This M5-engined BMW 740i proves the M7 should be a thing

DO-IT-YOURSELF BMW M cars don’t always turn out like the real thing.

Case in point, the myriad of E46 318i owners who’ve tacked on an M3 badge and cut their muffler off to give themselves the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’.

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But, if there’s a car that best exemplifies what we would want in the M7 that BMW has refused to make, it’s this M5-powered 2001 E38 740i.

Blending some tidy ‘if you know, you know’ modifications with the innate sleeper-like status of a big heavy limo, this two-owner 7er was built over one year and recently featured in Performance BMW magazine.

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Starting out with a standard wheelbase Alpine White E38 740i, the owner swapped out the original lazy V8 for the high-powered 4.9L S62 V8 and 6-speed manual transmission from the E39 M5 of the same period.

The car was then fitted with an ESS supercharger to add a bit more pep, and the resulting exhaust and fuel modifications rounded out the changes under the bonnet.

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But the build didn’t stop there. Bilstein struts and shocks combine with H&R springs, a modified subframe and a 750i rear axle to give this 7 Series proper M car dynamics.

A Brembo big brake kit will ensure the big-hitter can come to a quick halt too.

The interior wasn’t forgotten either, with the original leather dyed a caramel colour and the woodgrain inserts retained.

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The steering wheel, instrument cluster and manual gearknob from the M5 make their way across to the 7 Series as well as a fully functional BMW iDrive infotainment and navigation system which was retrofitted to the dash.

US-based enthusiast classifieds website Bring a Trailer currently has the car for sale, with a top bid of $40,000 leading the auction so far. Don’t be surprised to see this unicorn soar higher than that though, as this honestly built Q-car is truly one of a kind.

Click the image at the top for a full gallery of the BMW M7 of our dreams and let us know what engine you'd swap into your dream car in the comments below.