Some cars are best left as prototypes. Maybe their design is a little too out-there to hit the production line, or their technology is so experimental it simply would not function well in an everyday context. That does not mean, however, they can’t be fascinating in their own way.One car that explored interesting design possibilities, but ran into some roadblocks when trying to implement them in a practical way, is a little-known BMW prototype called the “Goldfisch”. Based on a 7 Series, this one-of-a-kind creation was powered by a V16 engine, making it a rarity not just among BMWs but in the automotive world as a whole.The Goldfisch was wildly impractical and could never have resulted in a production model, but it remains testament to the creativity and ingenuity of BMW’s team. Let’s take a closer look at its history, features, and some other interesting V16-powered cars from across the decades. The Goldfisch: Amazing On Paper... Less So In Real Life BMW Classic CollectionIn the late 1980s, just as the second (E32) generation of the BMW 7 Series was being released, the German automaker decided to use the model as the base for an experimental project. Referred to by several different names during its development, including “Seven Seven” and “767”, the prototype eventually became known as the Goldfisch.The most crucial difference between the Goldfisch and its parent model was inside the engine bay. Instead of the inline-six, V8, or V12 engine you might expect to see in the standard E32 7 Series models, there was a larger engine built specifically for this car: a 6.7-liter V16. It was paired with a six-speed manual transmission, which sent power to the rear wheels.Based on the production model’s V12, with the addition of an extra four cylinders, this engine unfortunately had the effect of hampering the car’s capabilities in terms of practicality. The BMW team also had to add two large custom air intakes on the side of the car, visually distinguishing it from the regular 7 Series.BMW Classic Collection Despite it becoming rapidly clear that the Goldfisch would never lead to a production model, the prototype was still tested extensively, giving us a good idea of what its performance metrics looked like. The Goldfisch was more powerful than any production car in the E32 7 Series lineup, producing approximately 408 hp. It could hit 60 mph in around six seconds, and reached a top speed of 175 mph.In the end, the project was shelved because of a combination of factors. One was the car’s excessive engine size and lack of practicality, of course, but there were also issues with emissions regulations compliance. BMW’s unwillingness to start an arms race with the release of a V16 engine was also a factor. The Goldfisch was, fortunately, not scrapped or abandoned, but instead preserved for posterity within BMW’s own collection of classic vehicles. The Source Of The Goldfisch's Troubles: Its Engine BMW Classic Collection The chief reason why the Goldfisch could never become a production vehicle was its engine, an attempt at doing something even bigger and better than what the full-size luxury sedans of the era had to offer. It was designed by Adolf Fischer (who had already designed the V12 used in the E32 7 Series) under the direction of then-BMW boss Dr Karlheinz Lange.The V12’s design was used as a starting point; the V16 retained many of its core characteristics, such as the bore and stroke, compression ratio, aluminum block and cylinder heads, and single overhead camshafts. However, two extra cylinders were added onto each cylinder bank, and several other components were added or upgraded.BMW Classic Collection This resulted in an engine that was nearly 12 inches longer than the original. The 7 Series’ engine bay was just about big enough to fit the engine itself, but there simply was no room for any ancillary components including the radiator. The cooling system had to be adapted to be installed in the trunk instead.As a result, no cargo could be transported in the trunk, rendering the Goldfisch fairly useless as a daily driver. The prototype remained a fascinating one-off design exercise, which showed BMW’s capabilities on the engineering front. The Goldfisch's Parent Model: The E32 7 Series BMW The model the Goldfisch traces its origins back to is the second generation of the 7 Series, also known by its production code E32. This generation was released in 1986 and went on sale for the 1987 model year. It modernized several aspects of its first-gen predecessor’s design, including the headlights, tail lights, and grille. It was also equipped with some new features that made the drivers’ and passengers’ experience more pleasant, such as dual-zone climate control and an adaptive suspension system.A variety of models were available as part of the E32 7 Series’ lineup, with different engines on board. Two inline-six units were on offer, one 3.0 liters in size and one slightly larger at 3.4 liters. There were also two V8s, respectively 3.0 and 4.0 liters in size. The V8-powered versions of the model arrived a few years after its debut, in the early 90s; they were the first V8-powered BMW models produced since the early 1960s.BMW The largest engine in the lineup was the 5.0-liter M70 V12, which the Goldfisch’s V16 was based on. This engine was exclusively available in the 750i, and was also the most powerful with an output of 296–300 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The M70 was BMW’s very first production V12 engine; the 750i was also the first German car to be powered by this type of engine since the late 1930s.Two choices of transmission were available: a four-speed automatic (later replaced by a five-speed unit) or a five-speed manual. There were also two different wheelbase configurations to choose from: the I and the iL, a long-wheelbase version. Other Famous V16s Over The Years RM Sotheby's What made the Goldfisch so wildly impractical was also what made it stand out from the crowd. V16 engines are a rarity in the automotive world, and only a few automakers have ever built a car (whether prototype or production model) with one on board. While the V16 had started out in the world of aviation, being used in experimental aircraft like 1909’s Antoinette VII, the first car with this type of engine arrived in 1930.The Cadillac V-16 was powered by a 7.4-liter engine, which produced 165 hp. In 1938, a second generation of the model was introduced; it had a smaller (7.0-liter) engine, which was, however, more powerful at 185 hp. The model remained on the market until 1940, when the impact of World War II led to it being discontinued. Decades later, in 2003, Cadillac built another V16 engine for a one-off concept car called, appropriately enough, the Cadillac Sixteen.Bugatti Roughly 20 years after the Goldfisch’s debut, Rolls-Royce built V16-powered experimental creations of its own. The first was the 100 EX, built in 2004 to celebrate the crucial meeting between Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce which led to the creation of the brand. The second was the 101 EX, released two years later in 2006. Finally, a one-off V16 version of the Phantom was built in 2011 for the movie Johnny English Reborn. All three were powered by the same engine: a 9.0-liter unit, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.Rolls-Royce is not the only ultra-high-end automaker that built a V16. The most recent example of a car with this engine is, in fact, a production model, albeit one with a very limited run due to its exclusivity: the Bugatti Tourbillon. Introduced in 2024, the Tourbillon was the first Bugatti in over 20 years to be powered by something other than a W16. Its engine is an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 created by British engineering firm Cosworth, which produces 986 hp on its own. In the Tourbillon it is combined with three electric motors, resulting in a total output of 1,775 hp.Sources: BMW, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti