1999 BMW 7-Series

740i Sedan

8 Cylinder 4.4 Liter

Automatic

WBAGG8334XDN74437

Gasoline

Power Windows

1999 red BMW 7 Series 740i sport package This 1999 740i was ordered by the owner of the Reeves BMW dealership in Tampa, Florida as his personal car. I have the original window sticker of $68,960 and extensive maintenance records over the years. It was later sold to a close friend and preferred customer for his wife where it remained in the Tampa, FL area. Aside from pictures and phone calls with the owner, I bought the car sight unseen and became its third owner driving it back to Indianapolis in early February, 2006. This remains a well-kept, low mileage, and very unique 7 series. As an eleven year old four-door family sedan it continues draws attention amongst even the casual BMW fan when its out and about at restaurants, ball games, or the gas station because of its "sporty look." As a 25 year long BMWCCA owner it has been well maintained just like my 2002! I don't expect it will be around long enough to ever appear in the clubs magazine The Roundel but the car is being marketed locally in the metro-Indianapolis area. It may actually be the only “Hellrot” [bright red] 740i in the country. With the tastefully done 2001 updates this 7 series is frequentlymis-identified by fellow BMW purists as an “Imola Red” 01'! As a 1999, the buyer will enjoy significant savings over the book value of the 2001. While I'm not desperate, I do have a freshman at a private Christian college. This is not an auction car....just one owned by passionate BMW fanatics since day one. For a 7 in its condition, I am offering this car for a low BUY IT NOW price which is still almost $1000 below the "excellent" value and 5% below the private party "good" value. I think any BMW dealership evaluating the car could safely place this 7 series somewhere in between. The reserve is just slightly below the BUY IT NOW price. The title is 100% clean and in my possession. Overall the interior is in good condition—the headliner is actually being replaced right now [$750] in OEM factory light tan. This is the only reason I opted to not show more interior photos in this listing. The headliner work should be done by this weekend. The front sport leather seats show average wear. All power controls and settings work properly as well as driver's seat 3 position memory. The dash is in great condition with no cracks or tears. All the gauges function and light properly. Like so many 7 series the digital display [MIDI] in this car is really only mediocre as many pixels are very dim. [A common issue amongst the e38 7 series built between 1995-2001]. There is no check engine light or warning lights on of any kind. All the vavona wood trim along the dash and door panels look very good. The shift knob has many small scratches and tiny nicks from a ring worn by the previous owners wife who drove the car between 2001 and 2006. There are a few hairline cracks in the vavona wood on the drivers side door trim. I tried all the buttons located on the dash and door panels and everything functions properly. The air conditioning blows cold and the heater works well. The door panels are all in great shape and all the power windows work properly. The sunroof slidces and moonroof functions properly; more importantly it does not leak. The radio works well and the speakers sound good. BMW makes very efficient use of space in this car. The 740i is 196.2 inches long but has 115.4 inch long wheelbase. Unlike the iL's this 740i has a backseat roughly 6" shorter than any of the 750iL's I owned but still offers plenty of room for passengers. I was spoiled by the size of the iL's and admit I immediately noticed the "more cozier" backseat even though I seldom sat there. The exterior of the car was special ordered in BMW’s “Hellrot” or bright red paint [$1,690]. I have come to learn there are very few "red" 1999-2001 e38 7 series on the road in the states. Most are “Imola Red” which was a standard color offered in 2001. This color makes this 7 series slightly more unique than all the others. In 1999 "bright red" was offered for Z-3 and M-3’s only. The previous owner was told it was the only “bright red” 1999 7 series in the country! The body is straight and dent free. There is one very small ding on the passenger side--I tried to photograph it and included a picture in this listing. If you look very, very closely on the driver's side rear pillar a hint of paintwork was done when the previous owner's wife hit an ice skate as she