Japanese engines have a reputation for being better built and longer-lasting, and the early Lexus LS is especially famous for being buttery-smooth. However, this totally scientific test definitively proves a BMW 7 Series from 2001 is over 5 times more reliable… if you drain all the oil out of both their engines.
You’re obviously not supposed to run any engine without oil. It’s probably the cheapest form of maintenance you can do to keep any old banger running. But Carwow wanted to see which of these old luxury V8s would run longer without oil, a 2001 BMW 7 Series or a Lexus LS.
In a much older video, they did something similar with an old Honda, Peugeot, and Ford. It was re-posted all over the place in 2020, and I think this video is going to be just as popular because the 7 Series is such a status symbol.
What engines are these?
It might be important to know exactly which models and engines we’re dealing with. Maybe somebody is on the lookout to buy a luxury sedan like this, especially after Carwow also proved they’re capable off-road.
2001 would be the very first year of production for the E65 7 Series. It’s not exactly famous for its beauty or reliability, but this particular example is the 735i. Nowadays, that would mean you have a 3-liter turbo, but this old model is equipped with an engine you never hear about, the N62B36, a 3.6-liter V8.
Tiny V8s are so cool, and this one puts out 270 horsepower plus 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque, which doesn’t sound like a lot. But this old 7 Series is quite light at around 4100 lbs (1,860 kg).
Meanwhile, the beautiful purple Lexus LS is a 3rd-generation model from 2000. Again, it’s a first model year, which can’t possibly be good for reliability. Under its hood is a pretty common old Lexus engine, the 3UZ-FE 4.3-liter V8 producing 280 horsepower and 308 pound-feet of torque (417 Nm).
How long can they last without oil?
The two old luxury vehicles are no longer road-worthy and will be scrapped. I believe Carwow paid about $1,000 for each of them and has done multiple tests, so they’re getting their money’s worth.
It’s a little sad that these cars have lasted over 20 years, but they’ve got numerous mechanical problems that would be too expensive to repair. To prepare them for their last journey, the Lexus and BMW have all their engine oil drained out. The team also removes the engine covers and hoods so we can see what’s going on.
Surprisingly, the Lexus LS dies after just 1 minute and 20 seconds and some mild revving. But the BMW refuses to give up. Mat even drives and drifts the 7er until its life is over, 7 minutes and 34 seconds without any oil. By our calculations, that’s about 5.6 times more than the Lexus. Obviously, this doesn’t prove anything, but we’re surprised it lasted that long.
