1993 BMW 740i | Retro Review
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- I don't know what the world may need, but a V8 engine's a good start for me.
Show 1212 | Original Airdate 12-10-1992
Want to help keep our weekly Retro Reviews alive? DONATE NOW: mptevents.regf...
Find airdates on your local PBS station HERE: motorweek.org/...
Want to watch full episodes of MotorWeek? Download the PBS video app for FREE or watch here: www.pbs.org/sh...
Stay connected with MotorWeek on social media!
Twitter (X): / motorweek
Facebook: / motorweektv
Instagram: / motorweek
MotorWeek, PBS' award-winning weekly automotive magazine provides unbiased, consumer-oriented car news with feature stories on related topics.
To license this video or any content from MotorWeek, please visit:
www.parsintl.c... 
Авто/Мото
For me personally one of the best-looking BMWs ever made
THE last classy bimmer.
But with the six.
True
@@KenanTurkiyenah, you can't forget the E38 7 and the E39 5. Both classy, more powerfull, more luxurious, faster, sound better, and reliable. Also, E38 is better looking that this E32.
Yes…
I don’t know if it is that I’m old (54) or something like that but, when I think about the best BMWs designs, this one comes to mind. Today I saw a 2024 7 series and it looks like a brick with a huge grill. I even love the simplicity and practicality of the interior of these old ones.
You aren't wrong, I'm 48 and I can relate, we kinda grew up with these cars, I was in high school when this 740i came up.
54 isn't old these days.
@@Czechbound thank you Sir!
I am 33 and totally agree with you. The new BMWs, especially the 7 Series, are horrendous .
Just a crisp, beautiful design. Looks better than 90 percent of big luxury cars today. I never owned a big BMW, but several 5 series and 3... As an Alfa Romeo fan an current owner. I still love that generation of BMW. No ugly Bangle butt, or overly huge kidney grill.
keep in mind e32 is not big. It has a wheel base of e39...which is the size of modern 3 series.
E38 740il is one of the best cars I have ever owned including a long list of porsches and mercs, had a 1992 535i manual, probably best of this generation.
The best looking sedan BMW has ever made, followed by the 7 series that came right after it. Those two vehicles were the pinnacle of BMW design imo and they still look as fresh/eye catching now as they did when they were new. Understated elegance used to be a hallmark of BMW designs of that era, which is a far cry from the designs they are churning out now
My family has now owned 3 e38s over the past 23 years. Style is the key reason we just keep buying them. They also are brilliant machines to drive.
@@johnpearson492 Lucky you! I wish I could find one in a good shape where I live, but that's next to impossible in Toronto.
@@sammyt3514 Hello from a neighbor just south of you in Erie, PA! Yeah, we've always had to travel to get clean ones.
The dude with the suitcases was a bit aggressive.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one to notice
He used to work at the airport.
He was simulating the inevitable scenario where he's angry from being kicked out of the house by his depressed stay at home wife.
This V8 7 was owned either by high level bank execs, or you know, the mafiaso.
The bank execs might have been gentle with their on going lease repayments etc,
but the you know who had to carry heavier luggage after they had to ''take care'' of their opponents,
so that's 'heavy luggage throw' might just be proper theatricals of 'market conditions' back in the times. :)))
DO YU KNO WHADIMEAN ?!
(scratches the bottom of his chin)
Yeah, “Stupid f’in suitcase with these tiny wheels, this isn’t my car! Screw you Karen! I’m outa here!
I just love these retro reviews.
1:20 Ahh, the beginning of the ever-growing kidney grills.
The even bigger in older BMWS
Not really, the v12 got them first. For extra cooling. The v8 just carried them on to distinguish them from the 6 cylinder models to bring them up a notch. Took until 1994 for the 5 series to get the bigger grille. All about small but constant improvements.
@@VDPEFi what extra cooling? 🤣 the narrow kidney version have the same slotted area, it is just styled differently. Besides there was an option for v12 where you could get a narrow grill same as 6 cylinder.
The way he throws those bags in the trunk 😂
That's Daryl s hood
BMW 1980s and 1990s is best german cars
People were just generally less of weaklings back then. 😅
How do u know his name ? He does'nt appear anywhere !@@davidaubin3902
@@davidaubin3902hey why my reply was deleted ?
