The BMW 745i SA was a limited production, high performance variant of the E23 BMW 7 Series that was introduced in 1984. Exclusive to the South African market (thus the SA in its name), the 745i SA was powered by BMW's M88/3 engine, which was a 3.5L Inline six that generated 282hp and was used in the E24 BMW M635i and the E28 BMW M5. It was equipped with this engine because the engine used for the standard 745i featured a turbocharger that got in the way of the steering column of right hand drive South African cars. These rear wheel drive cars were mainly fitted with an automatic transmission, but 17 cars were built with a 5 speed manual. Just 209 examples of the E23 BMW 745i SA were built, making them a very rare and special find.