BMW E34 – The Complete Story E-Book

James Taylor

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: AutoClassic
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 260

Beschreibung

The BMW E34 5 Series is considered one of the most impressive car designs to come out of the 1980s. The BMW E34 5 Series became the benchmark executive saloon during its eight-year production life, and today enthusiasts still look back on it as one of the high points of the BMW story. The E34 range made its debut in 1988, and built on BMW's growing success in the medium-sized saloon class. From the start, its makers aimed to seize leadership of the market sector from their arch-rivals at Mercedes-Benz, and to that end they developed a sleek, sporty shape and made the car available with a range of 6-cylinder engines. These included highly regarded diesel types, and later there would be an entry-level 4-cylinder as well. BMW kept the E34 range fresh to the very end, through three major eras of production. The first lasted until 1990, and established the range firmly. The second period, from 1990 to 1992, brought 'Touring' (estate) models, 4-wheel-drive variants and advanced new 4-valve engines. Between 1992 and 1996, the third phase brought annual updates, including VANOS variable valve timing and new V8 engines for the top-of-the-range models. In the BMW tradition, these cars combined strong performance with excellent handling, and these qualities were exploited to the hilt by the M5 variants produced by the legendary M Division. Aftermarket tuning specialists made their own contributions, too, adding to the aura of glamour around the E34 range. There were lesser-known elements of the story, too, when BMW used the E34 range for some fascinating experiments with hybrid power systems, a convertible, and a dual-fuel system.

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First published in 2024 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2024

© James Taylor 2024

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 4441 6

The right of James Taylor to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Image credits

BMW Group Archive, p.13 (bottom), p.28 (top), p.36, p.52 (top), p.57, p.63 (bottom), p.66 (bottom), p.70, p.76 (bottom), p.79 (bottom), p.80, p.81, p.82, p.95 (bottom), p.121 (top); Creative Commons licence, p.15, p.22, p.28 (bottom), p.29 (top), p.33 (top), p.34, p.35, p.43 (top left), p.45, p.58, p.59, p.63 (top), p.97 (top), p.99, p.101 (top), p.107 (top and bottom), p.108 (top left), p.117 (top left and middle left), p.126 (top right), p.127 (top), p.130; Dominic Fraser/ BMW Car Magazine, p.83; Free Documentation Licence, p.46 (top); p.61 (top and bottom), p.64 (bottom), p.133 (top); IFCAR, p.94, p.96 (top and bottom); Magic Car Pics, p.62 (top right), p.68 (top), p.133 (bottom); Mic/Flickr, p.88 (top); Radovankostiviar/public domain, p.49; Wikiwand, p.24

CONTENTS

Introduction

BMW E34 Timeline

CHAPTER 1 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 2 THE FIRST CARS, 1988–1990

CHAPTER 3 FOUR VALVES, 4x4, AND THE TOURING, 1990–1992

CHAPTER 4 THE 3.6-LITRE M5, 1988–1993

CHAPTER 5 V8 AND VANOS, 1992–1996

CHAPTER 6 THE 3.8-LITRE M5, 1991–1995

CHAPTER 7 THE E34 ABROAD

CHAPTER 8 PERFORMANCE CONVERSIONS

CHAPTER 9 THE SPECIALS

CHAPTER 10 PURCHASE AND OWNERSHIP

APPENDIX I TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

APPENDIX II HOW MANY? E34 PRODUCTION TOTALS

APPENDIX III WHAT COLOUR? E34 PAINT OPTIONS

Index

INTRODUCTION

The BMW E34 was in so many ways the car that really put BMW on the map. Supremely good-looking, it became the benchmark executive saloon during the eight years of its production. It seemed to do everything right and was also exceptionally reliable.

Today, BMW enthusiasts still look back on the E34 as one of the high points of the German manufacturer’s story. There are still many examples in use around the world – certainly enough for the cars to retain an enthusiastic following within the classic car scene. For many owners, their enjoyment is enhanced by being able to place the cars correctly in their context, and by understanding where each of the many different models fitted within the overall E34 range. Those are the reasons why this book has been written.

I have been both intrigued and impressed by the E34 since it made its first entrance in 1988, and I began to gather information about the range back then. For the material that has gone into this book, I must gratefully acknowledge the help of press officers at BMW (GB) and BMW South Africa, and of BMW’s classic archive as well. On top of that, multiple websites and social media sources have added information that has been carefully researched by dedicated enthusiasts (and has sometimes contradicted the ‘official’ story!).

For the illustrations in this book, my thanks go again to various BMW media outlets, to BMW Car magazine and its photographers, and to the many individuals who have generously made their work available through social media.