Braking performance is always impressive in these old BMW driving tests… it looks so much more stable and well balanced compared to other cars of that era
This 740i has seen a lot of high speed driving, look at the brake dust caked on the front wheels. 😂
BMW used to be bad at that
Probably due to the 60-0 braking tests as they run them repeatedly.
@@rahimi4762Used to be? They never stopped. However, their stock break pads are very good.
I remember a coworker owning one of these 20 years ago, it lived in the shop.
So it was already 10 years old then 😂😂😂
@@Blue-moon12it was a 98 in 2002….
@@josephwhiskeybeale Then it wasn't one of these because that's a different generation 7 series.
It's the same thing dude, a little facelift here and there, new interior. It's the same damn car though. @@homersapienne2356
I have one now it’s still pretty great & reliable.
There’s Nothing Like A V-8
Say good bye to them. Most cars manufacturers are even dropping the v6 and going with turbo 4 cylinders or full electric. It has been going on for decades. A century ago, cars had big block 12 cylinders, and gradually as time passed the engines were getting much smaller and smaller.
@@moeschizlac BMW stills continues to produce v8s today
@@anthonyk Already know that, but for how long?
Beautiful E32. My favourite 7 series.
Back when BMW-s looked classy.
Back when not only vehicles but just objects in general were actually well-made.
Almost $60k thirty years ago.
Wow…
Yeah they were expensive then and still are today
More like over 30 years ago lol.
In November 1992, $54,000 when this episode was taped, for a 1993 740i equals over $120,000 today.
It's much more expensive in reality than today's model, because the $58,800 in 1992 for a well equipped 740i is over $131k.
Federal Luxury tax by Bush was 10 percent for cars over $30,000, so these were even more expensive on the road.
@@nwezetx1 also dont forget the gas guzzler USD 1k tax.
@@RivieraByBuick Yes, yes! And also luxury tax. I think the latter only got altered to a smaller fee during 1993 or later? Thanks for reminding me about GGT, as usually I take that into account. I think that’s why a lot of automakers in the early 90s tried to get away with pricing near luxury below $30k and those who didn’t, suffered for it.
I believe the luxury tax went away permanently circa 2000.
Finally!!! The last addition to the E32 line, while the E38 was already being tested in camouflage.
This was something special in 1992, being probably the first BMW to have the full roster of modern safety features.
Love these retro reviews of the 90s and 2000s cars. Truly was a great automotive era.
Love watching these. That engine would prove to be a reliability and durability disaster
Nikasil apart, it was the most reliable V8. No chain guides issues, double chain built driven, no electronic issues, no stem valves replacement needed and so on...
complete bullshit. Recently imported e32 740 from USA to Europe. 220k miles. The engine was never apart. Cooling hoses and some accessories were changed multiple times - thats true. I rebuilt it finally. Zero nikasil issues. The only real problem it had was oil consumption which is now gone.
I always liked this era of BMW's, the 3's, 5's, and 7's. I had a 1989 3-series when I was in Germany in the US Army.
Sidenote. According to the Inflation Calculator on Dollar Times, $54,000 in 1993 is equivalent to $116,000 in 2024. Wow!
this is 1992 episode though
This v8 w/a 5spd ZF made the 750il seem like an archaic dragon. Such a beautiful vehicle.
Love how the 7 has always been on the cutting edge of tech and always had the latest ZF box.
My first car was a 1992 735iL. It was incredible.
This was the car to have back in the day. Or a 560 SEL or a Jaguar XJ12 Vanden Plas
Did bmw have the same cache back then? My dad had a 88 735i and my best friends dad had a 90 300se. His dad always said Mercedes were better cars and bmw was inferior. I think bmw were perceived as a step below Mercedes back in the 80/90s.
@@Wasabi9111 BMW is a better race car, like a hot rod luxury cruiser. But
Mercedes-Benz is more of a comfortable luxury carriage, designed for ultimate comfort at high speeds for extended periods of time... I prefer the Mercedes-Benz brand myself for a German vehicle. But they're both extremely wonderful to experience.
Quick for a full size sedan in 1993!!
This was a tour de force to own in 1992.
My 740i was the best car i ever owned. Totally reliable.
Practically zero nose dive in emergency braking
BMW was a master at eliminating body roll and making their cars stop without that.
well yeah. e32 suspension is pretty hard. Even by modern standarts. Unlike e38 - which is way more soft.
