2001 BMW 7-Series

740i Sport 7 Sedan

Automatic

Gasoline

* * * ! ! ! ! ! THIS IS A NO-RESERVE AUCTION FOR AN INCREDIBLE CAR ! ! ! ! ! * * * In the 2001 740i short-wheelbase Sport model, you have found perhaps the best-ever combination of executive sedan and high-performance road car. Dinan performance upgrades then serve to make this a one-of-a-kind driver’s car…A German-mannered muscle car, yet classic and refined. This is a renaissance automobile, talented across disciplines. The 2001 was the final year of what many consider the "real" BMW flagship design. BMW poured extra goodies and styling cues into the 2001 model year only, and the prior years do not compare. A 2000 model is just not the same. Likewise, the long-wheelbase 740iL cruiser is a beautiful car but does not compare in performance to the 740i Sport. ABOUT THIS LISTING: I don't have a slick dealer program and my photographs may not be the best quality on Ebay. However, you're not buying a listing, but the car it presents. Don't be swayed by a gorgeous marketing job and beautiful borders on Ebay, but by the cars themselves! This listing is a very long and dry descriptive presentation but, rest assured, if I used the super-slick listing program the dealers use this car would stand up well and be very impressive. Instead, I'll do my best to provide you monstrous detail and welcome you to contact me to dig deep. And, I have lots more photos and can certainly work with you on special requests that you may have to learn more abou this car so that you feel you know it well by the time you buy it. I reviewed a few other listings and clearly dealers put lots of time into very bold claims. I'm certain I'll come accross as less "wow", but the CAR is WOW! I just tend to speak cautiously because I want to underpromise. Hopefully, this kind of communication will help us transact a clean purchase. ABOUT MY DESCRIPTIONS: This car has just over 100,000 miles. The descriptions I give in this listing are, in my judgement, fair and accurate compared to what a reasonable person would expect from a 100,000 mile car. I'll probably mention a few flaws that you won't notice, but this is because somebody might, so I'm intending to overdisclose. THE VERY BASICS: 2 OWNER CAR: I'm the second owner, after buying from Crevier BMW in Orange County as a Certified Pre Owned car with about 35,000 miles in 2003...it was a lease return from the first owner and was in perfect condition. MILES: 107,XXX, mostly highway miles (San Diego to Newport Beach daily for a few years). GAS MILEAGE: Roughly 21.5 - 22.0* Highway, clocked over several long periods. Stop-n-go is mid-teens, I'd say. Gas mileage improved 2-3 MPG after installation of Dinan performance equipment, which improves the fuel mixture. *See my disclaimer! HORSEPOWER: Stock is 282…this car is about 320* according to Dinan. See their website DinanCars.com for estimated torque gains, and gas mileage gain, too. (they've changed it a bit since I took my notes a few years ago). You'll need the list of Dinan equipment provided further down. *See my disclaimer! TRANSMISSION: Dual transmission modes...a world-class automatic and BMW's Steptronic Manual Shift transmission (part of Sport Package only on the 740i). EXTERIOR COLOR: Anthracite, with all black trim and no chrome besides the BMW kidney (Anthracite Metalic is charcoal grey-blue, depending on the weather). INTERIOR COLOR: Black Leather with Vavona Wood Trim, black carpeting and black Dinan floormats. EQUIPMENT: If you’re seeking a 7 Series to buy, then you already know that the 7 Series comes with practically everything…it’s BMW’s flagship car and there aren’t any “stripped” versions of these cars. I've copied a list further down to provide more detailed descriptions of some of the more interesting standard equipment. NOTEWORTHY EXTRA EQUIPMENT: Here’s what yours has: New Convenience Package: power-fold auto-dimming outside mirrors (new), power rear-window sunshade and manual rear side-window sunshades. Sport Package – Specific to the shorter 740i only in 2001 and NOT AVAILABLE on the 740iL. I explain further down why you'll see 740iL cars listed with "sport package" and why this is really an illusion created with nice wheels and shadowline trim...only the beginning of the true Sport Package available ONLY on the 2001 740i short-wheelbase. This car had an integrated digital phone…but those were a joke and dealers promptly removed them to avoid issues. Very well done tinted windows - These are in very good shape. They look terrific and keep the car cool. There are two interior scratches on the driver's door window (Wife's ring), 1 @ 3" and 1 @ 1". One of the rear quarter windows has two TINY scratches that are not noticeable under most conditions. Dinan Performance Components - Over $10,000 of Dinan equipment installed at Crevier BMW in O.C. - Details below. The car is a rocket, gets better mileage than others, sounds incredible, shifts fantastic, has no governor. Newer, unnecessary exterior parts - Exterior trim ages. Clear lenses discolor. This