Beschreibung
BMW have gone a bit, well, they seem to have gone a bit mad of late. Ludicrously huge grilles, M badges on everything, they seem to have lost their way somewhat. It’s a shame because we at Cult Classics are die hard BMW fans and a V12 E38 is one of the very reasons why we are!
A car so cool that you just want to be in its presence! A car so cool, it starred in a variety of iconic movies such as “Tomorrow Never Dies” unfortunately ours doesn’t have the ability to drive by remote control! “The Game” with Michael Douglas and our personal favourite “The Transporter”
Powered by its sublime 5. 4 Litre V12, the same engine that could be found in the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph of the time, this big Bavarian cruiser has 322bhp on tap which can propel it from 0 to 60mph in 6. 6 seconds and then on to a top speed of 186 mph, all in hushed luxury.
The Car
You would be forgiven for thinking our E38 is a Japanese import with its tell tale square number plates but in fact it is from the good ole US of A, Fort Walton Beach, Florida in fact and cost a whopping $94, 370 when new!
It came over to the UK in 2003 and has had just 4 owners in that time. It is a LHD model and is showing 91159 miles recorded.
The Mechanicals
Our E38 is very strong mechanically and drives very well. The glorious M73 V12 fires into life at the first twist of the key and settles to an ultra smooth idle, so smooth in fact that you can balance a 50p piece on the engine at tickover (we have video evidence!!)
Out on the road it is the consummate cruiser, the self levelling air suspension soaking up all but the very worst that our crumbling roads can throw at you and the gear changes are almost imperceptible. However, find a straight quite piece of road, put your foot down and the big 7 will hurl you towards the horizon at a surprising rate of knots, but that is not really what this car is about, it is a real motorway cruiser and it does it beautifully. We can personally vouch for this, having used the car for a couple of hundred miles. Overall, the car just exudes exemplary build quality and engineering.
The Exterior
The big BM presents very well, especially considering it is 26 years old now. Under close inspection there are a few age related imperfections in the paintwork, consisting mainly of a few light scratches and stone chips. There are, however 2 scratches that have gone through the paint, 1 on the boot and 1 on the bonnet, they have been touched in with the correct touch up but are visible. There is also a small section of damage to the plastic trim on top of the front bumper just above the number plate. Having said all that, the Schwartz Black paint has a lovely deep shine to it and appears to be all original with no evidence of any accident repairs.
It rolls on a set of staggered style 37 M Parallel wheels which are all in very presentable condition, all the glass (double glazed) is scratch free and all trim and badges are present and correct.
In the week that we used the car it certainly did attract a lot of attention and lots of compliments!
The Interior
On the inside, the big 7 is again in very presentable condition. The Montana leather is free of any damage and is still soft and supple. The electric seat functions are all fine as are the heaters for the front and rear seats. The instruments all work fine with no dead pixels in the message display, the steering wheel is in nice condition and the dash pad is crack free.
Moving to the central controls, there are a few dead pixels on the trip computer / audio display but it is still legible. There appears to be no audio output from the stereo, everything functions as it should but no sound, we suspect that the amplifier has died. This however does give you the perfect opportunity to swap it out for a more modern apple carplay head unit which would be a nice upgrade. Everything else in the central unit works fine including the electric rear blind. The wood veneer trim is all present and is in generally nice condition with just a small section above the glove box that has lifted. The sunroof works as it should as do all the electric windows.
Moving to the rear of the car, the upholstery again, is in very nice condition, the removable foot rests are still present and the electric adjustment for the rear seats works fine. The only negative to note, is the headlining is sagging slightly towards the rear of the car. Despite this, it is still a lovely place to spend time and still retains that quality feel of a flagship BMW.
The Paperwork
The car comes with its V5, clean HPi report, MOT certificate (valid until 15/ 05/ 2025) 2 sets of keys, its original US spec sheet and zipped folder with all booklets including service booklet (containing 13 service stamps) and the fantastically 90s “New Owner Audio Program” on cassette!
Conclusion
So summing up this is a truly fantastic car that to be honest, we have fallen a little bit in love with! The engine is as smooth as silk and it is just heavenly to drive but the thing that stands out the most about an E38 750iL is just how damn cool it makes you feel!!!
As with all our classic and retro cars, we have described the BMW honestly and with transparency, drawing attention to the good points and the imperfections equally, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Viewing is highly recommended and can be done at our Tewkesbury HQ, Monday to Saturday by appointment