@@RivieraByBuick Excellent take. During core development in 1989-92, BMW carefully studied the LS 400 inside out and oriented the E38 towards comfort. LS 400 was bigger focus ironically to BMW on the E38 than MB with the W140, who were practically done with development by 1989-90 and couldn’t make any changes.
Kind of peak car . It’s been downhill since the mid 90s
such a beautiful car :)
Thing drove so smoothly. I thought the transmission was slipping.
Way back when a coworker was hit by a drunk getting off an exit going 65 mph. She was in a Miata and almost died. Her next car was this one, and she loved it.
Stunning car. Had an E32 735i first and loved it. Beautiful car and enough power for me. Down the road I picked up an E32 740i and it was a different animal. It was the best of both worlds. You could ease the throttle and just waft everywhere, then you could floor it and it was impressively fast for the time. My 740i developed the nikasil problem, which I didn’t know about until I swapped with a friend 🙈
Every time i see one it reminds me of Tupac Shakur. ❤
Lol, get some perspective. You already know Tupac was shot in a newer E38, a whole different generation and model in the fancier V12 750iL. You're a smart dude, so I'm surprised that you'd associate this previous gen 7 with 2Pac, when he didn't even drive a BMW personally...
@@nwezetx1 First off you don't tell me what to get. Second, they don't look any different at a glance which is why I said what I said. Use your damn brain. And stop trolling people's comments. You can't even afford a BMW gtfo.
This together with the E34 and E39 are the best and prettiest BmWs
When 7 looked good, not like today 🤦
Still in the early 1990s , a 4.5 L NA V8 was considered a small V8. In 2003 , Infiniti introduced a 4.5 V8 punching out
340 HP and around 335 TQ. The Germans realised they had to do something about their BMWs 280 HP V8 of the same size.
This was my first 7 series after two 5`s. The E32. Followed by the E 38. And many many more 7 series over the next almost 3 decades.
I prefer cars from the 60s to 80s. But I'd drive this
Amazing how BMW’s and Mercedes-Benzes used to be so distinctive and unique. Now they aren’t.
The ultimate driving machine
Now do you have a test of the V8 powered 1995 530i?
they knew it was good, but probably didn't know that they had a legend on their hands back then
My main complaint about these BMWs is. They made American car manufacturers think everything had to drive like a sports car. There's nothing wrong with a big comfortable, lazy, wallowy boat. But now everything has to be able to run the Nuremberg ring at a fast time. It's ridiculous. Also, leather seats are horrible. Cloth seats are so much more comfortable
As much as I love these BMWs, I completely agree with you. I miss my 99 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight with very comfortable velour seats and an excellent compliant long travel suspension. The lazy 4 speed auto was also well paired to the big V6, yielding smooth, predictable torque on demand.
@@johnpearson492I love my L322 Range Rover for this reason it's not trying to be a sporty race car like a lot of these new SUVs and Crossovers are attempting to be, I own BMWs also but the Range Rover is nicer for long distances
Truth! That's why I drive a new Lincoln. Nothing wrong with being comfortable and a well made car.
I vividly remember test driving one of these in 2005, in RHD form but otherwise largely identical. Even at 12 years old and over 200k km on the clock, it was a formidable car to drive, dynamic ability far above most new cars at the time.
My only criticism was that the front suspension felt a little too soft, but a bigger concern was the low coolant light blinking at me by the end of a short (but very brisk) run.
In all other aspects it was sublime, and truly the first car I genuinely lusted after.
The car you test drove was not a good example as it was in need of routine maintenance.
I cringe when I see them abuse the trunk with luggage just to make lift over point.
He didn't whine for volt and oil pressure gauges... lol
On BMWs you can find that stuff in the hidden menus. I think by this point people just didn't care anymore
I would buy this car new for $55k today. One of the best looking bmws ever made.
Wow, this is one of the first cars with the 5 speed automatic transmission of the 1990s!
My 2023 m340i xDrive gets 30mpg city & 36mpg in the city. 0-60 times of 3.7seconds. Love to see next one in 40 years
Noone gives a 💩. It's junk. It's not a better car than a 30 year old 7 series.
@@Skyisthelimit4meIts not junk
E32 is and was love ❤❤❤
Pretty. Gas mileage is pretty good too.
The BMW E38 7-Series of 1990s Were Great Sedans.