James Taylor

Oxfordshire, February 2024

BMW E34 TIMELINE

1988, January

Launch at Detroit Motor Show. Initial models 520i, 524td, 525i, 530i, 535i

1988, August

Introduction of 3.6-litre M5 derivative

1988, October

Availability in the USA

1989, autumn

Introduction of 4-cylinder 518i model for export

1990, summer

New four-valve M50 small-block 6-cylinders

ZF five-speed automatic

Catalytic converters standard

1991, September

Model badges with sloping characters

Introduction of 525iX and 525tds

Introduction of Touring models

ABS standard, except on 518i

Driver’s airbag option

3.8-litre M5 announced; production from spring 1992

1992, July

M60 V8 engines for 530i and 540i

Wider grille, for V8 models only

1992, September

VANOS added to M50 6-cylinder engines

1993, September

Millionth E34 built

Driver’s airbag made standard

M43 engine for 518i

525td added to range

1994, March

Wide grille standardised across the range

Alloy wheels and burr walnut trim standardised

Passenger-side airbag option

Six-speed manual option and Touring for 540i

1995, January

Improved anti-theft systems

1995, September

E39 replacement models announced

1995, December

Last E34 saloons built

1996, June

Last E34 Touring models built

CHAPTER 1

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

By the time the E34 5 Series models went on sale, in early 1988, BMW was beginning to present a real threat to Mercedes-Benz, the established leader in the German car market. The third generation of the 5 Series range, the E34s proved to be an emphatic statement of BMW’s ability, which came to be recognised across the European motor industry, as well as in the USA. By the time they went out of production in 1996, BMW’s success was undoubtedly beginning to cause worries at Mercedes headquarters, and before the end of the century it was BMW that had taken over as the top-selling brand in Germany.

Based at Munich in southern Germany, BMW had been a bit-part player in the German motoring scene since the end of the Second World War in 1945, with a somewhat mixed model range that had enjoyed limited success. Indeed, by 1960 it would have gone under but for an injection of capital from the Quandt family, who became its major shareholders and oversaw a resurgence with a more coherent product line-up in the ensuing decade.

By the start of the 1970s, BMW had gained a reputation for making cars with a sporting edge, and its compact ‘02’ Series two-door saloons made a major impact. Most importantly for the company, perhaps, was the development of a following in the USA, which was then the world’s largest car market. By this time, BMW had also gained a formidable reputation for the quality of its engines – in particular its 6-cylinder types, which were universally respected as smooth and powerful, with a hugely appealing blend of docility and sporting demeanour.

It was at this stage that the idea of a more carefully planned range was brewing at the BMW headquarters in Bavaria, and in 1972 the company made its intentions clear with the first 5 Series saloons, which had the model code E12.

A distinctive building at BMW headquarters in Munich represents four cylinders, although at the time it was built the company was better known for its 6-cylinder engines!

PREDECESSORS

The E12s were the first of the BMW ‘series’, which would give an enviable coherence to the company’s model range. They would be followed by the smaller 3 Series compact saloons, which would replace the highly successful 02 models, and then by the large 7 Series luxury models, which launched a deliberate challenge to Mercedes’ dominance of that market sector with its S Class. The 5 Series sat neatly in between these two: it was a medium-sized family saloon but, as a BMW, it had a distinctive sporting edge. There were both 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines, spanning the 2-litre size bracket, and these were highly competent and distinctively styled cars that added greatly to the BMW image.

The E12s were replaced in 1981 by a second-generation range, coded E28, which followed the same formula. The entry-level 4-cylinder family models may have been rather unprepossessing, but the sporty aura of the more expensive 6-cylinder types rubbed off on them, which led to a positive impact on sales. BMW’s master stroke with the E28s was to allow its Motorsport division to work its magic on them. In 1984 the new range-topping M5 model showed that a factory-built super-saloon with sensational performance was not only viable but would also lead to better sales figures, as well as increased kudos for the brand.

A distant ancestor: the ‘Neue Klasse’ (New Class) four-door saloons of 1961 were BMW’s attempt to get back into the mainstream car market after a rather disjointed 1950s. They were aimed at the same market sector as the later 5 Series.

The first of the 5 Series medium-sized saloons was the E12 range that was introduced in 1972. This one served as a fast-response fire officer’s car for a volunteer fire brigade at Schwieberdingen, near Stuttgart.

BMW was making progress in leaps and bounds by this stage, and its engineers and designers were bursting with ideas. The project to develop a third-generation 5 Series actually began in July 1981, a month after the second-generation E28 models had reached the showrooms. This new car was given the E34 project code, and BMW was clearly determined to make it the best yet.

New car designs typically start with an outline package, and BMW drew up the E34 as a slightly larger car than the E28 it would replace. This was not simply a case of growth for growth’s sake. Central to it was an increase of 136mm (5.35in) in the wheelbase, which not only gave more room in the passenger compartment but also set the wheels closer to the corners of the car, improving ride comfort. An increase of 51mm (2in) in the overall width also gave a little more room in the passenger cabin and allowed the wheel tracks to be correspondingly enlarged to give the car greater stability. Despite these increases, the E34 was still not a large car – as signed off for production, it would be only 100mm (3.9in) longer than the E28.

The BMW range of the 1980s was carefully structured, and the entry-level small saloon was the E30 3 Series range. This is a two-door model; there were also four-door types, and the engines included 4-cylinder petrol and 6-cylinder petrol and diesel types.

The second-generation 5 Series and immediate predecessor of the E34 was the E28 range that was introduced in 1981. Its chiselled lines incorporated the distinctive rear window shape with its ‘Hofmeister kink’, named after the BMW stylist who had first used it.

