More powerful than a 90's mid-range Ferrari but just as understated as an ordinary sedan, the E34 M5 was the pinnacle of BMW's analog era.
BY SAM MAIN
VIA HOTCARS
PUBLISHED FEB 26, 2023
Before we talk about the E34 M5 Bimmer, here's a little recap. The E28 M5 is BMW's first true sports sedan and looked like a family commuter. This sleeper car was a mechanical beast. Its M88 straight-six engine was derived from BMW's M1 supercar and boasted 286 horsepower, reaching a top speed of 152 mph. But then came something even better than the Ferrari-challenging E28 M5!
Enter the BMW E34 M5. This was the ethos for the ‘M’ division. The ability to drive a car that was under the radar in styling but very much an attention-grabber for the speed cams. The E34 M5 is widely considered the best analog sports sedan ever created.
BMW E34 M5 Had Sports Car Speed And Family Car Looks
If the E28 M5 was a Boeing 737 in speed, the E34 M5 was Concorde. Under the hood, BMW maintained the iconic straight-six engine derived from the M1 but made significant alterations to its internal mechanical design. The S38 block was uprated and had special intake manifold valves to provide more grunt in the lower rev range. This, combined with an advanced engine management system, boosted the E34 M5’s performance figures and even made it faster than Ferrari’s 348 TS at the time.
The E34 M5 was a true performance car. Its 3.6-liter straight-six produced 315 horsepower and 264 ft-lbs of torque, with the later 3.8 model producing 340 hp and 294 ft-lbs of torque.
The M5’s top speed was electronically limited to 155 mph but reached 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds. This is a truly astonishing set of figures considering the car was a full-sized sedan fitted with gadgets to keep its occupants both safe and comfortable.
The E34 M5 Had Innovative And Immersive Handling
Speed and power were all well and good, but the ‘M’ division also cared for how the E34 M5 shifted and handled. The pre-facelift 3.6-liter engine had a five-speed manual, allowing its driver to rev-match and heel-and-toe with ease. The later 3.8 model was gifted a six-speed and an adaptive ‘M’ suspension setup with electronic damper controls. An uprated braking system also helped the car stop faster than the standard E34. It was a weapons-grade car, blisteringly fast on the straights yet agile and precise through the corners.
This was analog driving immersion at its best, and you only have to look at car control in an M5 to see why. A great example is when the legendary sedan featured in the greatest cinematic car chase: the 1998 action-thriller ‘Ronin’. Seeing the M5 drift around tight Parisian streets and weave in and out of oncoming traffic made it clear the car had exceptional handling capabilities.
The M5 Had Stunning Styling And Bulletproof Reliability
Like its predecessor, the E34 maintained an understated but timeless design philosophy. The car retained the famous ‘kidney grills’, the 4 circular headlights, its Hofmeister kink at the C pillar, and all the trademarks that make a BMW… a BMW. Even with the badge removed, you wouldn't mistake the E34 M5 for anything but a Bimmer.
Its ‘boxy’ design gives it a simple yet iconic look, but such an aesthetic isn’t just pleasing to the eyes; it’s utilitarian as well. The car’s production focused on aerodynamics; to make it as streamlined as possible, increasing speed and efficiency. As such, the M5 has a drag coefficient of 0.30, far superior to its rivals at the time.
The E34 M5 has also developed a reputation for bulletproof reliability. Its hand-built nature and analog mechanical design make it easy to work on and maintain. So much so that people have easily converted them into angrier sleeper cars, thanks to its rudimentary engineering layout.
As legendary restorer Streten (M539 Restorations) has rightly stated, this car was built at a time when BMW was run by engineers, not by accountants. The E34 M5 is a reliable car and has achieved reputational longevity because of its fastidious yet simple design. This credit cannot be afforded to many analog sports sedans of this era.
The E34 M5 Is The Best Analog Sports Sedan
Many consider the E34 M5’s successor, the E39, to be the greatest ‘M’ car ever made. This might be true. But the E39 ditched the iconic straight-six for a V8 and adopted more electronic driver assists. This makes the E34 the last of BMW's golden ‘classic’ era. It's a culmination of its purist, driver-focused roots that developed from the M1 to the E28 and found its way into the E34.
And unlike its successor, the E34 is still an underappreciated bargain. Auctions at Cars & Bids, for instance, see them being sold for around $20,000. The E39, by comparison, often makes double this. So the E34 is not only fast, agile, well-engineered, and beautifully designed, it’s a future classic car that remains relatively inexpensive.
Anyone who makes the investment will be in for an unforgettable experience. Climb into the cockpit, turn the ignition on, and speed off with the smell of burned rubber left behind. With the intoxicating roar and bark of its iconic straight-six echoing around them, a realization will hit: the E34 M5 is the best analog sports sedan of all time!
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