Damn 1993 was the first 5 speed auto? Took them long enough. Its like they jumped from 6 to after after that in the 2010s
3:55 John: IT'S LUXURY WITH A TEUTONIC ACCENT! LOL
It's unfortunate the type of people this car now attracts for most buyers and why they struggle to survive. Soviet Bloc and in the Western world...no comment.
While not much by today's standards, I know that 282 hp was a lot back then, especially for an engine of that size. It's hard to believe, but a Chevy Caprice of that vintage had a 5.7 V8 that made all of 180hp and 300lb-ft of torque. So for this engine to make almost 100 more HP and only 5 lb-ft less torque with only 4 liters of displacement, it was truly cutting edge technology. The compression ratio of the engine was 10-10.5:1 depending on what variant you were talking about, and for the early 90's that was very high. Compression ratios on most gasoline engines were still usually only in the 8.5-9:1 range. Also, many vehicles were still using throttle body injection at that point, and obviously 4V DOHC heads were certainly not the norm for most V8's at the time. This vehicle and its engine were quite the engineering tour de force in the early 90's.
Actually the LT1 just debut for '94 GM rwd sedans and coupe between 260-295hp that year but I get it..
Well you forgot that a Cadillac Seville and Eldorado was BMW direct competitor. Not a Chevy Caprice 😂.
And 1992 Cadillac had Northstar 4.6 32 valve V8 with 295 HP. that smoked those 540s and 740s
And cost about 10k-15 less
So that BMW isn't that impressive. Plus BMW sucked in the snow.
@@damontroch4765the Seville didn't smoke a 540 with a 6 speed. A 540i 6 speed is a sub 6 second 0-60 car. And I didn't forget anything. And I wasn't making a direct comparison of vehicles, necessarily. I was simply making a comment about the sophistication of the engineering aspects of this vehicle relative to an average one at the time. And I happened to be binge watching MotorWeek videos and saw one for the 1993 Chevy Caprice, LOL. As for the comment about the Cadillac with the Northstar, I know those were powerful, too. Still, the specific output of the M60 engine in the BMW is higher at 70.5 HP/liter vs 64 HP/liter in the Cadillac. And MotorWeek did a comparison of several luxury sedans which included the BMW and the Caddy. The BMW actually won that comparison, so not everyone thought that vehicle sucked. And you can't ignore the tendency for the NorthStar engines to blow their head gaskets due to the poor design of the threads on the head bolts. It is for this reason that NorthStar head stud kits are a very common upgrade for these engines to fix them after they blow the head gasket.
The Infiniti Q45 had about the same power and came out 3 years before. The BMW was definitely not cutting edge.
Not only that, but BMW has never made a reliable V8. They should have just turbocharged their inline 6.
The acceleration time for this car is really bad considering how much horsepower it has.
A 1993 Audi S4 was much cheaper, had significantly less HP, and was around 2 seconds faster to 60, even though it only weighed 200 lbs. less. I love BMWs from this era, but let's not pretend they're something they're not.
@@mediocreman2The 1993 Audi V8 4.2 was the contemporary of this, so bad comparison.
One of the best BMW's made. That was also excellent with the 5 Speed ZF auto in 1993. Most did not get that 5 speed unit until the 2000's ( luxury cars only)
The E32 was one of the best BMW's ever made, and more so a fully optioned 740i! (The 750iL was too mechanically complex, and not much more powerful)
740iL is seen driven by Michael Douglas in 1997 film 🎥 The Game
That was an E38 bro
Then what model was that in this video?
That's an E32
@@johnfeliciano585🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@jinpingthebear110Exactly, it's so annoying. People, people, people...
Back when a 5 speed automatic transmission was a flex 😂
Fabulous car
This car was great. This was peak BMW.
2023 peak BMW.
$58k in 1993 😮😮😮
No wonder my aunt never told me how much it was back then!!!
Make that 1992, the inflation numbers are a little higher (tape date is November 1992).
A BMW I would actually want to own...
You can see how driver cant hold his smile when drive and enjoy this car😊
Before Lexus even existed, there was this.
Not really. The 735i and 750i, yes. But not this V8 version. It was developed in response to Lexus.
@@nwezetx1LS 400 cheaper S-Class knock-off, Toyota accused of dumping them on the market for $10k less & OF COURSE Bavarian MOTOR Works are going to build V8, they already had in the '50's, Elvis bought 2.
