SedanBMW78% by Neofiliac Team10.0/10 by Neofiliac Users

BMW 7 Series E38 LCI

Full-Size Sedan

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Product Overview

BMW 7 Series E38 LCI is the facelifted version of the E38 full-size luxury sedan in production from 1998 to 2001. It is available with inline-6, V8, and V12 engines that displaced 2.5 to 5.4 liters.

Undoubtedly, the most appealing engine is the M73 V12 found in the flagship 750i and 750iL. It offered a level of refinement and relative reliability that was hard to beat (perhaps with the M120 from Mercedes as a notable exception). Today, it has become a modern classic that is nonetheless affordable.

The E38 used MacPherson front suspension, which is usually not the best recipe for handling. However, the E38 is much lighter than modern full-sizers, and with a balanced weight distribution and FR layout, the E38 could handle a lot better than its size would suggest.

Ratings

What we found

Neofiliac score 78%

Pros

The height of elegance
Sweet M73 V12 engine
No-BS interior

Cons

Stuck with MacPherson struts in the front

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Specifications

Variants shown:

725tds

725tds AT

728i

728i AT

728iL AT

730d 184hp AT

730d 193hp AT

735i AT

735iL AT

740d AT

740i AT

740iL AT

750i AT

750iL AT

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100 km/h","Fv":"11.4 sec"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Acceleration | 0 - 60 mph","Fv":"10.8 sec"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Coefficient Of Drag","Fv":"0.30"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Fuel Economy","Fv":"8.0 L/100km / 29.4 MPG (combined) | 11.0 L/100km / 21.4 MPG (urban) | 6.2 L/100km / 37.9 MPG (highway)"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Top Speed","Fv":"206.0 km/h / 128.0 mph"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Drivetrain Layout","Fv":"Front-engine (longitudinal), Rear-wheel drive"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine","Fv":"M51D25"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Bore","Fv":"80.0 mm / 3.1 in"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Compression Ratio","Fv":"22.0:1"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Displacement","Fv":"2.5 L / 152.4 cu-in / 2497.0 cc"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Power","Fv":"143.0 hp / 106.6 kW @ 4600 rpm"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Specific Output","Fv":"57.3 hp/L / 0.9 hp/cu-in"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Stroke","Fv":"82.8 mm / 3.3 in"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Torque","Fv":"280 Nm / 206.5 lb-ft @ 2200 rpm"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Engine | Type","Fv":"Turbocharged commonrail diesel inline-6 DOHC engine with 2 values per cylinder"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Transmission | Gears","Fv":"5-speed"},{"Ft":"Powertrain","Fn":"Transmission | Type","Fv":"Manual"},{"Ft":"Production","Fn":"Availability","Fv":"1998 ~ 2000"}],[{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Cargo Capacity","Fv":"500 L / 17.7 cu-ft"},{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Coolant Capacity","Fv":"9.8 L / 10.4 qt"},{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Engine Oil Capacity","Fv":"7.0 L / 7.4 qt"},{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Fuel Capacity","Fv":"85.0 L / 22.5 gal"},{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Passengers","Fv":"5"},{"Ft":"Capacity","Fn":"Payload","Fv":"535 kg / 1179 lbs"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Brakes | Front","Fv":"Ventilated discs"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Brakes | Rear","Fv":"Disc"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Power Steering","Fv":"Hydraulic Steering"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Suspension | Front","Fv":"MacPherson strut"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Suspension | Rear","Fv":"Multi-link"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Tire Size","Fv":"215/65 R16"},{"Ft":"Chassis","Fn":"Turning Circle","Fv":"11.6 m / 38.0 ft"},{"Ft":"Construction","Fn":"Body Style","Fv":"4-door Sedan"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Height","Fv":"1435 mm / 56.5 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Length","Fv":"4984 mm / 196.2 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Size | Width","Fv":"1862 mm / 73.3 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Track Width | Front","Fv":"1552.0 mm / 61.1 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Track Width | Rear","Fv":"1568.0 mm / 61.7 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Weight","Fv":"1730.0 kg / 3814.0 lbs"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Wheel Size","Fv":"16 in"},{"Ft":"Dimensions","Fn":"Wheelbase","Fv":"2930 mm / 115.4 in"},{"Ft":"Performance","Fn":"Acceleration | 0 - 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