BMW 7 Series (E32)

The BMW E32 is the second generation of the BMW 7 Series luxury cars and was produced from 1986 to 1994. It replaced the E23 and was initially available with straight-six or V12 powerplants. In 1992, V8 engines became available. From its inception, the E32 was widely considered the most technologically advanced series of cars in its day and set the standard for performance luxury cars well into the 1990s.

BMW 7 Series (E32)
Overview
ManufacturerBMW
ProductionJune 1986 – April 1994
AssemblyGermany: Dingolfing
Designer
  • Ercole Spada (concept exterior: 1981, 1983)
  • Hans Kerschbaum (production exterior: 1983)
  • Claus Luthe (design director: 1979-84)
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car (F)
Body style4-door sedan/saloon
LayoutLongitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
RelatedAlpina B12
Powertrain
Engine
  • 3.0–3.4 L M30 I6
  • 3.0–4.0 L M60 V8
  • 5.0 L M70 V12
Transmission
Dimensions
WheelbaseSWB: 2,833 mm (111.5 in)[1]
LWB: 2,947 mm (116.0 in)
LengthSWB: 4,910 mm (193.3 in)
LWB: 5,029 mm (198.0 in)
Width1,845 mm (72.6 in)
HeightSWB: 1,400 mm (55.1 in)
LWB: 1,435 mm (56.5 in)
Curb weight1,720–1,930 kg (3,792–4,255 lb)[2]
Chronology
PredecessorBMW 7 Series (E23)
SuccessorBMW 7 Series (E38)

The E32 introduced several features for the first time in a BMW: Electronic Damper Control,[3]; Traction Control System[4]; standard and long wheelbase length (i and iL); and dual-zone climate control.[5] The E32 750i was the first car adhering to "gentlemen's agreement" amongst the German manufacturers limiting maximum speed to 250 km/h (155 mph).[6]

Additionally, some of world's first automotive features for passenger vehicles were introduced in E32: projector lens headlamps (1986); double glazing windows (1991, beating Mercedes-Benz by a few months); HID (Xenon) headlamps (1991)[7];

E32 also introduced BMW's first V8 engine since BMW 501/502, last produced in 1962, and V12 engine, which was also Germany's first post-war V12 engine for passenger vehicle. The surprise news of BMW's V12 also caused Mercedes-Benz to delay the introduction of W140 by two years from 1989 to 1991.

In 1994, the E32 was replaced by the E38; an evolutionary design that built upon the E32's driver-centric design.

Development and production

The styling is credited to then-chief stylist Ercole Spada and Hans Kerschbaum[8] working under the guidance of then-chief designer Claus Luthe.[9] Design work began in late 1979. By 1983, 1:1 scale models were presented and frozen in October 1984 for production which was scheduled in June 1986.[10][11]

Production of the E32 7 series started with the 735i in June 1986 and the 730i in December 1986,[12] concluding in April 1994.[13][14][15] Production was located at BMW Plant Dingolfing and a total of 311,068 units were built.[16]

Features
Interior

Some luxury options featured on the E32 include integrated telephone and fax machines, a wine cooler, electronically adjustable rear seats and radio controls for rear passengers (exclusive to the 750iL).[7]

In 1991, world first series production low beam Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps (Litronic, only low beam) were introduced on the 750iL.[17][18] Other safety features include a system that automatically increased spring pressure on the windscreen wipers to keep them firmly pressed on the glass at Motorway speeds.

The E32 was the first BMW to be available with traction control (called Automatic Stability Control at the time, however ASC is not considered as stability control by modern definitions). Initial versions (ASC) reduced wheelspin by reducing engine power, while later versions (ASC+T) also applied the rear brakes.[19]

The car was also available in a long-wheelbase version (indicated by an 'L' from German Lang, after the model number). These models have an extra 11.4 cm (4.5 in) of leg room for the rear passengers,[20](p7) by stretching the rear doors and body at this point.

Engines
M60 V8 engine
M70 V12 engine

Over its lifespan, the E32 7 Series was produced with straight-six, V8 and V12 gasoline engines.

