BMW 7 Series (E38)

1994–2001

Cluster: Analog with LCD display: cars with this instrument cluster
Centre display: 6.5 in screen
System: BMW Navigation (pre-iDrive)

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7 generations · 1977–present

5 facts · 6 sources

Photo credits (11)

BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 1Cockpit · “25 years of BMW 12-cylinder engines - BMW 750iL (E38). (10/2012)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 2Cockpit · “735i e38 PL” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Beemwej · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 3Cockpit · “1998 BMW 740i Individual - Flickr - The Car Spy (16)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 4Cockpit · “Bmw e38 fl cockpit” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Zwoberta · CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 5Instrument cluster · “1998 BMW 740i Individual - Flickr - The Car Spy (15)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 6Centre display · “25 years of BMW 12-cylinder engines - BMW 750iL (E38). (10/2012)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 7Centre display · “BMW E38 Navigation Professional 16-9” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: SmartDriverLE · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 8Centre display · “1998 BMW 740i Individual - Flickr - The Car Spy (14)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 9Centre display · “BMW 750iL - Flickr - The Car Spy (13)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 10Controls · “Bmw e38 fl interiour” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Zwoberta · CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E38), photo 11Controls · “1998 BMW 740i Individual - Flickr - The Car Spy (13)” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: The Car Spy · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons

BMW 7 Series lineage

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Compare with the E32

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BMW 7 Series (E32)
1986–1994 4 photos© BMW AG
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BMW 7 Series (E65)
2001–2008 5 photos© BMW AG

Photo credits (7)

BMW 7 Series (E23)Instrument cluster · “BMW 745iA Cockpit” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Freud · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
BMW 7 Series (E32)Cockpit · “BMW 750iL cockpit - second generation BMW 7 Series, E32 (06/2015).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (E38)Cockpit · “25 years of BMW 12-cylinder engines - BMW 750iL (E38). (10/2012)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (E65)Cockpit · “BMW 7 Series Individual - fourth generation BMW 7 Series, E65/E66 (06/2015).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (F01)Cockpit · “The new BMW 7 Series: Interior (05/2012)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (G11/G12)Cockpit · “The new BMW 7 Series - Interior (06/2015).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
BMW 7 Series (G70)Cockpit · “The display and operating system along with the digital user experience in the new BMW 7 Series.” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom

Summary

The first European car with factory satellite navigation, and the first BMW with a built-in television.

Specifications

Years: 1994–20011990s: cars launched in the 1990s
Chassis code: E38
Instrument cluster: Analog with LCD display: cars with this instrument cluster
Head-up display: None
Centre display: 6.5 in screen
Infotainment: Multi-Information Display (MID) with radio1994–1999
Navigation (Philips CARIN-based)from September 1994 (announced for Europe)
Navigation (Mark II)from September 1997
Widescreen on-board monitor with Mark III navigation6.5 infrom September 2000
Input: Physical buttons, Steering-wheel controls
Climate: Physical controls
Physical buttons and knobs: About 45, dash and consoleCounted from this photo Button Census
Predecessor: BMW 7 Series (E32), 1986–1994
Successor: BMW 7 Series (E65), 2001–2008

Cockpit

Instrument cluster

Five gauges with LED warning lights; liquid-crystal displays show mileage, outside temperature, the service interval and the transmission position, with a text line for check control and on-board computer messages.

Centre display

Multi-Information Display (MID) with radio

Mounted beneath the radio, with six button labels; US cars had it until March 1999.

Navigation (Philips CARIN-based)

The colour LCD can also show TV and videotext.

Widescreen on-board monitor with Mark III navigation

400 x 234 pixels.

Controls

The standard multi-function steering wheel has buttons for radio, cruise control, air recirculation and telephone; driver and front passenger set their temperatures separately.

Facts

Navigation went on sale in September 1994, based on Philips' CARIN system with GPS and maps on CD.[1][2]
Satellite navigation cost 6,600 DM.[3][2]
Aiming for a calmer interior with fewer buttons, BMW made the Multi-Information Display standard; it gathers audio, telephone and on-board computer controls on one panel with a 32-character main display.[5][1]
The check control and on-board computer text line holds 20 characters.[4][1]
From September 2000, navigation moved to the Mark III system with a 6.5-inch 16:9 on-board monitor.[2][6]

Sources

[1]BMW AG (via Internet Archive). The New BMW 7 Series (press kit, April 1994) (opens in a new tab). archive.org
[2]Wikipedia. BMW 7 Series (E38) (opens in a new tab). en.wikipedia.org
[3]Motor1. BMW 7 Series (E38, 1994-2001): The most beautiful of all 7 Series? (opens in a new tab). motor1.com
[4]BMW of North America (via Internet Archive). Driver Information Systems, Part 1 (BMW technical training) (opens in a new tab). archive.org
[5]BMW of North America (via Internet Archive). Driver Information Systems, Part 2 (BMW technical training) (opens in a new tab). archive.org
[6]BMW of North America (via Internet Archive). On-Board Monitor and Navigation Systems (BMW technical training) (opens in a new tab). archive.org

Record

Record: bmw/7-series/e38
Wikidata: Q1141639 (opens in a new tab)
Status: Documented: what the record statuses mean
Open questions: 4Answer one

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BMW 7 Series generations