@@unowen-nh9ov Toyota accused who of dumping? I think you got it backwards. Toyota accused no one of such a thing...
As for the M60, launched in early 1992, BMW became aware of more Japanese upmarket plans in 1987 for both Nissan and Toyota, but did not have any awareness about V8 engine vehicles like the LS 400 and Q45 being in development until around 1988-89, when the joke became reality.
I'm going to retract that portion of my comment regarding "740i being BMW's response to Lexus" and instead attribute it to misleading opinionated conjecture by uninformed American media who arrogantly claimed in 1991-92 that the M60 and M119 V8 engines were developed in response to Lexus and Infiniti introductions. Not quite.
Engine development takes years and lots of planning, there's no way BMW nor MB initiated those powerplants later than 1985.
Those engines were in development since circa 1983 (M119) and M60 since 1984. Media started reporting on the M60 during the late 1980s.
What I do think is accurate, is that the 400E was belatedly created in response to Lexus, which went against MB's previous philosophy that made S-Class the only V8 sedan and W124 I4 and I6 only.
The special order 500E was supposed to be the sole V8 offered, not 400E. Media the claimed W124 400E was added last minute. They implied similar for the E34 530i and 540i, to offer lower priced V8 models against the affordable Lexus.
Unlike the extremely expensive W140 400SE and 500SE above the 400E, the 740i was reasonably priced against F segment competition. Was the midsize V8 necessary?
Maybe not, but if Mercedes was going to offer a V8 in the W124, BMW did so as well instead of saving it for just the E32 and E31.
The V8 E32 was likely always in planning, but that's not known for the E34.
That being said, I'm not going to stoop to partisan drivel and insinuate that BMW wasn't threatened by the success of the LS 400 in North America.
Try to be objective, instead of so subjective you only run with your own opinion about Lexus and nothing more.
Companies don't operate with that thinking. BMW doesn't exist within a vacuum. E38 development in 1990-1992, had marketing and product planners making careful notations towards Lexus market performance, reliability & initial quality rankings. Plus pushed a greater emphasis on comfort and set certain targets to get around those Lexus concerns for the 1995 model year E38.
This information was sourced from internal reports at BMW in 1992. The idea BMW wrote off Lexus as a concern, is chasing fiction.
Where was the Lexus LS 400's 5 or 6 speed transmission at, with its so called, "cutting edge technology?" The LS 400 was still with a 4 speed until 1998.
$58k = $108k in 2024.
It breaks so flat 😮
The R129 300SL in 1990 was the first car in the US with a 5-speed automatic. This car, look at this and a 1993 Cadillac or Lincoln. It's clear to see why Detroit is no longer in the actual luxury "car" business. The end for Detroit started years ago.
The 300SL came out in summer 1989 in USA, December 1989 for 500SL.
@@nwezetx11990 model year.
@@MercOneMerc1! Wait a minute, you have a W140 right? You know what's up lol! No need to even tell ya, because you know more than anyone about both brands.
When these and those Sacco MBs, were stars on the road against the American landscape of leftover Malaise Era American trash.
Bigger grille. Lol
WOW such a beautiful Bimmer ... sure dont make em like this anymore.
M340i.
The Peacemaker
not ugly nice 🎉
This was such a big improvement. I miss this type of BMW, what a product!
This and the generation after this one are my favorite era of BMW. They got hit with the ugly Bangle stick in the early 2000s and haven't been the same since. Ugly and unreliable computers on wheels.
The "Bangle Butt" car was designed in the 90s, not the early 2000s. The game already changed at BMW by 1996 and shifted away from this aesthetic.
Whole co. has changed this century on SAVs & next on elektrik.
5 speed...that's right, 5 speed automatic transmission
In stereo where available
Ronin
It's about the same size as the current 3 series.
Your eyes aren't good. 3 Series wishes it were that big and beautiful. New BMWs are ugly.
You guys and your uninformed conjecture. That's not true at all, the G20 isn't that large.
@@user-ki7nn7eb9t Wrong. Your eyes deceive you. Look at the dimensions.
M340i modern E39 M5, with auto. & awd.
All praise to Allah
I have one
1993 740il lazur blue
The last decent 7 Series. By the time 2002 came around with the use of fiber optics the reliability went down hill.
Last decent (and best IMO) 7 Series was the E38.
@@Bob-SacamanoE65 1st time they outsold Mercedes to become #1 global premium, since then they have doubled volume on Spartanburg X.
