BMW E32

1992 BMW E32 740i

Introduction

In 1986, BMW introduced the second generation of the 7 series, known internally as the E32. Aimed at the high end of the luxury market, the car offered some of the latest innovations in automotive technology, and a new, top-of-the-line V12 engine. Some luxury options featured on the E32 included integrated telephone and fax machines, a wine cooler, double glazing, heated door locks and windshield washer nozzles, electronic stability control, and a system that automatically increased spring pressure on the windshield wipers, to keep them firmly pressed on the glass at Autobahn speeds. Incidentally, the E32 was the first car adhering to BMW's self-imposed speed limit of 250 km/h.

The car was also available in a stretched version (indicated by an 'L' after the model number), in which case an extra 10 centimeters of leg room was available to the rear passengers.

The BMW 750iL Highline was the top-of-the-line model of the E32, with lots of added luxury for the rear passengers like full leather, dual radio controls, dual climate control, electrically heated and adjustable rear seats, and walnut veneer folding tables. It also added a second battery in the trunk and a second alternator to provide power for all these luxuries. The 'Highline' option package cost more than €10.000, and was only available on the 750iL, bringing the total price to well over twice that of a 'basic' 730i ('basic' to be taken in context obviously) [1]

Engines

The E32 was offered with several different engines, all petrol.At the car's introduction, the 730 and 735 used the straight-6 M30 engine, while the 750 featured the all-new M70 V12 engine which produced 300 bhp (296hp in the USA).In 1992, a new 32-valve V8 engine was introduced, the M60. The 730i got this engine in a 3-liter version, while the new 740i got the 4-liter version. In some countries, there were serious problems with this engine because of sulfur corrosion problems in its nikasil cylinder block, and many were replaced under warranty.BMW still offered the 730 with the straight-6 M30 engine in Europe until 1994 when the E38 was introduced.

Externally, the BMW 'kidney' grille indicated which engine was present under the hood: all 6-cylinder models had a narrow grille, and all 8- and 12-cylinder models had the wider version. This feature was not seen on later models (the E38 used a wide grille for all models)

Overview of engines by model number:

Model	Engine Code	Engine Type	Displacement (cc)	Power (BHP)	Torque (NM)
730i	M30	L6 12V	2986	188 @ 5800	260 @ 4000
735i	M30	L6 12V	3430	211 @ 5700	305 @ 4000
730i V8	M60	V8 32V	2997	218 @ 5800	290 @ 4500
740i	M60	V8 32V	3982	286 @ 5800	400 @ 4500
750i	M70	V12 24V	4988	299 @ 5200	450 @ 4100

Model	730i	730i	735i	740i	750i
Cyl/Valves	6/2	8/4	6/2	8/4	12/2
Size (cc)	2986	2997	3430	3982	4988
Stroke / Bore	80 / 89	68 / 64	86 / 92	80 / 89	75 / 84
Power	188bhp@5800	218bhp@5800	211bhp@5700	286bhp@5800	300bhp@5200
Comp. Ratio	9.0	10.5	9.0	10.0	8.8
Top Speed	222	233 / 230	230	240	250
0-100	9.3 / 10.6	8.5 / 9.3	8.3 / 9.1	7.4	7.4
Years Made	1986-1994	1992-1994	1986-1992	1992-1994	1987-1994

Related Cars

The E32 replaced the first generation 7 series, the E23. The E32 itself was replaced by the E38 in 1994, although the engines developed for the E32 continued to be used in updated form.The E34 5 series, introduced in 1988, is externally very similar to the E32, and many parts are shared between the two cars. The two-door 8 series E31 features the same engines (840i, 850i).

Competition

Placed in the high end of the market, the E32's main rival was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (models W126 and W140 from 1991). Other competitors were the Jaguar XJ40 and the Lexus LS400.More distant competitors were the Cadillac Fleetwood, Opel Senator, and the Audi V8.

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