BMW 5 Series (E34)
The BMW E34 is the third generation of the BMW 5 Series, which was produced from 2 November 1987, until 1996. Initially launched as a saloon in January 1988, the E34 also saw a "Touring" station wagon body style added in September 1992, a first for the 5 Series. BMW replaced the E34 with the E39 5 Series in December 1995, although E34 Touring models remained in production until June 1996.
The E34 generation marked the first time all-wheel drive was incorporated into the 5 Series with the 525iX, and the first V8 engine to be used in a 5 Series. The E34 also saw the introduction of stability control, traction control, a 6-speed manual transmission and adjustable damping to the 5 Series range.
There was an unusually large range of engines fitted over its lifetime as nine different engine families were used. These consisted of straight-four, straight-six and V8 engines.
The E34 M5 is powered by the S38 straight-six engine and was produced in saloon and wagon body styles.
Development and launch
Development ran from July 1981 to early 1987, with the initial design proposal penned by Ercole Spada in 1982. Under the guidance of chief designer Claus Luthe, BMW based much of the design on the E32 7 Series. Following Spada's departure from BMW and styling approval in 1983, J Mays finalized the design for production in mid-1985. Special attention was paid to aerodynamics, with the E34 basic saloon having a drag coefficient of 0.30.Series production began in November 1987. In December 1987, the E34 saloon was unveiled to global press.
Body styles
Saloon models have a length of, a width of and a height of. Wagon models have a length of and a height of. All models have a wheelbase of.Engines
Official output figures are as follows:Petrol
| Model | Years | Engine | Power | Torque |
| 518i | 1989–1994 | M40B18 inline-4 | at 5,500 rpm | at 4,250 rpm |
| 518i | 1994–1996 | M43B18 inline-4 | at 5,500 rpm | at 3,900 rpm |
| 520i / 520iS | 1988–1990 | M20B20 inline-6 | at 6,000 rpm | at 4,300 rpm |
| 520i / 520iS | 1989–1992 | M50B20 inline-6 | at 6,000 rpm | at 4,700 rpm |
| 520i / 520iS | 1992–1996 | M50B20TÜ inline-6 | at 5,900 rpm | at 4,200 rpm |
| 525i | 1988–1991 | M20B25 inline-6 | at 5,800 rpm | at 4,300 rpm |
| 525i | 1991–1992 | M50B25 inline-6 | at 6,000 rpm | at 4,700 rpm |
| 525i | 1992–1996 | M50B25TÜ inline-6 | at 5,900 rpm | at 4,200 rpm |
| 530i | 1988–1991 | M30B30 inline-6 | at 5,500 rpm | at 4,300 rpm |
| 530i | 1992–1996 | M60B30 V8 | at 5,800 rpm | at 4,500 rpm |
| 535i / 535iS | 1987–1992 | M30B35 inline-6 | at 5,700 rpm | at 4,000 rpm |
| 540i | 1992–1996 | M60B40 V8 | at 5,800 rpm | at 4,500 rpm |
| M5 | 1988–1992 | S38B36 inline-6 | at 6,900 rpm | at 4,750 rpm |
| M5 | 1992–1996 | S38B38 inline-6 | at 6,900 rpm | at 4,750 rpm |
Diesel
| Model | Years | Engine | Power | Torque |
| 524td | 1988–1991 | M21D24 inline-6 | at 4,800 rpm | at 2,400 rpm |
| 525td | 1993–1996 | M51D25 inline-6 | at 4,800 rpm | at 1,900 rpm |
| 525tds | 1991–1996 | M51D25 inline-6 | at 4,800 rpm | at 2,200 rpm |
Performance
Drivetrain
Manual transmissions
- 5-speed Getrag 260
- 5-speed Getrag 280 — 3.6 L M5 model only
- 5-speed ZF S5D 310 — 91-92 US, and European M50 engines
- 5-speed Getrag 250G - 93-95 US M50 engines.
