Spotted: a 1990 BMW M5
The spotted specimen
In a residential neighborhood in Hoorn we saw this BMW. Apart from the fact that the 5 Series of generation E34 is becoming rare in the daily street scene, at first glance there is little special about this specimen. But if you look closer, you can see that we are dealing with a genuine BMW M5. Back then, the sporty top model was still very modest in terms of design. To be precise, this is an M5 from 1990, which has been in the Netherlands since early August. The car is still completely original, including those aerodynamic rims – something that is all the rage these days.
The BMW M5 E34
The BMW 5 Series E34 was introduced in 1987 and the M5 followed a year later as the sportiest version. Each M5 began as an ordinary 5 Series. The virtually bare body was transferred from the BMW plant in Dingolfing to BMW M GmbH in Garching. There, the car was hand-finished into an M5. An exception to this are specifically the examples for South Africa, as they were produced entirely locally with parts supplied from Germany.
As mentioned, a BMW M5 was still a fairly modest presence at the time. It mainly distinguished itself from a regular 5 Series with different, more aerodynamic bumpers and sills and model-specific wheels. In the interior, the difference was in a different console around the shift lever, sportier headrests and some subtly different interior trim.
M-System wheels
Returning briefly to the wheels of the specimen spotted: they were quite special for their time and listen to the name M-System. They were aluminum rims topped with a kind of magnesium “hubcaps” with thick rims. Together with the spokes that guided the air like fins, these wheels ensured better cooling of the brakes. In 1992, the wheels were updated to an asymmetrical five-spoke star shape with larger openings. In 1994 the wheels were replaced once more, that is, with a conventional rim with five double spokes.
Drivetrain BMW M5 E34
The E34 generation of the BMW M5 was powered by a 3.6-liter six-in-line with 232 kW (316 hp). An evolution of the six-in-line in the previous model generation. Together with 360 Nm of torque, that power was good for a 0-100 sprint in 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. Shifting was done with a five-speed manual transmission and, of course, drive went to the rear wheels.
In late 1991, for the 1992 model year, the BMW M5 underwent a major update. The most important news was the new engine. From now on, a 250 kW (340 hp) powerful 3.8-liter six-in-line was in the front. The 0-100 time was thus tightened to 5.9 seconds. Incidentally, North America and South Africa were an exception: those markets retained the “old” 3.6-liter due to stricter emissions requirements. A subsequent update in 1994 brought an additional gear for the transmission.
BMW M5 Touring
These days, there is another BMW M5 Touring, but that is not a given. By no means all model generations of the M5 received an estate variant. The E34 is one of the models that did come as a Touring, but that variant did not appear until 1992. It was only produced for a short period of time, making it extra rare: only 891 were produced, compared to a total of 12,254 M5s of this generation.
Succession for the BMW M5 E34
Production of the BMW M5 E34 ran through 1995. In that year, in fact, a new model generation of the BMW 5 Series entered the market. It was not yet available immediately as an M5, but the wait was rewarded. The BMW M5 E39 is still considered one of the favorite model generations – and you saw it in this column last year.