car is essentially two colors...Anthracite Metalic paint and black trim (tinted windows and all). About two years ago, I replaced many exterior black trim pieces with brand-new trim at the on-site BMW dealership body shop (Encinitas, CA), including glass rubber surrounds, the nav antenna, molding, various strips, etc. so most of these parts are black, not cracking light grey. People do not do this…the body shop guy looked at me like I was nuts for spending $900 to replace trim that was perfectly functional, but I drove away smiling. I've also replaced the clear lenses at all four corners and had the side signals replaced, all to get new, clear plastic (this means I replaced the entire brake/tail light components just to get a fresh look). Mine are all 1-4 years of age, so you can imagine how much better they look than a 9 year old piece of plastic. I've also replaced the chrome front kidneys and the BMW logo in the last couple of years. All of these were through the dealership body shop and brand-new BMW parts. STANDARD EQUIPMENT: Here is a very-partial list of standard items: BMW Onboard Navigation System. Super-premium audio system with 14 speakers incl. 4 subwoofers; Digital Sound Processing and 6-disc CD changer controlled from the nav screen. Xenon low-beam headlights with dynamic auto-leveling and high-pressure headlight cleaning system Multi-function remote control for locking and security systems (includes 2-step unlocking, trunk lid opening, panic function); battery recharged from vehicle electrical system, needs no replacement. Power tilt/telescopic steering wheel with multi-function fingertip controls (including audio, cruise control, etc.). 3-position memory system for driver’s seat, safety-belt height, steering wheel and outside mirrors. Vehicle and Key Memory (programmable personalized functions). Leather and wood interior trim. State-of-the-art automatic climate control with full left/right controls, solar sensor. 2-way power moonroof standard. Dynamic Stability Control; stability-enhancement system Dynamic Brake Control; enhances emergency braking. Interlocking door anchoring system for resistance to side impacts. Standard front-seat inflatable Head Protection System (HPS) and side-impact airbags. 4-link integral rear suspension system. Servotronic vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering. Full spare M Sport wheel and tire (included with Sport Package), toolkit, etc. Just a whole bunch of other stuff you’d assume a flagship car to have, and several things you’d just never expect until you slip inside. Of course it has PS, PB, PD, PW, Cruise, and a bunch more...these go without saying. ABOUT THE 2001 7 SERIES: Cosmetic enhancements for 2001 included the following: Body-color side sills, front and rear lower aprons. Clear turn-signal lenses. ABOUT THE 2001 740i SPORT: The only TRUE Sport Model is the 2001 Short Wheelbase model...the 740i Sport. To be VERY clear: The longer wheelbase 740iL Sport Package is not at all the same thing, consisting of only the M Sport Wheels, shadowline trim instead of chrome, and Vavona wood interior trim. That’s it. Optional Sport Package on the 740i includes: Sport suspension. 18-in. wheels (different sizes front/rear) with performance tires. STEPTRONIC transmission feature (driver-controlled shifting). High-stall-speed torque converter. Performance final drive ratio. Shadowline exterior trim. 3-spoke M sport steering wheel. 18-way Contour sport front seats. Vavona redwood interior trim. The 740iL is a beautiful, luxo-cruiser, but it’s extra length, weight, and absence of true sport tuning are limiting. If you want enormous leg room in back, go with the 740iL. The740i Sport is a nimble, powerful, shorter/lighter executive car designed to be a top performance vehicle. It’s the PERFECT, best-ever combination, which is why I purchased it. ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR DINAN 7 (740i Sport with Dinan power and performance enhancements): I encourage you to visit DinanCars.com and review products available for the 7 series from 2001, and also review the article (under Technical Info at the top) “dispelling performance software myths”. This Dinan 7 has a combination of roughly 6 performance components which, in combination, provide as much as 39 (estimated) extra horsepower according to Dinan. * Gas mileage increased 2-3 miles per gallon with the new components. * Shift points are sportier, and early pull is noticeably more available and aggressive. * Top Horsepower goes from 282 to roughly 320. Torque is amazing (look up on DinanCars.com) * Incredible low rumble from complete new exhaust...beautiful, not offensive to anyone. * No top speed governor, and a higher top speed (according to Dinan...but this car has never gone that fast, and I can say this with certainty because the first owner HAD a top speed governor in place...I added the Dinan. * When reviewing DinanCars website, they have graphs and stats for everything...look up High Flow Cold Air Intake, High Flow Throttle Body, High Flow