BMW 5 Series (E39): the aluminium-front executive car

The fourth-generation 5 Series arrived in 1995 with far more aluminium in its chassis than before, including every major part of the front suspension. It was the first 5 Series with a four-cylinder diesel and the first 5 Series to use rack and pinion steering in significant numbers. The M5 of 1998 was the first with a V8 under the bonnet.

BMW 5 Series (E39) at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the E39; the German article was not available.

History of the BMW 5 Series (E39)

Development and launch

Development of the E39 began in 1993 and ended in 1995. Joji Nagashima’s final design was selected in June 1992 and frozen for production under the new design chief Chris Bangle; series development then took 39 months to the start of production. The German design patent was filed on 20 April 1994. Pre-production cars left the pilot line from February 1995, starting with the 523i and 528i, followed by the 520i in March and the 525td, 525tds and 540i in April, with the 535i in October. The first official photographs were published in May 1995 and the car premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show that September. Saloon sales began on the European mainland in December 1995 and the Touring followed in November 1996.

Engines and drivetrain

Petrol power came at first from the M52 straight-six and the M62 V8. A technical update in late 1998 brought double VANOS to the M52 and single VANOS to the M62, mainly for low-rev torque. At the 2000 facelift the M52 gave way to the M54, whose 530i version made Ward’s 10 Best Engines list in 2002 and 2003, while the 535i and 540i kept the M62TÜ. The M51 six-cylinder diesel carried over from the E34, the M57 arrived in the 530d in 1998 and the M47 four-cylinder appeared in the 520d in 1999, the only E39 with four cylinders. Six-cylinder petrol cars and the 535i used five-speed manual gearboxes; the 540i and M5 had a six-speed Getrag 420G.

Equipment

The E39 was one of the first cars, along with the E38 7 Series, to have curtain airbags. Launch models came with dual front and side airbags, belt pretensioners and load limiters, anti-lock brakes, traction control, power steering and air conditioning. Satellite navigation used CD-ROM maps at first and DVD maps from 2002. Options ran from heated seats and steering wheel to a voice entry system and double glazed door windows, and several models came in Sports or Executive trim. Until September 1999 a latent heat accumulator could be ordered: it stored engine heat in a salt that changed phase and released it days later to warm the engine, the cabin and the windows. A separate REST button let the heater use the heat of a recently stopped engine.

Design and features

• Aluminium front suspension: a first for the 5 Series, with aluminium also used at the rear.
• Rack and pinion steering: fitted to the four- and six-cylinder cars, the first volume use of the system in a 5 Series.
• Four-cylinder diesel: the 520d of 1999, the only four-cylinder E39.
• Curtain airbags: among the earliest cars to offer head protection in a side impact.
• Heat storage: an optional latent heat accumulator that could keep engine heat for several days.

BMW 5 Series (E39) versions

• Saloon (1995–2003): the original body, from 520i to M5.
• Touring (1996–2004): estate with roller blind or extending boot cover options.
• 530d: the first E39 with the M57 six-cylinder diesel, from 1998.
• 520d: the four-cylinder turbodiesel of 1999.
• 540i: V8 with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic.
• M5 (1998): the first M5 with a V8 engine.

The E39 followed the 5 Series (E34) and was replaced by the E60. The performance version is in the BMW M5 article, and more cars are in the BMW collection.

Sources

• BMW 5 Series (E39), English Wikipedia: development, engines, equipment