Hey guys,

I have been thinking about getting a 2001 750il :redspot , but I have some questions I need to get answered before I make my decision. Though a test drive may answersome of these questions, i dont have much time to get it done, so if i know some of these things before I go there it will help me. Does the engine on the 750 pack a punch :buttrock? Will it put a smile on my face when i floor it :lol ? I am also looking at either a 2001 s55 amg or an s600, and in comparison to those, is it faster? Last, if I do get the 750, I will probably want to put some aftermarket things on it... are there any companies for BMW such as Brabus and RENNtech are for Mercedes? (I dont know much about BMW's in case you didnt notice). Thanks guys!

bump.... C'mon guys! I know you have the answers! :help

Yes, the V-12 has punch. 326HP and 333 ft-lbs of torque is very nice to have at all speeds and RPMs.

If you put it in manual shift mode ("M 1" will appear on the dash) and floor it, you will be pleasantly surprised how quick such a large car is. Rumor has it that the stock 750 is faster than the 740i Sport to 60 mph.

I can't compare the 750iL to the Benz models you list, but others would probably say that they are totally different driving experiences and therefore you may want to decide on what you want (e.g., more luxury or more performance, more straight-line HP or more feel for the road) and then tell us your thoughts.

Also, the 2001 750iL has a certain look that some feel is either (a) "older" or (b) more classic, than the Benz, so I would also ask you to tell us which one you like more, from a body shape standpoint.

I don't think you could go wrong buying any of these cars. The only suggestion I can make is that if, as you say, "i dont have much time to get it done," then you may want to invest the time, especially on a 4+ year old 750iL.

I had my 1999 750iL inspected twice prior to purchase by two different independent mechanics which gave me incredible peace of mind (and proved the worth of the car).

Aftermarket enhancements are provided by, in one example, Dinan (engine s/w, transmission, exhaust, etc.), but you can find a lot more options at Bavarian Autosport, as well as scouring the archives of e38.org. For instance, you can upgrade the handling significantly with BMW parts made for European models (front and rear sway bars).

-pd.

Seeing as it says you're getting an '02 540i under your name whereas when you first posted this message it said '01 750, I take it you're not very sure what you want. Everything you asked can be answered in a 5-minute test drive, it really sounds like you're looking for someone to persuade you of what you should buy when you should be making that decision.

Same comments. Take a test drive to see if you like it. No one will be able to make that decision for you.

If you want to find out about reliability, options and things like that, see the Thinking about used e38? Here's what to look for (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71177) discussion that is "stickeyed" to the top of this forum.

Yes, the V-12 has punch. 326HP and 333 ft-lbs of torque is very nice to have at all speeds and RPMs.

If you put it in manual shift mode ("M 1" will appear on the dash) and floor it, you will be pleasantly surprised how quick such a large car is. Rumor has it that the stock 750 is faster than the 740i Sport to 60 mph.

-pd.

You mean the 750iL has a 0 to 60 time of 5.9 sec? :confused

Yes, the V-12 has punch. 326HP and 333 ft-lbs of torque is very nice to have at all speeds and RPMs.

If you put it in manual shift mode ("M 1" will appear on the dash) and floor it, you will be pleasantly surprised how quick such a large car is. Rumor has it that the stock 750 is faster than the 740i Sport to 60 mph.
-pd.

Maybe someone should find out..... :buttrock

You mean the 750iL has a 0 to 60 time of 5.9 sec? :confused


Did you measure 5.9 0-60 in your own car?

From the 2001 BMW 7-series brochure, 0-60 times:
740i 6.9
740iS 6.8
740iL 6.9
750iL 6.6
740iLP 7.4 (est.)
750iLP 7.1 (est.)

I couldn't tell you how fast my car is to 60. My RX-7 and Supras will crush it, but 7 series aren't sports cars.

Those are BMW's figures. Myself and others find it to be much quicker (stock). I'll post the multiple links to the reviews when I find them. 5.9 was the average. Your 7 isnt a sports car? Maybe its broken? :stickoutt

These guys reviewed it and averaged a few 0-60 times:

"This is a driving machine. The factory lists 0-60 performance at 6.8 seconds. Not. This 740i Sport blasted from 0-60 in a average of 6.17 seconds with one run at 6.02 backed up with a 6.09. These runs were done by simply flooring the throttle from a standing start without manually shifting the "Steptronic" automatic."

