1990 BMW-750iL Goldfish I and II.

The Bavarian company decided to modify the existing M70 V12 engine and add four cylinders. The result was a 6.7-litre V16 engine and a special engine management system in which the unit was treated like two eight-cylinder engines in series.

The (unofficial) "767iL" had a six-speed manual gearbox and produced 408PS and 613 Newton metres of torque. This was enough to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just over 6 seconds. The top speed was given as 280km/h.

But there was one major problem. The 310-kilogram V16 was longer than the V12 and left no room for cooling under the bonnet. This meant that the entire cooling system, together with gigantic fibreglass gills and air scoops to help the engine breathe, was relocated to the boot.

This is probably where the nickname "Goldfish" came from. The cooling situation in the rear also meant visual changes, which prompted the designers to opt for smaller rear lights and to remove the fog lights and reversing lights. What is striking is the significantly different look to the first “Goldfish”.

Under the long bonnet was a longitudinally mounted V16 with a displacement of 6.65 liters. Output: 353hp, plus a five-speed automatic transmission and a top speed of 250km/h. It remained a one-off.

The 7 Series would therefore have had to be massively redesigned to accommodate the V16 for the normal user. Officially, environmental concerns were put forward to justify the cancellation of the V16. To prevent an "arms race" with other manufacturers, the V16 was never brought into series production.

The goldfish idea lived on a little after the takeover of Rolls-Royce by BMW. The unique BMW-750iL V16 Goldfish II from 1990 is on show in Essen now. As BMW Classic tells, the vehicle has been in storage for years. This condition was deliberately left almost untouched.