BMW 5 Series (E34): the first five with a V8 and all-wheel drive

The third-generation 5 Series went into production in November 1987 and stayed on the line until 1996. It was the first 5 Series to offer all-wheel drive and the first to use a V8, and it brought stability control, a six-speed manual and adjustable damping to the model. The Touring estate of 1992 was another first for the 5 Series.

BMW 5 Series (E34) at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the E34; the German article was not available.

History of the BMW 5 Series (E34)

Development

Work on the E34 ran from July 1981 to early 1987. The first proposal came from Ercole Spada in 1982; under chief designer Claus Luthe much of the design was based on the E32 7 Series, and after Spada left BMW and the styling was approved in 1983, J Mays finished the production design in mid-1985. Aerodynamics mattered: the basic saloon had a drag coefficient of 0.30. Series production started in November 1987 and the car was shown to the world press in December that year.

The range

Nine different engine families were used, covering straight-four, straight-six and V8 units. The 518i was the base model, sold only in Europe and only with a five-speed manual; 53,248 were built. The 520i of January 1988 started with the M20 engine and switched to the M50 in 1990, reaching 426,971 cars, while the 525i became the most popular E34 with 434,549 built. The 525iX was the first all-wheel drive 5 Series and the only one in the range, with just 9,366 made; it used rack and pinion steering and suspension related to the E30 325iX. The 530i existed in two forms, a six-cylinder car from 1988 to 1990 and a V8 from 1993 to 1995 that replaced the 535i, with 57,570 cars between them. The 535i, whose M30 engine actually displaced 3.4 litres despite the badge, accounted for 97,679 cars including the Alpina B10 versions, and a 540i joined at the top in 1993.

Body and chassis

The saloon measured 4,720 mm long, 1,750 mm wide and 1,412 mm tall on a 2,760 mm wheelbase, with the Touring standing 8 mm taller. The front suspension used double pivot MacPherson struts with replaceable shock absorber cartridges, steel throughout except for aluminium lower control arms on some models, and most cars had recirculating ball steering. The rear used semi-trailing arms with coil springs in a strut assembly. The Touring body style, a first for the 5 Series, was added in September 1992 and remained in production until June 1996, half a year after the E39 replaced the saloon.

Design and features

• All-wheel drive: the 525iX of which 9,366 were built, with rack and pinion steering.
• First V8: the M60-engined 530i and 540i from 1993, with a wider grille at first.
• Electronic aids: ASC and ASC+T arrived with the E34, as did adjustable damping.
• Six-speed manual: offered in the 540i and the later M5.
• Touring estate: the first estate in the 5 Series, added in 1992.

BMW 5 Series (E34) versions

• 518i: four-cylinder base model, Europe only, five-speed manual, 53,248 built.
• 520i and 525i: the volume six-cylinders, 426,971 and 434,549 cars.
• 525iX: the only all-wheel drive E34, 9,366 built.
• 530i: six-cylinder 1988–1990, V8 1993–1995, 57,570 in total.
• 535i and 540i: the six-cylinder flagship and the later V8, with 97,679 535i cars.
• M5: S38 straight-six in saloon and Touring bodies.

The E34 was replaced by the 5 Series (E39) and sat below the 7 Series (E38), whose design it drew on. More cars are in the BMW collection.

Sources

• BMW 5 Series (E34), English Wikipedia: development, dimensions, engines, production figures