Intake Manifold, High Flow Air Flow Meter, Dinan Free Flow Exhaust, and I believe this combination required a Dinan Stage 4 or 5 computer download, but I cannot swear to the stage required...it's a matter of all the components combined dictating the particular (high level and expensive) download. This is what changes the shift dynamics, and other "setup" items. I’m not a tech expert and Buyer should satisfy himself/herself as to the tech stats rather than take my word for it by visiting the Dinan website. I can simply tell you when I picked up the car after installation of all this (and writing a check for over $10K) a great car became spectacular. MUCH faster acceleration, new shift points, higher redline (about 600 RPM over the odometer redline, as I recall), better fuel mixture for gas mileage, more power available at lower RPMs and higher RPMs, an exhaust note that is perhaps my favorite feature …simply amazing. The top-speed limiter at 128 Miles per hour also goes away and allows the car’s true top speed to be achieved (which is even higher than stock with the enhanced redline and gearing), but I cannot say I have any personal experience with this. FOR ANYONE WORRIED THAT THIS SOUNDS TOO RADICAL - See the pictures... it's just a great looking car on the aggressive looking side but without dripping in aftermarket crud, strange wheels, bolt-on/stick-on body work, etc. The sound is amazing, but when my Parents come to town they look forward to driving the 7 and my Father, who thinks Harley owners are inconsiderate jerks when they rev their engines, just loves this car! ABOUT THE HISTORY AND USE OF THIS CAR: In fact, with ALL of this esoteric and impressive stuff now stated... I'm actually a pretty mild driver. I don't push the envelope, I don't corner very hard, I'm easy on the transmission, I don't visit the race track. I drive pretty fast on the freeway and I accellerate faster than average but never in a harmful way. I've probably never spun the tires except in the rain. Oh, by the way, the car has traction/stability control that can be engaged or disengaged. I purchased as Certified Pre-Owned from Crevier BMW in Orange County. The car was about 3 years old with mid-30s mileage. For about 4 years I commuted daily from North San Diego to Newport Beach. I have other cars that I occassionally drove, but I took the 7 most of the time, and this accounts for most of the mileage during my ownership. I went to work very early, so these are highway miles without stop and go traffic…it was about 45 minutes of pure freeway in each direction, with just a little neighborhood driving. My highway miles are wonderful for a buyer because every single component that it under-utilized in straight-ahead driving is effectively much younger than its true years. Every component of the breaking system, every component of the transmission, and so on. The car was serviced only at Crevier BMW for the first 6-7 years of it’s life, at which point my job no longer took me near their facility. I've never skimped on this car. When it needed a repair or maintenance, I've always done it right away and I always have it done right, with the right parts. 2-3 times I’ve had a repair at Encinitas BMW when convenient but for the last few years Eurosport in North San Diego has taken care of the car. The owner has over 30 years experience racing and maintaining german performance cars, and services mostly Porsches and BMWs, along with Mercedes and others…everything from race cars to family cars. I know him well because I have three such cars. BMW Dealerships and few specialty installers are the ONLY authorized sellers and installers of Dinan performance enhancements and Crevier BMW installed all my Dinan components. The bill was roughly $10,000. From 2007 through today the car sees only rotational use…maybe 4,000 miles annually? I rub it with a diaper sometimes. I run it enough to keep it in great shape, but the miles are low these days. CONDITION OF THIS CAR - All based on my own careful inspections. You are welcome to inspect, as well. I've done my best with these descriptions...please see my disclaimer because the car is sold as-is and buyer should satisfy him/herself as to condition: TITLE - CLEAR, MINE. CLEAN - It's super clean, in and out. ENGINE COMPARTMENT - SUPER. Probably a 9 out of 10 (I'm picky). ACCIDENT HISTORY - Perfect when purchased. Been hit twice, both minor, both under 5 mph. (1) Neighbor hit my car while parked and dented the left rear door, with no other damage. The door was replaced with a brand new door along with all needed genuine parts at the BMW Dealership on-site body shop. (2) I was rear-ended while stopped at light. Other car was stopped, too, but started going when the turn lane began to move next to him. Hit me at just a few miles per hour and pushed the bumper in. The bumper and quite a few other parts were replaced with brand new genuine parts at the BMW Dealership on-site body shop. They went overkill at my direction to inspect every possible area for damage. Lots of brackets and