is this a bad idea?

Jacob (: said:
Anyone else finding themselves wishing the next few months after the purchase away, just because of the legendary threads that are sure to come?
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To be fair, his 523 ownership thus far has been a non-event; as detailed above.

Joshy said:
That sounds very much like the opinion of someone who hasn't seen an M73 in the flesh, let alone worked on one.
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You do realise this is OCUK? :p
 
s0ck said:
To be fair, his 523 ownership thus far has been a non-event; as detailed above.
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Give it time :D ...a V12 7 series is somewhat more complex and unusual than a l6 5 series anyway.

If I was braver and hadn't just bought one 10 year old V8 BMW that needs about £1k spending on it, I'd buy a V12 E38 myself, maybe I shall start a collection of 'classic' BMWs, from the glory years of the mid 90s to the early 00s :D ...that's quite an idea eh.
 
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Just buy the damn lamborghini LM002.

You know you want one more a lot more than this cheap to run V12 BMW.
 
Put your dad as first driver, your mum as second, and you as third. Insurance will be lower for sure. It's also wise to not advertise your post code especially after the Octavia fiasco.
 
The 728i has always stuck me as terribly pointless. Yes, you can get parts more easily and for less money but whilst faults with M52 6 cylinder engines are quite common (Cooling system issues, warped heads, VANOS issues, etc) In all of my years on the interwebs (and my short time working as a mechanic), I have never ever come across a BMW V12 with any major issues, in fact once you get past the "OMG, V12!!!1!" past, it is a relatively simple design - As I said before, try to think of it as two simple chain driven SOHC 6 cylinder engines sharing a crankshaft.

Anyway, Your absolute top concern with a super-barge like an E38 would be the electrics. The wiring diagrams of these cars can make a grown man cry and control modules (A majority of which I'd imagine need to be programmed individually) aren't cheap. A 728i is more or less going to be just as complicated as a 750i in that respect, so where exactly would you be saving money?

And if the thought of spending a few hundred quid extra on insurance a year is scaring you off of these cars then I'd give up right now. I wouldn't touch one of these cars unless I was able to spend a grand on rectifying a small fault and not bat an eyelid.

Actually, I'm even sure why I'm taking this thread so seriously...
 
Joshy said:
The 728i has always stuck me as terribly pointless. Yes, you can get parts more easily and for less money but whilst faults with M52 6 cylinder engines are quite common (Cooling system issues, warped heads, VANOS issues, etc) In all of my years on the interwebs (and my short time working as a mechanic), I have never ever come across a BMW V12 with any major issues
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Thats because there are many, many times more 728's than 750i's. E38 750's are exceptionally rare, you are lucky if you even see one let alone see somebody posting about on the internet. By contrast 728's are much more common.

The M52 is easier to work on, easier to get parts for and easier to get knowledge for than the M70. By an order of magnitude.

BMW electrics are rarely an issue (If you count camshaft/crankshaft sensors as engine parts rather than electrics, which given you are on about wiring is probably reasonable).

I do agree the 728i is pointless, but mostly because it offers rubbish performance.
 
Gotta disagree on the E38 728 being 'pointless because of performance'. Yes it's slow 0-60, but if you're worried about 0-60 runs, I would suggest something Jap and turbo...oops...the 'T' word in a DannyW thread....

The 728 I ran pulled very nicely above 10mph, getting 2 tonnes off the line is not an easy task. If you can't afford a 740 for insurance, the 728 will do fine. None of these cars are meant to be performance - they waft and are for motorways. Running around town returned a healthy 19mpg, on a run about 28mpg and combined around 22-23mpg and THAT is a good reason to get the V8. They all drink like Gazza and Best on a bank holiday weekend session and if you are runnng around town the car will genuinely hate it. The LWB is just insanity.

So, to sum up the OP in three words...

BUY BUY BUY :D
 
Kitchster_uk said:
Gotta disagree on the E38 728 being 'pointless because of performance'. Yes it's slow 0-60, but if you're worried about 0-60 runs, I would suggest something Jap and turbo...
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Or a 528i or a 740i, both of which combine comfort and performance.

I'm not saying you need blistering performance but 0-60 in 9.something seconds just isn't quite enough/
 
Is a 7 series really a car that needs a fast 0-60 time though?

I bet the 728i is far from being slow, which for some is more than enough?
 
Tute said:
Is a 7 series really a car that needs a fast 0-60 time though?
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I'm only using 0-60 as an indicator because manufacturers rarely publish any other form of data. 0-60 itself is utterely irrelevent but you dont want a car to be slow, and generally if a car takes nearly 10 seconds to hit 60 its going to be slow.

You need to be able to overtake swiftly and without hassle, etc etc.
 
Just had a look and it's rated as 193hp, 9.3s to 60, up to 140mph. I guess it really comes down to what a potential buyer would consider "fast" - it's just that in an age of stupid flappy little hatches, it's not the worst performer going. :)

Also seems to only come as an auto?
 
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