backedout of the driveway. Quite honestly, I never noticed it until it was pointed out by the shop when they color matched the side skirts and lower bumper when I did the 2001 update. Unlike most 1999 and 2000 model year 7 series this one has had the lower side skirts and rear valence color matched to fully complete the 2001 update instead of just merely adding a few lights. Both the front and rear bumpers look nice, free of cracks and straight as well. I also removed the 740i badge from the right rear side of the trunk lid at this time. The shown AC Schnitzer three piece wheels do have some minor curb rash on two. New, these wheels are priced at over $4000 and added by the original owner. They have been on the car since new. At one time I had considered sending them out for refinishing. While I see so many with the "M-Parallel" wheels--I have never seen another with these same Schnitzer wheels. The mounted tires [$1150] have less than 1000 miles and are essentially brand new. I opted for Michelin Pilot's all the way around--plus size 255/45/18’s on the front and 285/35/18’s on the 9 ½” wide rear wheels giving the car an aggressive look on the staggered stance. I have no rub whatsoever and enjoy the different ride from the previous factory set-up. I've went "+2" on each of the v-12 750iL’s I have owned in prior years and really enjoy the feel. I have included pictures of the two road rash wheels. The others are in good shape. There is a brand new M-Parallel wheel with a 255/45/18 tire in the trunk which has never been used. The current braking system consists of four brand new [$1000+] large cross drilled and slotted discs and pads with an antilock braking system (ABS). All the glass is in good shape with no visible cracks. This is a tight, responsive and very fun car to drive! Under the hood is the fatory 4.4L DOHC, 32 valve (with variable valve timing) V-8 that pumps out 282 hp at only 5,400 rpm and a strong 324 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,700 rpm. This is an improvement of 14 lb ft of torque at 200 less rpm than the prior year’s 1998 seven series. "Smooth" is really an understatement--of all the BMW's I've owned [including v-12's] over the years this one really epitomizes a “driving machine.” The factory lists 0-60 performance at 6.8 seconds. As a result of the dealership installed Dinan tuning [$1399 installed]: Dinan performance engine chip; Dinan automatic transmission chip and Dinan cold-air intake the car has a very throaty growl upon acceleration. When talking with Dinan representatives they indicate a tuned 740i Sport like mine would likely blast from 0-60 in just a tick over 6 seconds when you need it. These upgrades do not qualify it as a Dinan 7 car. Despite that, it does have incredible stock performance considering the 4255 pounds of curb weight and from a standing start without use of the Step-Tronic. My fifteen year old son is really bummed that I have even listed the car to sell! Unlike a previously owned final edition Grand Wagoneer before the Rover, he loves being picked up from football practice in the red 7 and probably thought it would be passed down to him someday? The engine runs very strong with no smoke or funny noises. I replaced the radiator around 75k miles. The 02 sensors were replaced right before I bought the car in 2006. Cooling, radiator and oxygen sensor issues are common on this car. I just decided to be proactive. The oil has been changed like clock work every 3,000 miles or so. As part of the $2600 sport package the Steptronic 5 speed automatic transmission is as smooth as the engine, shifts nicely and is without issues like so many that are driven hard and abused. The steptronic transmission allows the driver to manually select gears by moving the shifter forward for upshifts and rearward for downshifts. Like the prior owner's wife, I leave the tranny in "D" for more normal driving 98% of the time (understand, there is nothing normal about the 740 when it comes to performance). In the Steptronic mode, if you ask the tranny to downshift by throttle pressure, it will respond and downshift accordingly without any manual shifting, in case you forget its in "manual mode". In hard cornering, the balance (weight distribution is nearly 50/50) becomes more evident. The grip from the +2 high performance tires coupled with an advanced fully independent suspension makes for amazing handling. Steering gives near perfect road feel and complete confidence behind the wheel. This has been a car that doesn't