- 6-speed Getrag 420G — 540i and 1994-1996 M5 only
Automatic transmissions
- 4-speed ZF 4HP22 - M20 and M30 engines
- 4-speed GM 4L30-E - M50 engines
- 5-speed ZF 5HP18 - M50 and M51 and 1992-1995 530i.
- 5-speed ZF 5HP30 - 540i
Suspension
Rear suspension consists of semi-trailing arms with coil springs integrated in a strut assembly.
Models
Petrol-engined
The base model, available only in Europe, was the petrol-powered four-cylinder 518i. Only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, a total of 53,248 cars were produced.The next petrol model up was the six-cylinder 520i, which began production in January 1988. It was initially powered by the BMW M20 single overhead camshaft engine, which was replaced by the BMW M50 double overhead camshaft engine in 1990. The 520i was the second most popular E34 model globally, with 426,971 units produced. The 525i was the most popular E34 model globally with 434,549 units produced. As per the 520i, the 525i initially used the M20 engine, which was replaced by the M50 engine in 1990.
Engine volume and year of manufacture often influenced the type of wiring. This was of great importance for decoding the configuration and the possibility of further retrofitting. Thus, cars can be divided into two types: high and low. Wiring had a big influence to the amount of possible options and functions of a car. There also was update after M50 and M60 introduce.
A rare E34 model is the petrol-powered six-cylinder 525iX, of which only 9,366 cars were produced. The 525iX was the first all-wheel drive 5 Series, and the only all-wheel drive model in the E34 range. It was powered by the BMW M50 engine and was the first 5 Series to use a rack and pinion steering system.
There are two versions of the E34 530i: an inline-six model produced from 1988 to 1990, and a V8 model produced from 1993 to 1995. The earlier model was one of the last applications of the BMW M30 inline-six engine. The V8 version, which replaced the six-cylinder 535i in the lineup, was powered by the new BMW M60 V8 engine and was available with a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. Initially, the V8 models were differentiated from other models by the wide grill; in 1994 the wide grill became available on other models. Between the two versions of the 530i, a total of 57,570 cars were produced.
The highest six-cylinder model was the 535i. Despite the '535i' model designation and '3.5' casting on the intake manifold, the BMW M30 engine found in the E34 535i actually has a displacement of. There was also a 535i Sport model with M-technic body kit, boot spoiler with brake light, sport seats, M-Tech sports leather steering wheel, M-technic suspension, a polished rocker cover and also a limited-slip differential as standard. A total of 97,679 cars were produced, including the Alpina B10 models. The 535i was replaced by the V8-engined 530i and 540i models in 1993.
In 1993, the 540i model was added to the top of the 5 Series lineup, powered by the BMW M60 V8 engine and available in both Saloon and wagon body styles. Transmission options were a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. A total of 26,485 units were produced. Initially, the V8 models were differentiated from other models by the wider grilles. In 1994 the wide grilles became available on other models as well.
Diesel-engined
The first diesel model was the 524td, which was introduced in 1988. This model was replaced by the 525tds in 1991, and a lower-specification 525td was introduced in 1993. Only the 525tds model was fitted with an intercooler.North America
In the United States, the E34 model range was launched in October 1988 with the 525i and 535i 6-cylinder models. Over the course of the E34 generation, the 525i Touring, 530i, 530i Touring, 540i and M5 models were sold in the United States. The version of the M5 remained in production until 1993, by which time the version was being produced for other countries.M5 model
Introduced in September 1988 and produced until August 1995, the E34 M5 was produced in both saloon and station wagon body styles, the latter being the first M5 to be available as a wagon.The E34 M5 is powered by the BMW S38 inline-six engine, originally with a displacement of and an output of, later upgraded to a engine rated at. This 3.8 litre version of the M5 was first seen by the public at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show, where the E34 M5 Touring also saw its debut.
In its last year of production for the M5, the transmission was upgraded from a 5-speed manual to the Getrag 420G 6-speed manual.