BMW 8 cylinder 740i
BMW has fretted for years over whether it needed a V-8 in its lineup—a worry that triggered bleeding ulcers when image-boosting V-8’s from Audi, Lexus and Infiniti hit the market. As it prepares its 7-series replacement, BMW appears ready to take the plunge. Not only is BMW’s current 3.5liter in-line size nearly stretched to it’s displacement limit, but it’s reportedly too tall and long to fit gracefully under the low hood that adorns the Bavarians’ sleek new sevens. The solution is a DOHC 90-degree all-alloy V-8 in two sizes: an economy-minded 3.0-liter version, good for 225 hp at 6000rpm, or an industrial-strength 4.0-liter iteration, producing 270 hp. BMW’s new V-8 should appear in the 740i shown here, due in the summer of 1993, although it could appear sooner in an 8-series convertible.