get you into trouble, it gets you out of trouble. It can make anyone feel good about their driving. Even without the double pane glass liked I enjoyed on the 750iL's on the highway it’s extremely quiet, too. (even with the high performance tires). This car has been my “good weather” daily driver, road-trip, IU game's and highway car. In our Indiana winter's the past five years I drove a Range Rover or 4WD Suburban. On the nicer spring, summer and falls days I drive my 1976 BMW 2002. I can gladly take additional pictures of the red 7 for those serious buyers as requested or needed. In 1999 the $2,6000 optional “Sport Package” which was offered for the first time. Initially many dealers and owners opted not to spend the extra money until a Car and Driver review sung it's praises. Besides the StepTronic transmission with higher stall-speed torque converter, and a higher 3.15 final drive ratio (versus 2.92) the sport package included: blacked-out exterior "shadowline" trim, Vavona redwood interior trim, 18-way front adjustable sport seats, staggered 18-inch (460 mm) alloy wheels, a stiffer M inspired suspension with thicker front and rear anti-sway bars. In early 2006 my own 2001 updating included "paint-to-match" [$1100] side skirts and lower bumper facias in the same factory “bright red” color. Until the 2001 model year all 7 series had mdere flat black paint below the side skirts and rear bumper area. I also swapped the cell phone antenna [looks only] and amber len's in the front and rear with rear crystal clear corners [$150] clear side turn indicators [$25] and clear front corners [$80]. Even though the EPA may rate the 740i Sport at 15/21 on the window sticker--right before the new tires were mounted on a recent trip to and from Kansas City I recorded nearly 21 mpg with long stretches of spirited driving. It was very hard to stay out of the throttle when being passed by Dodge Chargers and new Camaro’s. The standard 740i with taller gears is rated 17/23 mpg. For years, my highway mileage has always met these EPA estimates. Not too bad for a car this fun to drive! As a father safety was also important besides handling, looks and road performance--especially since this 2006 purchase and switch to a tuned 740i was inspired after I was “T-Boned” in one of my second 750iL’s [that was eventually totaled]. This 740i comes with front and side impact bags with a head protection system. It probably has additional safety engineering and body reinforcement that I'm unaware of. I will require a $500 deposit within 24 hours via paypal, bankwire or cash in person. The balance must be paid within 7 days via cashiers check, bankwire or cash in person. Paypal will only be accepted for the deposit. Vehicle and title will only be released once final payment clears my local bank here in Indianapolis. I can be reached at 317.918.4770 or BLW750iL@aol.com with specific questions or to request additional pictures. Please do not bid without proper financing secured. This BMW is being sold as-is and no extended warranty is being offered. If you are getting your own shipping quote, my local Indianapolis zip code for pick up is 46241. As a private seller I have never engaged a transport company. An on-premise inspection is preferred and expected; yet, I am more than willing to accommodate buyer wishes for an independent inspection. I have done my best to identify deemed "problems" in order to accurately present this car just like it was when I bought it. It looks like costs to reach most major cities via transport would be around $500-$800 with the Pac-Northwest and west coast adding as much as $200 more. SPECIFICATIONSNew Price $62,400 to about $70,000Engine4.4L DOHC, 32 valve with 282 hp @ 5,400rpmvariable valve timing, V-8 324 lb-ft of torque @ 3,700rpmTransmission5 speed automatic with optionalSteptronic systemConfigurationlongitudinal front enginerear wheel drive with traction controlBrakes4 wheel disc with ABSand cornering braking system,dynamic stability controlDimensionsWheelbase 115.4 inchesLength 196.2 inchesWidth 73.3 inchesHeight 56.3 inchesTrack 61.1/61.6 inchesWeight 4255 poundsFuel Capacity 22.5 gallonsTrunk Capacity 13.0 cubic feetDrag Coefficient 0.31Turning Circle 38.1 feetWeight distribution, % 50.8/49.2 front/rearStandard Performance0-60 6.17 seconds50-70 3.30 seconds50-70 uphill 4.50 secondsRPM @ 70 mph 2150Top Speed electronically limited to (a sensible?) 128 mph, but without a governor probably in excess of 150 mph.RATED Fuel Economy EPA 15/21 mpg city/highway.