@@FitzArias They were always significantly less expensive than the Mercedes benz sedans For example...an E class of this time period was about the same price
My father had one back in 1990 he bought it used it cost to 16000 for that time used😢 that's equivalent to almost 60,000 let me tell you everywhere we went with that car it turned heads my parents took it from America to Europe it was quite the car I will never forget it😂
I had an '87 745i when I lived in the England, with a 3.4L M106 turbo and a 5-spd, tuned-up to 320+ whp, with all the performance options and Recaro seats. Man, that was a fun car, in sleeper dark grey, I could terrorize supercars all day.
At age 21 I have had a '79 Bimmer 730 with a 4barrel carburetor and a manual transmission. It was one fine car putting a smile on my face everyday except when I had to fuel her up.
This L7 is a real treat to cruise around in to this day in 2024. It’s 80s slow but oh so luxurious in old school analogue style. Everything in mine works for now and after sorting the fuel system and vacuum leaks the engine has no business running so smooth as this car approaches 40 years old.
Bought one out of a basement garage in West Seattle around '02 for $1500. 65K miles, needed new tires, full detail & service. Drove it a year & sold it for $6500
This was available only for model year 1987. BMW also offered a similarly equipped version of the 6 series called the L6, of which approximately 1200 were produced.
Amazing how much automotive technology has evolved in the past 40 years. Most family sedans accelerate and handle as well now as full on sports cars did then.
@@Hintonbro. I upvoted both views. The automotive industry has had perhaps trillions of 2024 dollars to throw at engineering in the last 40 years. Horsepower per displacement has certainly increased. But given the sheer manpower, brainpower and money involved, a lot of the other "advancements" are less than impressive.
Yeah. It's a mixed bag. They're so much safer, have loads more tech, more luxury features, but they're portly. My M340i weighs 3,860. I don't care as much about that as the fact that new BMWs don't have the steering feel they were always so lauded for. It's correctable, and I've done that with monoballs, but unacceptable IMO. Still absolutely love the car, though.
I was stationed in Germany during the 80's and the exchange rate favored the dollar. Quite a few GI's opted for BMW 7 and 6 series. Manual transmission s were the norm.
In the U.S., because the E23 ended production in Europe in 1986. There, the E32 was introduced that same year as a 1987 model, whilst in the U.S. the E32 was introduced in late 1987 as a 1988 model.
@@therealjayseh why? Is the ride worse? Im sorry but the most advanced thing I have sat on is a 2014 Kia so I dont know how luxury cars behave, even less modern ones
@@zillsburyy1 i love Japanese cars but to say Japanese cars never had problems is just false. Do you see the twin turbo v6 issues that Toyota is having which is forcing them to recall hundreds of thousands vehicles? Or Nissans infamous cvt transmission problems, Subarus head gasket issues or Hondas 1.5 turbo engines oil dilution?
@joskjj3625 is that turbo v6 recall for the trucks? I'm not saying that toyota has never had problems but they have less of them and take care of their customers quickly not as good as lexus but it's still high up.
They were also available with a manual transmission in the U.S. However, I think that the L7 was automatic-only. Nevertheless, Americans could buy a 7 Series E23 with a manual transmission. Fun fact: few did.
My dad has the the 83 version top spec in uk electric seats back and front ABS only difference was no heated seats and no air bag the Uk did not get an airbag until the next gen. A bit unpowered compared to the v12 5.3 jaguar of the time but way more space in the back and unlike the S class of the time the electric seats in the back moved separately , the S class electric rear seat was a bench. Those 7s also had iffy handling my dads rolled over and was written of by a friend
@@taunuslunatic404I agree. My mom had a 2017 Ford Edge with the ceramic interior color which is a silver white beige color and it was a huge pain to clean. I don't like white colored interiors.
It's a great point. I think part of the nostalgia for the '80s automotive scene was that there was no faking it back then. If you were driving a 560sl or a 735i, you had serious cashflow at a minimum.
Man I remember those being driven by spoiled yuppie kids! I know because I had friends who drove them! 👌😂👍 their father had the Benz and their kids the Beamer!
I’m on a MotorWeek marathon and loving it. What a time to be an adult with decent money. Cars today are soulless. I had an E32 735i which was a much better car but I love this E23 L7, even with its asthmatic 182bhp, the European E23 735i had 218bhp. What an amazing engine the M30 was. Used from the late 60’s until the late 80’s
@@8MunchenBayern8 they're very good for long-term use. Especially if you know how to take care of them yourself. Other than that you need some pretty deep pockets lol
Long live 1980s luxury cars. I will always like them better than modern luxury cars. Each had their own very distinct identity and driving personality. Today's cars seem too samey. Aggressive styling. Firm suspensions. Blah.
These were the last days of good cars. They were complicated. But you could still work on them. Unlike modern vehicles. Garbage crossovers with their giant screens and unnecessary technology
Well said. I’ve always been a German car driver. In 1987 u would never mistaken a 7 series for a Town Car etc. now everything looks like a Hyundai. Buicks are made in China. An F150 pickup is up near the price of an S class. VW only has the Jetta left as something affordable. And no dealers have any ! What a time we are in
