The BMW V16 Prototype: A Look Back at a Forgotten Project
If we’re talking about production cars, the 16-cylinder club is a small one. Cadillac sold the V-16 between 1930 and 1940, Cizeta began production of the V16T in 1993 and built around 13 units, and all of Bugatti’s 21st-century cars have used a W16. The brand has a new V16 engine on the way, too. BMW could have joined this list: it spent years developing V16s that it tested in two generations of the 7 Series.
The Revealed Prototype
We’ve known about the E32-based V16-powered Goldfish for decades, but BMW just cast light on a newer prototype related to the E38-generation 7 Series sold from 1994 to 2001. The test mule wasn’t made for the auto show circuit. It was largely kept hidden from view, and it made its public debut at the 2024 edition of the annual Techno-Classica classic-car show in Essen, Germany, 34 years after it was built.
Under the Hood
The most fascinating part of this long-wheelbase sedan is under the hood. It’s powered by a 6,646-cubic-centimeter (6.6-liter) V16 tuned to develop 348 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. The engine is mounted longitudinally, it spins the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission, and it sends the 750iL to a top speed of 155 mph. These numbers might not sound impressive in an era when Mercedes-AMG wrings 416 horsepower from a 2.0-liter turbo-four and Volkswagen builds a 315-horsepower Golf capable of reaching 155 mph, but keep in mind the prototype was built in 1990.
Design Challenges
And yet, the second prototype was down on power compared to the first. It sounds like the engine was revised: the Goldfish used a 6,651-cubic-centimeter (6.7-liter) V16 rated at 408 horsepower and its top speed checked in at 175 mph. Engineers faced challenges with cooling and had to make design changes. The first prototype had radiators that didn’t fit in the engine bay, so they had to be placed in the trunk.
Exterior Design
The 1990 prototype had noticeable differences from the standard production 7 Series, including design elements like sealed-beam headlights, older-style door handles, and a more upright c-pillar. The exterior design aimed to set it apart and explored what a sedan positioned above the 7 Series could look like, featuring an aluminum body.
The Future of the V16
Despite the promising prototype, BMW ultimately scrapped the project, never releasing a sedan positioned above the 7 Series or a car powered by a V16 engine. The brand has not shown signs of reviving the project, especially with the challenges of competing in the luxury car market.
As a small consolation prize, BMW isn’t the only German brand that ditched plans for a massive engine in the early 1990s. Arch rival Mercedes-Benz experimented with an 8.0-liter 18-cylinder engine it allegedly planned to put in a range-topping, ultra-luxurious evolution of the W140-generation S-Class and what would have been a new sports car positioned above the R129-generation SL. The engine was built and tested, and it sounds like a fascinating piece of engineering: it consisted of three straight-sixes arranged in an unusual W configuration.