From Sedan To Off-Road Beast: The Story Of The BMW E65 7-Series
by AutoExpert | 5 March, 2024
Guess what? An owner from Prague, Czech Republic, took a facelifted BMW E65 7-Series and turned it into an off-road rig, despite the fact that the flagship sedan was originally intended to be a relaxing cruiser.
A 730d that served two years in an embassy was the basis for the one-of-a-kind construction. It had two prior owners.The present owner, who is also the third owner, purchased it with 540,000 kilometers (335,540 miles) on the odometer and a broken transmission.
With its classic Rothmans livery, blending blue and silver tones with yellow and red graphics, the tuned E65 stands out from any other 7-Series. The inclusion of a roof tent and four more headlights placed in front of the kidney grille are two more visually noticeable changes. Furthermore, the daring BMW is equipped with a fresh set of rally-inspired alloy wheels that are shod with dependable Yokohama Geolander rubber.
An overlanding vehicle should have a higher ride height, and the BMW E65 7-Series gets that with a 2-inch boost. Polyurethane bushings are utilized in the front suspension, and the top mounts have been fine-tuned to eliminate alignment problems brought on by the higher ride height. The elevated sedan's off-road capabilities are further enhanced after a custom-made long-travel coilover suspension is fitted.
While the 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine is mostly unchanged, it has had its emission control system removed for improved dependability and its output raised from 228 horsepower to 282 horsepower via an electronic control unit remap. The builder replaced the solenoids and installed the xHP stage 2 software after completely rebuilding the transmission. An LSD transfers torque to the back wheels, though the owner has his sights set on a Quaife Torsen LSD for the near future.
December 2023 saw the E65 Overland's maiden voyage beyond the Arctic Circle as it traversed Norway and Sweden. This voyage was so fruitful that the owner is already plotting future exploits aboard the upgraded E65. Stunning images of the converted 7-Series may also be found on the Instagram profile, @E65Overland.