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Earlier this week, our reader Craig altered us to a great condition, nice color and eye-catching 2001 740i M-Sport. Unfortunately, that example sold but I was able to source a replacement to remind us of why the E38 BMW is so great. Truth be told, in 2001 BMW faced some pretty stiff competition from Audi’s new kid on the block, as the 360 horsepower all-wheel drive S8 finally was delivered to the U.S. market. Low, mean, luxurious, capable and quick, the S8 is a package which few large sedans are able to match in terms of desirability. In fact, in my mind there’s only one potential match; the E38 BMW 7 series. A good looking sedan to start with, the rakish profile is accented by the fender bulges, but the thing I’ve always really loved is the headlight treatment. The continuation of the body lines past the intersection of the headlights leaves partially eclipsed beams reminiscent of the E28 European headlight treatment. Equipped with the M-Sport package, the E38 gets even more down to business with blacked out detail work and the awesome M-Parallel wheels really filling out the package:
With all this controversy surrounding the Volkswagen Group and the EPA investigation regarding its diesel engines, who knows what the future holds for oil burners in the US. BMW was relatively late to the diesel game, although they did offer a diesel powerplant in the E28 5 series back in the 1980s. However, the 1990s were petrol only for the US market. So that begs the question: how did this 725tds make its way stateside. Cars like this under 25 years old that weren’t originally intended for US sale are always a risk in the used market, but somehow, this one got registered in California, a state known for its strict emissions rules.
BMW has traditionally taken large measures to set its biggest sedan platform apart. In the case of the first 7, the E23, BMW offered an ultra-luxury oriented version replete with full leather accoutrements inside. Dubbed the “L7″, it was an expensive and very exclusive model. When BMW moved on to the E32, it distinguished the large lineup with an extended wheelbase model which added 5” of legroom. This matched the long standard extended wheelbase S-Class models, but Audi had outdone BMW and Mercedes-Benz with their D11 chassis Lang V8 quattro, which added a full foot (30 cm) to the wheelbase of the normal V8 quattro. Having also stepped up the motor in the E32 to the double-six 5 liter M70 V12, BMW was left with a few options when it came to the next 7; they took all of these items and combined them into one ultra-luxurious, ultra-long wheelbase 750iL:
Even though it was a large car for its day and offered supreme levels of luxury, the BMW E38 7 series stayed true to its roots of “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” You could instantly recognize that this car was derived from sport sedans of yore, with it’s double kidney grille and four headlamp profile. In markets outside the US, this was to be the last 7 series available with a manual gearbox. In addition, BMW offered a Sport Package on the E38, as we see here with what is possibly one of the lowest mileage examples left in existence.
I can’t shake dreams of the E38 as a great way to get mega luxury and sportiness for bargain prices. Today’s final-year example comes with the Sport package, forgoing the best suspension tweaks bringing the outstanding visuals of Shadowline trim and M-Parallel wheels. Your 6-foot-plus friends will appreciate the rear legroom while you can enjoy crisp handling, smooth V8 power, and a sumptuous leather interior with decent, pre-iDrive technology. Especially handsome in this Steel Blue metallic and practically new with less than 60k miles, you can get that CEO look for mailboy money here.
