BMW 735i (E32) review: the flagship that started it all, now a classic-only buy
3/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Do not buy an E32 735i expecting a used car in the normal sense; buy it as a classic, with a pre-purchase inspection focused on the self-levelling suspension's hydraulic pump, wiring harness condition after three-plus decades of heat, and rust in the door bottoms and wheel arches. The M30 straight-six itself is genuinely tough and rewards a patient, mechanically curious owner — but parts now come from specialist importers, not a Bahraini BMW dealer.
Pros
- Genuinely tough, mechanically simple M30 straight-six
- Set the template for every BMW flagship that followed
- Analogue driving character increasingly rare on today's market
- Values are stable for well-preserved, correctly documented examples
Cons
- Self-levelling suspension pump and accumulator are a common, costly failure
- Wiring harness insulation ages and cracks after three-plus decades of heat
- Rust risk in door bottoms and wheel arches on non-garaged cars
- Parts now require specialist classic-BMW importers, not a local dealer
The E32 is the 7 Series that set the template every flagship BMW since has followed: a naturally aspirated straight-six engineered with no shortcuts, a cabin built to a standard the segment had not seen before, and a ride tuned for the autobahn rather than a showroom test drive. The 735i sat below the 750i's V12 as the six-cylinder flagship, and its M30 engine is the reason enthusiasts still track down survivors today.
Owning one in 2026 Bahrain
These are now 30-plus-year-old cars, and everything that ages on a car has aged on this one. The self-levelling rear suspension's hydraulic pump and accumulator sphere are the classic failure point, the original wiring harness insulation turns brittle and cracks after decades of heat-cycling, and door bottoms and wheel arches need a careful rust inspection on any car that was not garage-kept.
None of this makes the M30 straight-six a bad engine — it is, if anything, mechanically simpler and tougher than what replaced it — but it does mean this is a car for an owner who wants a project, not a daily driver competing with a modern used sedan.
The honest verdict
A well-preserved E32 735i is a genuinely rewarding classic: analogue, honest, and a reminder of what BMW's flagship formula looked like before electronics took over. It has no business being cross-shopped against a modern used car, and a buyer coming to this listing expecting one will be disappointed. A buyer coming for the classic will not be.