The South African publication Cars.co.za made a short film about a rare super sedan – the M version of the BMW 7 Series. The Bavarians did not produce such a four-door and were unlikely to even know about the “seven” project with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated M88/3 engine. However, it was not only produced in small series by enthusiasts from the local BMW division, but also took part in the race with factory support.
They decided to build the racing “seven” in South Africa in the 80s of the last century. At that time, the director of the local BMW division was Walter Hasselkus, according to whom the sedans were modified by hand, virtually on the floor.
The turbocharged engine from the European 745i was not suitable due to the right-hand drive position: the steering column interfered with the charging system. Then Hasselkus found another way out. His choice fell on the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-six M88, which was installed on the BMW M1 and M5.
It was also not without difficulties: the motor had to be placed at an angle and some of its elements had to be moved. As a result, without the knowledge of the Munich headquarters, the BMW 7 Series was created, developing about 282 horsepower.
From 1984 to 1987, the South African division produced between 209 and 255 examples of the 745i SA: most with automatic transmission, but some with manual transmission. In 1985, the sedan took part in local races with factory support, competing with the production Alfa Romeo GTV, Ford Sierra XR8 and Mazda RX-7. As for the example in the video, it was restored in 2006 by Evolution 2 Motorsport.
Last year, the British company Electric Classic Cars introduced the electric BMW E9. The classic coupe was given a Tesla engine, and the appearance was modified to imitate the hardcore performance of the CSL.
“Beha Seven”