The launch models consisted of the 730i/iL and 735i/iL, which were powered by the M30 straight-6 engine. Also available at the E32 launch was the 750i/iL, which was the first BMW ever sold with a V12 engine. The rated power output of the 5.0 L (305 cu in) M70 V12 is 220 kW (295 hp).[21]

In 1991, BMW began production of its first V8 engine since 1962 with end of BMW 501/502 production.[22] This M60 V8 was introduced in the E32, along with the E34 5 Series. The 4.0 litre version powered the new 740i/iL models, and the 3.0 litre version was sold in parallel with the M30 straight-six in the 730i/iL models.[23] The top speed of the 740i was electronically limited to 240 km/h (149 mph).[24] Both V8 engines were coupled to a new, 5-speed automatic transmission made by ZF. The Nikasil bore lining used in the M60 engine was prone to damage when used with high-sulfur fuels.

Styling
L-shaped tail-lights

The E32 was the first BMW to use L-shaped tail-lights, which were designed with safety of following traffic in mind.[25] Other styling features include BMW's traditional Hoffmeister kink in the rear window line and circular headlights.[3]

Externally, the BMW 'kidney' grille indicated which engine was present under the hood: all 6-cylinder models have a narrow grille, and a wider grille was standard for the V8 and V12 models. The narrow grille was available as an option on the 8- and 12-cylinder E32 models.

BMW E32 735i (narrow grille)
BMW E32 740i (wide grille)

Models

The official specifications are as follows.[1][2][24][26][27][28][29]

ModelEnginePowerTorque0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration[30]Top SpeedYears
730i M30
I6		138 kW (185 hp; 188 PS)
at 5,800 rpm*		260 N⋅m (192 lb⋅ft)
at 4,000 rpm		10.6 (AT)
9.3 (MT)		222 km/h (138 mph) (AT)
222 km/h (138 mph) (MT)		1986–1994
730i V8 M60
V8		160 kW (215 hp; 218 PS)
at 5,800 rpm		290 N⋅m (214 lb⋅ft)
at 4,500 rpm		9.3 (AT)
8.5 (MT)		230 km/h (143 mph) (AT)
233 km/h (145 mph) (MT)		1992–1994
735i M30
I6		155 kW (208 hp; 211 PS)
at 5,700 rpm		305 N⋅m (225 lb⋅ft)
at 4,000 rpm		9.1 (AT)
8.3 (MT)		228 km/h (142 mph) (AT)
231 km/h (144 mph) (MT)		1986–1992
740i M60
V8		210 kW (282 hp; 286 PS)
at 5,800 rpm		400 N⋅m (295 lb⋅ft)
at 4,500 rpm		7.4 (AT)240 km/h (149 mph)**1992–1994
750i M70
V12		220 kW (295 hp; 299 PS)
at 5,200 rpm		450 N⋅m (332 lb⋅ft)
at 4,100 rpm		7.4 (AT)250 km/h (155 mph)**1987–1994

* 135 kW (181 hp; 184 PS) for 1986 models
** Electronically limited top speed

Special models

750iL Highline

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 seats, dual radio controls, dual climate control with coolbox mounted in the center console, electrically heated and adjustable rear seats, walnut veneer folding tables, two crystal glasses neatly placed in the coolbox, legrests, and sun shade all around the rear/side windows. Complete with independent heating and ventilation, 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 20,000 DM, and was only available on the 750iL, bringing the total price to well over twice that of a base model 730i.[31]

