- Refined and free-revving six-cylinder engine
- Impressive dynamics
- High standard of fit and finish
- Limited rear legroom
- Recirculating ball steering lacks precision
- High maintenance costs and expensive replacement parts
Overview
Released in Australia in July 1990, the BMW E34 M5 was a rear-wheel drive, sports sedan. Based on BMW’s E34 5-Series , the E34 M5 was hand-built by BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany, and powered by a 3.5-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine. From 1992, the E34 M5 was powered by a 3.8-litre inline six-cylinder engine, though these models were not imported by BMW Australia.
S38B36 engine and Getrag 280/5 transmission
Developed by BMW M GmbH, the 3.5-litre S38B36 engine had a cast iron block, a cross-flow alloy cylinder head, a forged steel crankshaft, double overhead camshafts (DOHC) with duplex timing chains, four valves per cylinder and a compression ratio of 10.0:1. Furthermore, the S38B36 engine Bosch Motronic M 1.2 engine management and a hot wire air mass sensor.
The S38B36 engine had an electronically-controlled butterfly valve in the intake plenum that operated to improve torque at low engine speeds and power at higher engine speeds. Similar to a variable length intake manifold, the butterfly valve operated to vary the length of the induction tract when:
- Engine speed was below 4120 rpm and full throttle was applied; or
- Engine speed was above 6720 rpm and full throttle was applied.
Maximum engine speed for the S38B36 engine was 7250 rpm.
With its five-speed Getrag 280/5 manual transmission, the E34 M5 could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and had an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.
Dimensions
The E34 M5 was 4720 mm long, 1751 mm wide, 1392 mm tall and had a 2761 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 1745 kg with a 50:50 front:rear distribution. Furthermore, the M5 had a drag coefficient of 0.34 Cd.
Suspension
The E34 M5 had independent front suspension with the strut located by single lateral and leading links (i.e. a double-joint spring strut front axle), coil springs and a 25 mm anti-roll bar (diameter). The independent rear suspension had a semi-trailing arm, coil springs, load-leveling shock absorbers and an 18 mm rear anti-roll bar.
Steering
The M5 had recirculating ball, engine-speed related power steering.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E34 M5 | 3.5-litre petrol I6 (S38B36) |
5sp man. | 235 kW at 6900 rpm | 360 Nm at 4750 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the E34 M5 was limited to ABS.
Brakes
The M5 had 315 mm by 28 mm vented front brake discs and 300 mm by 20 mm vented rear discs.
Features: E34 M5
Standard features for the E34 M5 included 17 x 8.0J forged aluminium two-piece wheels, 235/45 ZR17 Michelin MXX2 tyres, a ten speaker sound system with a radio, cassette player and CD player, climate control air conditioning, power adjustable front seats, natural grain nappa leather upholstery, BMW sports seats, cruise control, front fog lights, an ‘M Technic’ leather steering wheel (385 mm diameter), central locking, power windows, a power sunroof, trip computer and security system.
The E34 M5 was also fitted with a limited slip differential with a 25 per cent locking action.
Paint colours
The E34 M5 was available in the following paint finishes:
- Glossy black;
- Alpine white;
- Brilliant red;
- Diamond black (metallic);
- Sebring grey (metallic);
- Macao blue (metallic);
- Calypso red (metallic);
- Sterling silver (metallic);
- Lagoon green (metallic); and,
- Mauritius blue (metallic).
Brochure
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