Just curious whether or not the normal short body e38 was sold with the V12 engine stock in the USA...
I've never seen one but thats the body I like...

I believe the V12 only came in the iL in the U.S.

I believe the V12 only came in the iL in the U.S.

Correct.

That blows... I do not exactly feel like doing a swap on such expensive car...
You can get a manual tranny for that engine right...?

You can get a manual trans for an M70, correct. There are also a handful of SWB 750s in the country, they are grey-market cars.

Check out www.robertlevinson.com Rob has a 6-speed 750iL. It's not a cheap swap.

You can get a manual trans for an M70, correct. There are also a handful of SWB 750s in the country, they are grey-market cars.

Check out www.robertlevinson.com (http://www.robertlevinson.com) Rob has a 6-speed 750iL. It's not a cheap swap.
id give both my left and right nut for that car if it was short body...
its still nice though.

actually it prolly should have been the uber rare e38 alpina... thats one car i stand no chance of having... ever prolly. just from the sheer number of them. :(

The lack of a short-body 750i in the US is a true crime perpetrated on the US and Canada by BMW. They did offer it in Europe!

At least they had the good sense to offer the 760i in the US -- but with only 250 or so sold since its launch, they are turning out to be rarer than Z8s, although Z8s are more for collectors and 760i models are pretty regularly on the market.

I'm tempted to go drive a local 760i that's selling for $83,000 near me just to see how it feels, but I don't want to be driving home doing math in my head as to how in the name of Pick-your-deity I could afford a $80,000 car payment.

-pd.

You can get a manual trans for an M70, correct. There are also a handful of SWB 750s in the country, they are grey-market cars.

Check out www.robertlevinson.com (http://www.robertlevinson.com) Rob has a 6-speed 750iL. It's not a cheap swap.
He did a SWEEEET job...
do u know what eventually it cost him to put a clutch in???:buttrock

It may be cheaper to spec out a 750i in Europe and import it. Mind you, it won't be cheap, but it could be cheaper than doing all the work that Rob did. Be aware that ones from England will be right-hand drive, so you would want one from mainland Europe.

It may be cheaper to spec out a 750i in Europe and import it. Mind you, it won't be cheap, but it could be cheaper than doing all the work that Rob did. Be aware that ones from England will be right-hand drive, so you would want one from mainland Europe.
I don't buy cars that I can't stick my head under the hood of... or drive.
...
As far as importing, perhaps my uncle can send me one... but I would rather buy a used-abused one for cheap and do all the swaps myself... Its half the fun.

You can buy a 6-speed kit on eBay for $10-15k I believe with tranny and all hardware/electronics necessary.

BMW has discontinued the E65 760i as of late 2007. Sad to say.

You can buy a 6-speed kit on eBay for $10-15k I believe with tranny and all hardware/electronics necessary.
LOLZ I am not a kind of guy that tosses such amount of money at something and someone that I don't know.
My parts come either from junkyards or insurance companies (wrecked).
For the above reasons I do not own a BMW yet... But I AM tired of front wheel drive econoboxes...
Anyway thanks alot yall for clear answers. Will see what happens...
That engine and the E38 looks is the only thing I am after anyways... I am not an admirer of luxury.
It would be a wicked ride... But in my personal experience and driving habits I'm an M3 guy.
I'll sleep on it for now.

another question:
The 750il Sport -- did it have anything but cosmetics or was there a tranny difference?

Why does everyone want a 6 speed in 4500 lb car? Personally my steptronic transmission with eat up any 6 speed due to the fact most people don't know how to drive. I would think about paddle shifters more so then a 6 speed. Further more, doesn't DINAN offer shift programs for our cars?

Matthew

Why does everyone want a 6 speed in 4500 lb car? Personally my steptronic transmission with eat up any 6 speed due to the fact most people don't know how to drive. I would think about paddle shifters more so then a 6 speed. Further more, doesn't DINAN offer shift programs for our cars?

Matthew

Uhm, OK.

Add me to the 6-speed list, even if you would beat me! It's the combination of driver input and control that I like, plus the generally accepted performance increases attributed to a manual tranny.

it's the difference between girlie girls and real men.
europeans still drive sticks on all their cars.
you can go over redline easier in a stick shift if you like, you can use the engine to slow down by downshifting. Ever double shifted? ha ha, don't know what you're missing.
not always about 0-60.
going down hill on a curvy alpine road and don't want to burn out your brakes? use a lower gear.
many other such uses and pleasures.
they are also lighter and more energy efficient

Actually, I can do the same in my car, I can downshift and up shift. The only difference is technology. I have driven a few fast stick cars but when a car has 4500+ stalled powerglide the powerglide ALWAYS wins. Why does Ferrari now use paddle shifters, because they understand technology.

Personally I am pretty oldschool on my car choices, and older BMWs match my taste pretty good.
I admit its an incredibly heavy car... But I have driven manual all my life and thats the way I like it. If this is about being able to use the manual transmission more efficiently than the automatic, personally I have that ability.
If a 7 series will ever have anything to do with racing, it will have to undergo extensive weight reduction first.
Many people see BMWs as purely luxury cars, and would say that it defeats the purpose, throwing out the interior and all... I don't like leather and I don't like fake wood. For me its more about BMWs racing heritage, huge engine and flawless exterior styling. There are very, very few cars that I can say this about really.
Why not a Ferrari instead? Well I never said that I will buy a 7 series... I'm just exploring my options. There is a nice old Testarossa for sale for $41k at a local showplace...

The fact that BMW only moved about 250 V12 SWBs is a good reason why we never got them when the E38 was out....

another question:
The 750il Sport -- did it have anything but cosmetics or was there a tranny difference?

The 750iL Sport had only cosmetic differences compared to a 750iL non-sport, except the addition of 17" M-Par wheels (which you might consider give better performance than the standard 16" wheels). The transmission, engine, suspension etc. are all the same.

The search function is your friend. This has been answered a lot by much smarter people than me.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/searchbt.php?s=&search=750il+sport

-pd.

I am all for the manual shift box on the right car. Total personal choice however. For me my 750IL is the perfect super saloon. I do appreciate luxury I grew up with a Cadillac sometimes Lincoln Dad. That been said I love sport cars and cars with a lean towards performance and driving. That combination is truly the 5/7 series BMW. For a big car it handles great. The power band seems endless and heated leather seats and steering wheel. Now I could go for the paddle shift but I keep the standard shift for my more spartan 3/M3 series. Or perhaps my soon TBD sports car.

... I don't like leather and I don't like fake wood.

Not that this matters all that much to the rest of the thread, but the wood trim on E38's is actually real wood. At least on mine it is. It is a very thin layer of veneer on an an aluminum backing.

I will leave the rest of the auto vs. manual discussion to the rest of you guys. The only thing that I will say... If I ever need to replace the transmission, a manual sure would be an appealing option when you look at what it would cost for a rebuilt automatic.

A manual can be summed up in one statement. FUN TO DRIVE!

I'll chime in for the paddle shifters and a Dinan tranny program. I'm way too lazy to want a manual for a daily driver.

I'll chime in for the paddle shifters and a Dinan tranny program. I'm way too lazy to want a manual for a daily driver.
ditto...the paddle shifters would be nice when i get i that mood of aggressive driving.

You can buy a 6-speed kit on eBay for $10-15k I believe with tranny and all hardware/electronics necessary.
not freaking bad:D