BMW USED CARS

E38 1995

* E38 Production starts in 1994 for the 1995 Model Year replacing the E32. First E38s models were available with either a 2.5L Turbodiesel I6 3.0L or 4.0L M60 V8 or the 5.4L M73 V12 engine.
* US Model Range includes the 740i, 740iL and 750iL.

1995 E38 used a block made of Nikasil, which is Aluminium impregnated with Nickel and Silicon. Apparently, sulphur reacts adversely with the Nickel , causing very slight blemishes in the top few millimeters of the cylinder bore. The cylinder bores are crosshatched, which is the name given to a pattern scratched into the surface of the cylinder wall. These scratches help seat and seal the piston rings, allowing good compression. More information on Nikasil engine BMW's can be found here

What's Good
More 'modern' looking than predecessor. A bit bigger (16' 4" long by 6' 1" wide, but a lot heavier at 1,915kg for 740i. Better ride. Luxurious and capable. 193bhp 728i capable of 28-30 mpg.

V8s re-engined in early 1996. 238bhp M62 3,498cc 735i replaced 218bhp 2,997cc M60 730i and 286bhp M62 4,398cc 740i replaced 286bhp 3,592cc M60 740i (same power output, more torque). 326bhp M73 5,379cc 750 V12.

7-Series was 15th from top in 'R' reg J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey (but well below Jaguar XJ8). S and T reg cars came fourth in 2001 Top Gear / JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. BMW, Toyota and Ford jointly suffered the fewest breakdowns attended by German ADAC during 2001. BMW had sixth lowest average cost in warranty claims for cars up to 10 years old in 2002 Warranty Direct index. Low 3 out of 9 point death rate from accidents in this model.

VF-Engineering chose to supercharge the BMW E38 740 to increase throttle response and mid-to-top end power with the centrifugal Vortech supercharger. With the stock 4.4 liter motor, power and torque are already suitable for the heavy 7 series chassis. However this upgrade is for the V8 enthusiast who demands more power. The new found power makes the E38 740 powerful enough to overtake and accelerate hard with the greatest ease. As a daily driver the supercharged BMW 740 is a mild mannered executive car waiting for the throttle body to be flung open. It is easy to slide the back out under full throttle and send the 7 series V8 to ridiculous speeds way above the limit. Upgraded brakes are a suggested pre-requisite.

Both the E32 and the E38 7-Series can suffer from the dreaded 'shimmy'. This is wheel-wobble that usually first shows itself under braking, for instance, when coming off a motorway intersection and braking from high speed. The wobble can be felt through the steering-wheel but it usually disappears as the car speed reduces.

Sometimes this is all you ever get, but more usually you will start to get wobble as the car is accelerated through 50 - 60MPH. The more you drive the car the worse it will get. The wobble is quite often accompanied by tram lining and a general feeling of imprecision from the steering in general.

The shimmies are often an indication of general wear in the steering system and suspension, the BMW E38 has a great deal of weight over the front wheels, especially when braking. It also seems to have a resonant frequency that occurs between 50 and 60 MPH, if there is any weakness it is at this speed where the problems will occur.

BMW E38 - the new leader of the company which have come in the stead E32 in 1994. The design of the new seven was in many respects defined by the previous model, but E38 became even more comfortable. Exclusive models 740iL and 750iL have extended on 140 mm. Base, and version 750 XLA on 390мм. Armour versions of the seven Also were issued. In the end of 1998 the model has undergone to small restyling.