other junk, but nothing at all that would matter today. In fact, I'm glad it happened...brand new bumper, trim, etc., looks brand new because this was only about 2 years ago. This even took care of the time my garage door put those familiar two little score-marks on the bumper (from the garage door hinges). Get in accident, problem solved! PAINT - Excellent. THE DETAIL GUY WAS HERE TODAY, SO THE PAINT HAS BEEN FRESHLY CLAYED AND WAXED... HE COMMENTED THAT THE PAINT IS IN SUPERB SHAPE AND IS "LIKE GLASS". When I was inspecting the hood, I could read my own shirt in the reflection. The front of the car has paint chips, like any mileage car I suspect...please see description below. All four door handles are body-color and are in less-great shape than the body of the car...the surface doesn't hold the paint quite as well so the handles are a bit dull. This is not noticeable when you look at the car unless, again, you're inspecting it carefully. GLASS - The windshield is excellent, with no stars, no cracks, no known issue of any kind. It has hundreds of tiny impact marks, since it's not brand new, but it's basically perfect. Those impact marks would not be noticeable to anyone and I only mention them because I'm writing an honest description in a car listing...they are tiny, normal marks. The back window, all four roll-down windows, the rear quarter windows and the moonroof are all essentially perfect. WHEELS - The wheels on this car look really great. However, when you get down in front of each one to inspect you will notice that each wheel has a small amount of curb rash, or slight staining or other acid-wash damage, or small patch of luster-coat missing, or even just that wheels at this age aren't perfectly smooth. I suspect that if you really wanted them perfect, the guys that re-paint such wheels for CPO cars could buff them up and make them nearly new. However, as they are, they look absolutely gorgeous but close examination will reveal some age. I'm a real wheel guy, and I think they look great and really make the car pop, except when filthy or when examining them closely. These wheels with this car was one of the all-time great factory wheel choices. People who chromed these missed the boat...they are a great alloy finish. TIRES - The two front tires have roughly 25% - 40% remaining wear. Both rear tires are at or near the wearbars. BRAKES - Front will come around before too long but have some wear left. Rear have lots remaining. This is according to my mechanic, not me, who replaced a couple of bulbs recently. LEATHER SEATS - Rear are like brand new...can't tell anyone's been in the car. Front are excellent for the mileage. There are no rips, tears, major scuffs, or anything noteworthy. There is a very slight amount of finish rubbing off on the center seam area on both front seats. However, they show very, very few signs of age. The left bolster (that takes the brunt of every entry/exit) is still in great shape showing no obvious signs of being overused, like so many cars that do. This is again helped by my long commute and highway miles...you just don't get in and out of the car as much. This could cut entry/exit by as much as 80%, give or take! Also, I was always wearing a suit, so no metal studs and other issues. SMOKER, SMELLS? - Nothing at all. Very clear that it's never been smoked in. No odd smells. INTERIOR, Miscellaneous - There are a few BMW quirky faults inside the car. Very minor, and probably very inexpensive to fix...just have never been something I remembered when servicing the car. The glove box handle is broken which is very common. The left-rear ashtray is tweaked and protrudes. The driver's seat-back has a magazine holder that no longer pulls tight to the seat-back, so it hangs about 3/4" out (I saw this in the photo of the listing for another 740 where the dealer says it's the "all time best ever" of this car and has a buy-it-now over $16K for a 2000 model....it's common). The little computer access panel cover comes off sometimes...very common quirk. The brake-release handle comes apart every once in a while...some super-glue would probably end the issue but it snaps back together each time so is not a problem. There are some pixels on the dash readout that are out...you can still read everything just fine but there are quite a few of these. It's not a high percentage at all, but I think this is important to disclose. The steering wheel is in excellent shape... I think I was barely touching it on those long commutes. The dual climate control works great and the A/C blows cold. Absolutely everything works properly and well to my knowledge. The first aid-kit is original and untouched, and sits in it's special compartment. The interior leather door panels and handles are all virtually perfect. The Dinan floor mats are plush, are 9 out of 10, and they are "performance" mats...they bolt to the floor which is the greatest thing ever! The dash is excellent (no issues), the headliner is excellent, the lights are all in great shape, seatbelts in great shape, the