Side tubular airbags (called "Head Protection System") were fitted as standard equipment.

[21] Other equipment includes Electronic Damper Control (called EDC III), Park Distance Control (PDC), auto-dimming & power folding mirrors, power moonroof, power rear sunblind, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone or tri-zone climate control, electric driver's seat adjustment and electric steering wheel adjustment.

[25] Some sports models also included a shorter differential ratio and higher stall speed for the torque converter.

The E38 was one of the first European cars to be available with satellite navigation,[27] a system called CARIN jointly developed by BMW and Philips.

[9] The 2000-2001 models had an optional "privacy window" glass partition to separate the driver from the rear passengers.

[38] Security features include body armor, bullet-resistant glass, and run-flat tyres.

[39][40] An intercom system is provided to communicate with people outside the vehicle while the windows and doors are shut.

[45] A fire suppression system is triggered by either a button or the detection of extreme temperatures in the engine bay or the vicinity of the fuel tank.

It differs from the conventional petrol engine essentially only in regards to the intake tract with additional injection valves for hydrogen.

[49] The hydrogen is stored cryogenically at a temperature of minus 253 degrees Celsius in a double-walled steel tank behind the rear seat back.

From February to November 2001 the vehicles were part of the "CleanEnergy WorldTour 2001" in the cities of Dubai, Brussels, Milan, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Berlin.

BMW received the rights to use movie clips from the film in its multimillion-dollar campaign, and during the 1997 holiday season they offered a special promotion that included the R1200C with the purchase of the 750iL.

Rapper Tupac Shakur and Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight were gunned down in a black 1996 750iL.

Shakur succumbed to his injuries but the car itself later was bid at auction in Las Vegas, Nevada for $1,750,000.

[74] In the Russian and Eastern European cult classic "Бумер"[75][circular reference] (Bimmer) a 750i E38 BMW was used as the main vehicle in this road movie.