BMW 740 Tow Vehicle

[JD1]

I recently saw the specs on this large 5 year old import. It seems to have desirable stats. Has anyone tried one of these types of vehicles? Just curious as to whether is would be approprite.

Thanks

Wheel Base 121"
Weight 4553 LBS
(0-60) 6.8 sec.
Braking distance from 60mph 126ft.
Road holding .79g's
Engine size 5.4 litres ( V12)
HP 322
Torque 361 ft-lbs
Rear wheel drive

EPA 15/20 mpg.

[wb13798]

specs look reaL GREAT, what is the rear end gear ratio. i have several friends with beamers and they didnt buy to pull any thing.
AL

[bhsl8]

I drove a BMW 740i for 3 years.The 740, if it is 5 years old, has a 4.4L 282 HP V8. The 750 had the 12 cyl. I enjoyed the car a great deal but would never have considered pulling anything bigger than a Bambi etc. with it.
Brouck

[Road Ruler]

Hi Brouck

By the look of JD1's spec list he is talking about a V12 version. Twenty years ago I bought a Mercedes 450 SEL. It was so solid, road worthy, and powerful I would think it could pull a large A/S fairly well. From your experiance what do you feel would be the down side of your 4.4, 740 towing a larger A/S?

[3Ms75Argosy]

Although I'm not thinking of a 740, a 5 series seems exciting. The 540 wagon is pretty close to an x5 without the higher body and extra weight. I know in Germany I've seen BMW's and Mercedes pulling "caravans" (their trailers). I think the US arm of the companies are afraid of litigation in rating their cars. A few years back, Four Winns (a boat company no longer in business) showed a picture of a 7 series pulling a 18 ft I/O boat - although I never believe what I see all the time!

I've visited the British web sites for BMW to see if tow ratings are published, but no luck so far.

But....if I had the money for a BMW, I guess I would also spring for a separate tow car as well. Oh well, always fun to dream.
Marc

[bhsl8]

Gentlemen, as I studied the picture supplied with the initial post it does look as if that is a 750 (look at the license plate) and indeed the specs are correct for that vehicle. With the added grunt of the 12 cylinder engine and subsequent increase in torque it might be worthy of pulling a larger airstream. I guess based on my experience with those vehicles (I have actually owned five of them including five series, seven series and an old Bavaria) I judge them more as true performance vehicles and can't imagine bogging them down by towing. The newer BMWs actually have adaptive software for their transmissions which might be helpful but it still seems to me that you need a truck to do a trucks work. In another thread a gentleman was discussing the new Porsche Caynne and Volkswagen Tourag as tow vehicles. That makes a little more sense to me as indeed these are trucks and in fact might be rather exciting. I'm sure that the engines of any of these vehicles if geared properly would be adequate but I would have long-term concerns about frame and suspension. As personal vehicles go, I highly recommend these in spite of their cost.

Brouck

[JD1]

Sorry.. I can't find any info on the rear end ratios. That would be a factor. The specs were so impressive I had to post this to get some opinions. While surfing I noticed that the new 7 series has a 6 speed transmission and even a longer wheel base. Cost too is a factor. Priced at 4 times the average pickup I doubt if we will see many of these with Airstreams in tow.
Too Bad... It would be a pretty sight

[Road Ruler]

If a vehicle handles and performs well by itself, then it will handle and perform well when properly connected to an aerodynamic trailer.

Marc.. I too have always liked the 540 wagon. Room for stuff in the back and optional roof racks to carry the canoe. Like you say. Dream on!

[Cottage]

I had a 750IL, which is the same body and chasis, but I had the 12 cylinder. The car was amazing to drive, but I would not think about towing with it. It was very fast, but had no low end torque which you would need for starts and hills. Also, the suspension is awfully expensive and not designed for more than a bike rack. Cool concept, but it would not be for me.

Curtis

[Cottage]

I had a 750IL, which is the same body and chasis, but I had the 12 cylinder. The car was amazing to drive, but I would not think about towing with it. It was very fast, but had no low end torque which you would need for starts and hills. Also, the suspension is awfully expensive and not designed for more than a bike rack. Cool concept, but it would not be for me.

Curtis