG on regular gas.
Nice car and I love these and I even drive a 2001 Audi A6 2.7 TT with manual gearbox. If you want to look expensive they work but they fail on a lot of levels. Try replacing something like a window regulator on one of those BMW’s its stupid expensive
@Howard: One of my co-workers just traded in a black 2001 740i with only 68k miles which she has owned since new for this very reason. Things started breaking and she didn’t want to fork over any more $$$ for repairs. She now drives a 2011 Tahoe LTZ. 🙁
From a 7 series to a Tahoe. Shudder. I think I’d rather walk.
Agree with Howard – just because you can afford to buy something, doesn’t mean you can afford to own it!
If you purchase a car like this expecting anything other than the maintenance, repairs and expense, associated with an aging, complex German machine, then you shouldn’t be purchasing it.
Buy this car because you love the design, or you lusted after them when they were new, or whatever. Don’t buy it for the outright performance or reliability – it will disappoint you. Definitely don’t buy it just because you think you’ll look all classy and rich driving it (hint: you won’t look all classy and rich waiting at the bus stop because you can’t fix your car).
Any modern, electronically-controlled car will be more expensive to repair – when it needs repair. As cars get older, they require more maintenance and repair – regardless of whether it’s a VW Golf or a Mercedes S63 AMG.
Minimize your expenses by following a good preventative maintenance schedule, learning to repair and maintain them yourself, and/or buying a much older car with less complexity.
Of course, many people always want a prestigious new car with every modern convenience. For them, I recommend leasing.
@Paul: Her husband’s vehicle is a 2009 Suburban. Oh, and they have one child. 🙂
My mother had a 1978 Fiat 131 coupe when I was born. My father drove a ’67 Beetle. Tahoe and Suburban….
makes sense.
I would make some crack about short stature or small anatomy or typical American attitude, but I’ll hold off. I should give them the benefit of the doubt, right? After all, maybe they need to tow a lot of really heavy things.
Yeah, I hear ya, Larry. Most people have heavy egos to tow around.
/end of my SUV bashing
@Larry: Both my co-worker and her husband are tall, smart, accomplished professionals who are nice on a on-to-one basis but seemingly obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses.
Oh, and in spite of having owned a string of BMWs going back to an e30 325i they know squat about the marque. My co-worker actually told me that the 740i was supercharged. At first I gave her the benefit of the doubt b/c she is a woman but it turns out that her husband doesn’t know squat either.
Such is life that they have the money to buy these kind of toys but don’t have the ability to appreciate them.
One more comment on BMWs and repair/maintenance and then I’ll shut up. The thing that irks me about BMW is not preventive maintenance or replacing things that wear out regardless of brand (water pumps) but that things that should NEVER break do. Just this month there was an e46 sedan recall on the rear lamps because BMW used a wire that was too thin to ground the eletrical harness! Luckily the message boards community has known about the problem for years and there is a simple DIY fix but come on, things like that shouldn’t happen. It’s just unacceptable.
Furthermore, with newer models you have to go back to the dealer more often than not. You can’t even replace a freaking battery on a modern BMW without having the on-board computer re-set and independent repair shops can’t do the work!
@ Wes:
Agree 100%, Wes. My independent mechanic complains about this all the time, and claims late-model BMW’s are some of the most challenging vehicles in that regard.
He could do the work, but he can’t access the equipment and software necessary. Maybe it’s the manufacturer’s way of protecting it’s dealers’ revenue stream – since they make most of their money from service now anyway.
This is one of the reasons my older E39 was easier to live with than my newer E60 (which will soon be replaced by something that doesn’t harness me to unnecessarily expensive dealer maintenance and repairs). The driving enjoyment has been far less, and hassles and expense have been far greater!
Enjoy driving this car. Handling is excellent, get 31 mph on highway, great sound system, excellent power for hwy acceleration and torque for starting.