From: The Auto Channel (http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/1999/lweitzman_bmwisport.html)

1999 740i Sport 0-60 times (http://www.car-stats.com/stats/showstats/showstatsgivenid.aspx)

Given different tollerances/weather, I can see 5.9-6.1 being real figures, not to mention personal experiance.


From the above Auto Channel post...

This is a driving machine. The factory lists 0-60 performance at 6.8 seconds. Not. This 740i Sport blasted from 0-60 in a average of 6.17 seconds with one run at 6.02 backed up with a 6.09. These runs were done by simply flooring the throttle from a standing start without manually shifting the "Steptronic" automatic.

1999 740i Sport 0-60 times (http://www.car-stats.com/stats/showstats/showstatsgivenid.aspx)

Given different tollerances/weather, I can see 5.9-6.1 being real figures, not to mention personal experiance.


From the above Auto Channel post...

i concur. i have piloted a friend's '00 740iSport to consistent (more than 10 times) 5.7-5.9sec 0-60. this was my own 7 (iL) has seen a 5.9 0-60 too but usually sprints to 60 in around 6.0-6.3 depending on my "launch"

these times are all from my gtech pro competition which, in my experience, has been very accurate.

aaron

Those are BMW's figures.

I'm sorry, I thought I made that clear. :)

Myself and others find it to be much quicker (stock). I'll post the multiple links to the reviews when I find them. 5.9 was the average.
Cool, what was the average for the other models?

Just an aside, car stats don't really mean a whole bunch to me because they are dependent on so many variables. There will not be any test out there that uses the same driver, on the same day, in the same conditions comparing each model head-to-head. I too doubt the 750 is faster than a 740 sport which is lighter and geared differently - I was pointing out where the source of the "rumor" came from. Perhaps if there were such a thing as a 750i sport here there would be something worth arguing over.


Your 7 isnt a sports car? Maybe its broken? :stickoutt.

No, it is not a sports car and it seems to be operating as it was designed. Perhaps your perspective is slightly skewed, but the first tip-off should be that the car weighs in excess of two tons. :D

PM me your address, I finally got a box.

I would love a 750i Sport e38 with a 3.15 LSD. No doubt that would kick some ass :D

I sent you a PM!

lsd in any e38 kicks some major ass. although the car is a little big to be thrown around like an m3.

I too doubt the 750 is faster than a 740 sport which is lighter and geared differently - I was pointing out where the source of the "rumor" came from.

Heh, I love it when I seed a post with a teensy little innocuous comment and the predictable responses come in.

I knew BMW's numbers show the stock 750 to be faster than the 740i sport. Given the minor changes from prior years, I would guess that such estimates/facts/rumors/random numbers from BMW for MY 2001 would apply to 1999 and 2000 model years as well. I used the word "rumored" precisely because recent posted reviews show the 740i Sport to be faster than the numbers that BMW presented. But no tests have directly compared the 750iL to the 740i Sport.

I don't give a rat's ass whether a given car is faster from 0-3.1415927 mph or if it can handle 10.65 Gs while turning in a circle of radius 2.872 cm. I bought my car because I like it and I hope you enjoy your car for your own reasons.

The point is that the original poster (who, sadly, after bumping his own thread has not commented since) asked if the 2001 750iL packs a punch. Per BMW, it does.

In fact, I think it's safe to say that most E38s pack a punch. It just depends how much punch and with how many amenities one would like to be punched.

So here's the new BMW PUNCH COMPARISON CHART!

740i Sport
---has a punch equivalent to...
being struck by the 740 driver's right hand (which is wearing a leather glove)

750iL
---has a punch equivalent to...
being struck by a velvet glove worn by the chauffeur*

*But he (or she) is a big chauffeur, so the force is pretty good!

Feel free to fill in the rest of the table with M3, 635Csi, etc., but please don't leave out the 318ti, which I would guess anchors the lowest rung of the chart. (Or maybe the 318i convertible, with a worse power/weight ratio.)

The funny thing about this is that we're all calling into question BMW's times. It's unusual, <i>n'est-ce pas</i>, that BMW would be so wrong for 740i Sport 0-60 times?

-pd.

pd750, So in essence are you saying that you created the rumor yourself to spur controversy so you could watch it unfold? :confused I just use TiVo for my entertainment.