BMW 745i driving report – simple but fine

Some youngtimers can be snapped up at bargain prices. But so can some solid vintage cars, and that's what we're going to talk about here. One of them is the BMW 7 Series from the E23 series. As a 745i, it's a nice-to-have, but not a must-have.

My goodness, how time flies! BMW 7 Series as a youngtimer? Ha! That's the E65 now! Excuse me? This big chunk with Chris Bangle designs (that was the designer's name) that are often perceived as shapeless was just a new car! That's right, and you can still see it on the streets from time to time. The same goes for its predecessor, the E38 – you can still see it here and there. ntv.de has therefore turned back the clock even further. To the beginnings of the 7 Series. After all, we're talking about a genuine classic car here and now.

This can be said with good reason of the E23 series, introduced in 1977. And the dignified, matured upper class model is also quite exotic for a BMW representative. This may be due to the fact that the rather compact luxury liner, measuring 4.86 meters, never sold particularly well. Not even 300,000 units left the factory. By comparison: the S-Class of the W126 series, which was unchallenged in this segment at the time, was built more than 800,000 times. And secondly, the series later appears not to have been considered particularly worth preserving.

Be that as it may, the first 7 Series is a cool car today. There are also a few surprises hidden under its metal. For example, a turbocharger in the well-kept photo example called the 745i from the PS-Speicher from Einbeck. You have to know that the solution with the good inline six-cylinder with the code M30 plus turbocharging was actually an emergency solution. The engineers even had a fully developed twelve-cylinder solution ready. But the oil crisis killed the fine engine.

The first 7 Series is down-to-earth and luxurious at the same time

So the 7-series-crazy posterity will have to make do with six cylinders and a maximum of 3.5 (in this case 3.2) liters of displacement if it is to be the first generation. And it is refreshingly down-to-earth with a little dash of luxury. When you get in, you don't discover an awful lot of switches compared to some command centers today, even though they are mostly virtual. And while the control unit for the automatic climate control is a mundane side issue today, in 1980 (the year the test model discussed here was built) it was almost spectacular in this form. Push buttons for the climate control? Crazy back then.

The input field for the on-board computer with its red LED display is even crazier. Most drivers at the time were not familiar with such new-fangled gadgets, although manufacturers such as Renault were already installing talking on-board computers in the 1980s. In the 7 Series, things like range and fuel consumption are at least displayed, how remarkable!

And yet the fuel consumption of an oldie is precisely what you should pay the least attention to. Not because you don't care about your wallet and the environment. Rather because you rarely use the classic car in everyday life, but limit its use to a few pleasure trips. In the case of the E23, however, I expect protests from at least a certain target group in light of these lines. The advocates of the “everyday classic” will certainly classify the E23 as a potential vehicle for daily use.

7 Series E23 as an everyday classic? Sure!

Honestly: Why not? The seats, which are a little flimsy compared to today's solutions, do their job quite well. You sit on fine velour and look at plenty of open-pored wood. Simply cool. When you start the engine and especially afterwards, you are not bothered by any ringing or complicated menu navigation. Simply buckle up and push the easy-to-grip selector lever into position D.

The old torque converter automatic doesn't have many gears to sort through – just three in the early versions, which is the case with the version we have here. And you probably won't find a torque converter lock-up in the archaic automatic, nor an adjustable shift strategy. And because the 745i weighs just 1.6 tons when empty, that's all it takes. The 252 horses under the hood are particularly enough.

Of course, the aged four-door car is not incredibly fast, but its rather sonorous-sounding six-cylinder engine makes it heavenly confident. Also note the turbo lag, which only half exists here. Yes, the torque (380 Newton meters) may noticeably climb to a plateau, but in practice the pressure in the back does not rise suddenly, but only moderately. But the inline six-cylinder engine pushes forcefully in high gear with a gentle voice and spreads a pleasant feeling of superiority. For those who are fond of numbers, it goes to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. In addition, the luxury liner is said to be able to reach 221 km/h with plenty of running. But the decisive factor for the impression is that the three-speed engine generates virtually no interruption in traction. After all, there is not much to change gears.

Some features were already available in the upper class in the 1980s

Incidentally, BMW itself already offered amenities such as a comfort-enhancing cruise control. Speaking of comfort: the space available is very good for the compact external dimensions, and even in the second row there is plenty of room for the knees. On the other hand, the narrow (1.80 meters) and clearly laid out car can be maneuvered wonderfully through passages in the middle of urban buildings. Of course, the passive safety level is not to be discussed at this point.

Curious? Well-maintained E23 models can be found online for under 15,000 euros. However, these are more likely to be the widely used 728i or 735i – without a turbocharger. But some potential buyers will probably shy away from this anyway. Keyword workshop costs. Otherwise, the historic 7 Series is quite durable and can easily handle 300,000 kilometers and more, although you should check carefully for rust before buying. The dome and rear window frame are suspect spots.

Good all-rounder characteristics, an easy supply of spare parts, solid comfort and the still decent distribution of the series (which makes it easier to request workshop assistance) make the 7 Series E23 a welcome everyday veteran. Try it out.