power seats work perfectly, stereo works perfectly, and on and on and on...I'm not intentionally omitting any material fact. SCRATCHES/DINGS - There are no noticeable scratches in the car unless you look closely. Up close, there are a few that could probably be buffed out but are worth noting for this listing. Again, the paint is excellent but it's not a new car and has some imperfections at this point...a few light scratches are present. One is several inches in an S shape, but quite light (I couldn't find it a few minutes ago). Another is a 1" straight scratch on the front edge of the hood and is like a small white line. Below the top of the headlights, there are numorous small rock marks on the paint, bumper, headlights, etc. There are also 4 or 5 chips that are slightly larger (say, 1/32 to 1/8 inch). Above the top of the headlights, including the leading edge of the hood, there are also 4 to 5 slightly larger paint chips from rocks. One is partway up the hood while the rest are near the leading edge. I would consider absolutely all of these normal wear and tear for any car with more than 30K-40K miles. Those that were there about two years ago were color-sanded and polished to improve them. I think most buyers might only find the one that's up the hood slightly. Since this is subjective, I'm making a point to note them. The color-sand and polish is about the best thing you can do for these, other than paint the car properly which would be silly considering the overall paint condition. There is one ding on the hood...VERY small and down near the front and probably the result of something in the garage being dropped. The entire dip is about 1/8 inch and I just saw it today when inspecting, not otherwise having noticed it. There is a short scuff/scrape near it which was part of the same "event". With very, very careful inspection I found one door ding on the right rear door, and it's very difficult to see. I've previously had more obvious door dings removed and those guys do a perfect job from my perspective. There is no bondo on this car, and no other such short-sighted repairs. BOTTOM LINE: The car is beautiful and this is pretty picky stuff, but this is the place for it, right? Recent maintenance and repairs: I keep the car up nicely. Here's a list of mechanical things that are quite new in the car, and I'm not bothering to mention routine items: * Valve cover gasket, spark plugs and accompanying service and a new sunroof motor all at 101,000. * Power Steering pump and window regulator at 95,000. * Brand New Navigation System at 93,000! * New Radiator at 75,000. * Brand new BMW battery, the biggest you'll ever see, purchased the same day as this listing. COMMUNICATION: I'll do my absolute best to be helpful for you during the auction process. Please first try email but you are also welcome to call me. ripcity@roadrunner.com is my email, and (949) 559-2066 is my cell phone. Please understand that I'm in an unrelated business and will typically not respond instantly nor as quickly as a car dealer. But, I realize I have a car for sale and I'll be checking each day for communication and responding just as quickly as possible. I don't think any reply will exceed 24 hours, and most will be shorter. On the last day or two of the listing I'll be travelling, so will ask your patience, but best to simply communicate with me as early as possible. SHIPPING / PICK UP: You can arrange whatever you want and can count on my cooperation on my end if you send a truck. I'll leave all this to you...I'm in North San Diego County. Car will not be available until paid in full. I'll store it for you for up to 7 days for free. After that, a $20/day premium will be collected before the car will be available to you. However, the transfer of money will constitute the moment of ownership change, not the date of delivery. I will cancel from my insurance, etc. PAYMENT: $1,000 initial payment via Wire Transfer from your bank to my bank within 24 hours of me providing bank information to you via email, in no case later than 48 hours from end of auction. This is a non-refundable deposit. If you do not have $1,000 in cash to wire, you better go ahead and contact me in advance so we can determine if you're a viable purchaser. I'm willing to accept a Paypal initial payment if it helps you. Anyone winning the auction and not providing payments according to these mutual agreements will have negative feedback left, at least. Balance of payment via Wire Transfer within 3 days of end of auction. For those paying with your own funds, please consider just one wire if you are able to keep it simple. If you are getting financing, please set this up in advance so you're ready if you win...this is good preparation even if you buy a different car, or buy it later. Ebay warns that lender checks usually don't work to buy a private party car. Please advise in advance of your lender and payment protocol to see if acceptable. I reserve the right to sell the car to someone else and/or end/cancel/void this auction if the car is