BMW Individual was established in 1991 as a division of M GmbH with the goal of leading the trend towards more individuality by concentrating on customers who were looking for made-to-measure solutions and making tougher demands on their BMW in terms of distinction, design and function. The success story started with a design from Karl Lagerfeld on the E32 7 Serie, which was followed by another two designs over the next few years.

But it’s the BMW L7 by Karl Lagerfeld that will forever remain in the history archives. Karl Lagerfeld was one of the iconic and most prolific fashion designers of the 20th and 21st centuries. He focused on the luxury and modernity of his art. That philosophy was reflected on his E38 BMW 7 Series. The L7 was a stretched out 7 Series with a total length of 131 inches – 10 inches longer than the long-wheelbase 750iL.

The E38 L7, made in 2000, was a small series of 899 pieces, and featured a Chestnut Brown Metallic over Gold Orange Metallic exterior paint. The interior of Lagerfeld’s BMW L7 is decorated with a Chocolate Brown leather. Its uniqueness underlines the stitching. Lagerfeld chose a contrasting orange thread. The infotainment and communication system in the rear, which was state-of-the-art at the time, was pure luxury and, in addition to an on-board telephone, also included a fax machine, VHS player, refrigerator or, as in the case of the Lagerfeld L7, a small safe. A pane of glass and heavy curtains between the first and second row of seats provided more privacy in the rear. The Lagerfeld BMW L7 also had a special designation – Designed by Karl Lagerfeld – decorated in gold on a wooden door.

Under the hood, the E38 L7 featured a 5.4 liter V12 engine with 240 kW / 326 hp and 490 Newton meters of torque. The extra-long 7 Series weighed 2.2 tonnes and therefore took 7 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h. The L7 ultra sedan was the best model of the E38 7 Series and was designed for a special clientele with above-standard requirements in every aspect: from driving comfort features to luxury and state-of-the-art technology on board.

The current photos are from Slovakia where the Karl Lagerfled BMW L7 will be presented to the public from June 22 in the Danubian Gallery of Contemporary Art at THE PRIVATE COLLECTION by BMW.