@@unowen-nh9ov- sales does not equate to reliability.
I agree. All the good stuff was built in 90s & early 00s. After that, it's all junk.
OP, are you paying attention? BMW was already done designing the E38 and testing it all over Europe at this point.
This E32 was already replaced 18 months later with the E38.
I look at these 80's and 90's large European luxury cars, yet they look sleek and aerodynamic without being bulky and ugly. They all exude both luxury and sportiness that is still in vogue to this day. I can't help to not ignore how hideous and monstrous competing large American luxury cars compared to the Europeans. When put side by side, the Americans look so outdated and have no semblance of sportiness. It's like the designers decided to make a boxy boat rather than a road vehicle. I feel like The Big Three were close to putting a toilet on the driver's seat at some point effectively making it a mobile home. And there are the Germans, also the Japanese, with their sporty designs that not only cuts through air, but also look good.
WHY did Motorweek INSIST on all their videos having their staff try to destroy the cars?? Could you please scratch the trunk area some more? And slam the buttons any harder? God, if someone treated my car like that they'd be walking
Back when those three letters actually conveyed true gravitas. Love the enthusiasm over the first 5-speed automatic, too.
The latest 7 series is virtually unrecognizable in comparison 😢
So r u.
The Ultimate Driving Machine (while it's under warranty).
Such a great looking car! I loved when BMWs used to be "The Ultimate Driving Machine". This design looks, clean, simple and purposeful, compared to the ugly clutter of modern BMW designs.
M340i & record bhp. hybrid G90.
BMW has never made better cars than they did during the 90s. This 1993 model looks a million times better than the hideous 2024 version today.
It's a different co. this century, as it's a different market, most of their sales are SUVs now & Spartanburg largest American exporter of vehicles, change or die, Autoweek has article of dozen brands @ risk, BMW NOT 1 of them & in fact are rebuilding again on EV.
BMW was never junk. The thing is they were very high mantanance. At the time Mercedes was way more expensive to buy than a BMW but, a BMW was way more expensive to run than Mercedes.
BMW owners know, if you abuse a BMW, it will abuse you back.
Amen, you know the truth lol
They incl. maintenance in my market to ensure record CPO sales, how can they afford that if they're high maintenance?
@@unowen-nh9ov it's accounted for in the price. Think of the deal you get in an all inclusive hotels.
Plus, actually some BMW expert mechanics confirm that the free mantanance BMW offers, is way to far apart and some must be done before the suggested time.
Back when BMW made a good looking car. Too bad it's gone and now we have these disgusting, unreliable rattletraps.
Dude is an airport bagage handler? Poor luxary car. 😂
E32 E38 best time for BMW ❤❤❤
Most expensive BMW In that Year
Nope that was the 8 series
That braking distance is very good. But the 0 to 60 is really bad for that much horsepower. I know the car weighs 4,000 pounds, but still. The 1993 Audi S4 only weighed 200 pounds less and had 55 less hp and is over 2 seconds faster to 60. Also has about the same trunk capacity.
I don't really believe a s4 of the same vintage does 0-60 in less then 5 seconds but it would be faster because the 7 series has a automatic 5 speed and tall gears for highway driving
Sure wish this used a 4 liter inline 6.
I had a '94 when it was not very old but already cheap to buy used. One of the cars that gave BMW its modern bad reputation for component quality, reliability and obnoxiously bad serviceability. By contrast I had an E30 325i that was one of the best cars I've ever owned yet only five years separated by model year.
Back in the days when BMW built real cars.
Why was the steering wheel missing the decal?
Airbag.
It is better than any BMW made now in terms of quality and materials. It also meant something about how the owner was independently wealthy, a professional, or a successful criminal to have one in those days. Leasing was nothing like it is now and there was no 84 month car note. The LS400 was way less money and way more car in terms of silent interior, quality, and engineering that went into the car.
Because it was Japanese S-Class knock-off, friend had to get rid of his when A/C died.
@@unowen-nh9ov Yep, and they did what Mercedes Benz failed to do in building it to last hundreds of thousands of miles. The LS was so well made, General Motors purchased several of them to disassemble and study how Toyota did it. The GM engineers reported at the time GM had no capabilities to build a car with similar quality components. They cobbled together the Seville STS years later with imitation LS interior knobs, switches, and instrument cluster display.