Car dealers in the United Arab Emirates typically have exotic models for sale, from rare classics to the latest hypercars. This BMW is neither and yet it has its reasons for being rather special. VIP Motors has a BMW 7 Series E38 with just a little over the delivery miles as the odometer is showing 19 miles (30 kilometers).
The luxury sedan’s history is unknown, but someone must have purchased it purely as an investment. Despite being more than 20 years old, the E38 is in borderline perfect condition inside and out. That said, the wheels could use a proper washing and the roof antenna seems sun-damaged. Those are minor issues that can be ironed out without much effort.
It’s a 728 iL, thus making it a long-wheelbase version but not the extra-stretched L7. The E38 was the last 7 Series to come with a manual transmission, albeit this one has the more common ZF five-speed automatic. Under the hood is the M52 engine, a 2.8-liter straight-six with 190 horsepower and 207 pound-feet (280 Newton-meters) of torque.
As much as we have a soft spot for time capsules such as this E38, we sincerely hope the next owner will drive the car. The video is a good reminder of simpler times when designs were far less busy than they are today. That said, we can understand why lots of people prefer the more aggressive designs of today, and the sales numbers speak for themselves. BMW had its best year ever in 2021, delivering 2,213,795 units.
We are months away from seeing the next-generation 7 Series, the first to offer an electric i7 model. It’s also going to be the first 7er since the E32 to come without a V12 engine. Prepare for a design revolution as prototypes have been spotted with split headlights shared with the XM. Being a flagship, it should usher in new tech that will trickle down on lesser models in the following years.
[Source: Cars Garage / YouTube]