no longer for sale. I will do my best to advise of this. I am travelling the last day of the auction so I recommend all communications be as early in the auction as possible. Negative feedback: If you have negative feedback, please contact me before bidding. Non-payment: There is nothing worse. Non-payers ruin the entire process and make me start over. Every possible report and feedback will be made. You are also legally responsible for your actions. PICTURES: Most of these pictures were taken about 7,000 miles ago but are generally representative of the condition today. My descriptions are based on current inspection of the car. I have other pictures if you want to see more of the interior or proof of mileage or any other detail. DISCLAIMER...please read...by bidding you agree: This car is sold in AS-IS Condition. I will suggest to you that I'm an honest person and I believe that my descriptions indicate that I've done my best to give you an accurate description of this car. However, if you have concerns they are up to you to verify to your own satisfaction. Even if you don't have concerns, the responsibility rests with you. As-is. I'm not a technician or mechanic and my technical descriptions should be considered general in nature, consistent with the spirit of an accurate description, but not precise. Even Dinan indicates precision measures are difficult, while also stating that they report conservative or simply fair numbers (see DinanCars.com). You can inspect the car after calling to discuss. I have lots more pictures and will make reasonable effort to send some of these to qualified bidders. You can access the CarFax or other report shown by EBay or third-parties. For serious bidders, I'll even connect you with my dealership guy from the past or from my current Eurosport mechanic, who's races and worked on Porsches and BMWs, race cars and family cars alike, for 30+ years. I do have service records or can obtain them, though I'm inclined to provide these only after discussion with serious offers. I can give you a verbal on most matters, and I'm not inclined to dig through all my stuff all week but, if it's deal-breaker stuff, we'll find you the info you really need. I work in another business and I will not be as responsive as a car dealer. I know I'm selling a car and there are consequences to my time, and I'll check on it at least once daily, but please realize this and do not consider my communication poor when leaving feedback because I take 24 hours to reply...that should be an expectation (though I'll try to exceed it). I'm not an auto dealer and my intent is to simply have a gracious transaction between the two of us, not one that is marred by overly sensitive evaluation of my listing or the product. This is an extremely detailed listing, lending credibility to my statements about giving a thorough description, so I hope you'll see that I intend to be fair in all matters but also that I don't sell cars everyday and there is no possible way to fully describe a car. I also have many additional pictures and will consider sending you a bunch of them if I can figure out the method. As-is. If you are the sort of person inclined to put the car on a dyno and would be angry if your dyno shows less horsepower than I've relayed from DINAN, or you feel I was mistaken about the equipment, or you disagree about the severity of a scratch, the true condition of the leather, or similar, and this would upset you, then you should acknowledge this possibility up front by protecting yourself...build such concerns into your bid price IN ADVANCE, because I will not be making any adjustments nor reversing the transaction. Consider the spirit of the description accurate, while it's possible the precise details may be a point of disagreement. If a particular component is important to you, CALL ME and I'll happily confirm the details for you in advance of your bid. Your bid signifies you're happy to pay that price for the As-Is car. Please see my EBay feedback. I'm an occassional visitor...I'll sell some tickets, I'll buy a TV, I'm honest about it (see feedback). I've had only one or two issues with others, and I've been very reasonable with them and found that they were generally reasonable in return. This car is AS-IS and all buyer investigations should be completed prior to bidding. I plan to go through this process once only. When it's sold I will be asking for payment and not planning to give it back. So, your best bet is to be satisfied with your own investigation and build in a price buffer for any lingering concerns you have. Sorry, I detest this part of the process...I regret that I even have to write this because I intend to be a reasonable person on all matters...but you hear stories. With all of that said, I'm spending a huge amount of time writing the details for you and I welcome your calls or emails in cooperation toward the investigations that I've encouraged. Bottom line is that you should only bid on any pre-owned car, this one included, if you are comfortable with the risks.