BMW E32

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.

Engines

The E32 was offered with several different engines. 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 730 got this engine in a 3-liter version, while the new 740 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.

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.