Goldfisch prototype
Main article: BMW Goldfisch V16

The Goldfisch, also called the 767 or the "Secret Seven" internally, is a concept full size luxury car based on the E32 750i. Conceived by Dr. Karlheinz Lange in the late 1980s, it was meant to be the top-of-the line variant of the 7 Series also designed to compete with offerings from rival Mercedes-Benz. Dr. Lange also involved two other employees in the project, namely Adolf Fischer and Hanns-Peter Weisbarth both being senior employees. The concept car was completed in just six months. The main notable feature is the V16 engine designed by Adolf Fischer, which is essentially a modified M70 V12 enlarged to have four extra cylinders, capacity enlarged to 6.7-litres, etched iron pistons, nine-bearing crankshaft and having silicone-aluminium casting. The engine was fitted with Bosch DME 3.3 engine management system for better performance. Desired level of performance was achieved when the system treated the engine as two inline-8 engines bolted together. The resulting engine had a power output of 414 PS (304 kW; 408 hp) and 625 N⋅m (461 lb⋅ft) of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission shared with the E31 8 Series. The car had the engine cooling system located in the boot along with fabricated fibre glass gills and air scoops at the rear to aid in cooling as there was no space to accommodate them at the front as the resulting engine was 305 mm (12 in) longer than the V12 engine. Air was expelled through a custom made valence panel at the rear of the car which led to the use of small tail lights with no fog and reverse lights. Despite the usage of a large V16 engine, the car was only 60 kg (132 lb) heavier than the 750i. The Goldfisch could accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a claimed 6 seconds and could attain a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph). The car remained a technology demonstrator only and was never put into production due to the V16 engine being incompliant to the environmental regulations.[32][33]

The E34 5 Series, introduced in 1988, has design cues similar to the E32. It also uses the same M30 straight-6 and M60 V8 engines, and several other parts.

The E31 8 Series, introduced in 1989, uses the same M60 V8 and M70 V12 engines as the E32.

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References
  1. "1986 BMW 730i Automatic E32". www.carfolio.com. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  2. "1987 BMW 750iL E32". www.carfolio.com. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  3. "Retro drives: BMW E32 and E38 V12 7 Series". www.carenthusiast.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. "E32 – The Second Generation BMW 7 Series". www.bmwblog.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  5. "1986 BMW 735i E32 7-Series - giant road test". www.drive-my.com. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  6. "BMW 7 Series (E32)". www.autoevolution.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  7. "BMW E32 specs, speed & engine review". www.thesupercars.org. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  8. "Homage to Claus Luthe". www.kulturgut-mobilitaet.de (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  9. "BMW Car Designers". www.bmwism.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  10. "BMW Remembers the Second-Generation 7-Series E32". www.carscoops.com. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  11. https://archive.org/stream/BMWThe7SeriesProject/BMW%20The%207-Series%20Project_djvu.txt
  12. Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1945–1990, Band 4 (1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02131-5.
  13. Kittler, Eberhard (2001). Deutsche Autos seit 1990, Band 5 (1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02128-5.
  14. https://bmw-grouparchiv.de/research/detail/index.xhtml?id=3844344
  15. https://bmw-grouparchiv.de/research/detail/index.xhtml?id=3843347
  16. "Vehicle manufacturer profiles". www.automotiveworld.com. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  17. Behrend, Jürgen. Hella 1899-1999. p. 97.
  18. Neumann, Rainer; Woerner, B. (1993). "Litronic – New Automotive Headlamp Technology with Gas Discharge Lamp". Automotive Design Engineering: 152–156.
  19. "BMW TIS - Automatic Stability Control with Traction Control System" (PDF). www.steerbythrottle.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  20. "Vollkommen neu: Completely New: The Second Generation Of The BMW 7 Series" (PDF). www.bmw-grouparchiv.de. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  21. BMW V-12 Light Alloy Engine M70. P. 5. June 1987
  22. BMW M60B40 Automobilmotor
  23. "BMW 730i 6-cyl. (E32)". bmw-grouparchiv.de. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  24. Betriebsanleitung BMW E32. p. 121. 1992
  25. "BMW 7 Series: The second generation E32". BMW YouTube Channel. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  26. Die zweite Generation der BMW 7er-Reihe. P. 5. 1987
  27. "BMW E32 735". www.carfolio.com. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  28. "BMW E32 730 V8". www.carfolio.com. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  29. "BMW E32 740". www.carfolio.com. 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  30. 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in seconds
  31. "BMW 7er, Modell E32, Sonder-Ausstattungsdetails inkl. Preisen". www.7-forum.com. 2006-06-03. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  32. Daradics, Csaba (2010-10-16). "BMW's 767: The Golden Fish That Got Away". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  33. Babs, Joey (2009-11-02). "BMW's Secret 7 Series model: E32 Prototype with 6.7L V16 engine". BMW-blog. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
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