The 3 Series range was renewed in 1990, part-way through the production life of the E34 5 Series, when the E36 models replaced the E30 types. There were two-door coupés and convertibles in addition to this four-door saloon, but an estate was held over until 1995; the estate derivatives of the earlier E30 filled the gap, perhaps partly to protect sales of the new E34 Touring.

CREATING A SHAPE

On the design side, BMW styling at this stage was led by Claus Luthe, who had taken over from the legendary Paul Bracq. Often described as one of the most influential car designers of the late twentieth century, Luthe had joined BMW in 1976 after spending time at NSU, Volkswagen and Audi. He already had an impressive portfolio, including the NSU Ro80, its replacement (which became the Volkswagen K70), and the Audi 50 (forerunner of the VW Polo).

Luthe’s first major success at BMW was the second-generation or E32 7 Series, a sleek, svelte luxury model that furthered BMW’s challenge to the Mercedes S-Class. Following through with the idea of a family identity, underpinned by the 3-5-7 Series model hierarchy, Luthe was determined that the new E34 5 Series would show a clear resemblance to his E32 7 Series – which was widely acclaimed when it went on sale in 1986. His efforts did not go unnoticed: when Motor magazine in the UK reported on the introduction of the E34s, the title of its article was ‘Son of Seven’.

Working with Luthe were other hugely talented designers who either had already made their mark on automotive history or would later do so. Two names in particular stand out. One is Ercole Spada, who in the 1960s had headed the design studio at the Italian coachbuilder Zagato. Spada had delivered several outstanding designs for Zagato before moving to BMW, so it is hardly surprising that it was his E34 styling proposal that Luthe chose in 1982 for development into the production car. The second major name in the team that worked on the E34 was that of J Mays, still a young designer in those days but later the global head of styling for Ford.

Claus Luthe was running BMW styling in the 1980s and was responsible for the company’s new and adventurous visual direction.

Creating a new car design is of course a highly complex business, incorporating elements of science as well as pure aesthetics, and in creating the E34 Luthe’s team paid special attention to aerodynamics. The two Oil Crises of the 1970s had highlighted the benefit of aerodynamic shapes in reducing fuel consumption at speed, and to this end the BMW designers gave the E34 a tapered profile with a low nose and a high tail. They also raked the windscreen and rear window as much as they could within the bounds of practicality, and minimised the amount by which the side windows were inset. (Audi had led the way here with flush glazing, but BMW chose not to go that far.)

Airflow management was achieved by a barely noticeable front air dam and a subtly shaped trailing edge to the boot lid, the latter not being overtly aerodynamic but remaining stylish. The result of all this was a very creditable Cd of 0.30 for the basic E34 saloon, which was some 50% better than the figure for the E28. Other E34 models were not quite as good but none exceeded a Cd of 0.32.

The E34, here in the foreground, had a deliberate family resemblance to the larger E 32 7 Series behind.

The E34 faced some heavy-duty rivalry in the showrooms from the latest medium-sized Mercedes-Benz, the W124 range, which had been introduced in 1984. This one is an early top-of-the range 300E, with 3-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine.

The Mercedes range also included a highly respected estate derivative. This was the model that the later Touring version of the E34 would have to challenge.

FORERUNNER: THE E32 7 SERIES

By the time the E34 5 Series made its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in 1988, the E32 7 Series luxury saloon that was its spiritual forebear had been on sale for a little longer than a year.

Few cars have made an impact as powerful as that of the E32 when it was announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1986. With this car, only the second design to bear the 7 Series name, BMW had created a large limousine capable of competing on equal terms with the established Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but with a sleek, almost sporting appeal. It looked substantial and imposing, yet athletic and streamlined all at the same time. The beautifully balanced proportions of the E32 distracted attention from its carry-over (albeit excellent) big 6-cylinder engines, which would soon be supplemented by a V12 and later still by V8s that would be shared with the E34.

The E32 shape had been produced under the design leadership of Claus Luthe, but its basic shape came from an Austrian designer on his team, Boyke Boyer. The BMW styling team were so proud of it that they chose it as the starting point for the E34 design as well.

The car that made everybody sit up and pay attention to BMW in the mid-1980s was the E32 7 Series Saloon. It was extremely good-looking and a credible challenger to the S-Class Mercedes.

Two other elements of the design deserve special attention. First, Luthe and his team had managed to achieve a family resemblance to earlier BMWs by retaining a version of the ‘Hofmeister kink’. This was the shaped trailing edge to the rear door window, named after the BMW stylist who had first used it. The second element of design was particularly interesting, because it could only have been achieved in the knowledge that BMW would be able to build the E34 bodies to close tolerances. This was the split rear light clusters, where one section was mounted on the rear wing and the other on the boot lid. It had a practical purpose, because it allowed lenses that were larger than would otherwise be possible, thus giving improved visibility. However, the aesthetic success of the design depended entirely on the two sections of each light unit lining up perfectly. As BMW’s assembly tolerances did indeed prove to be tight enough to cope, any misaligned light unit on an E34 would be a sure sign that the car had been poorly repaired after a rear-end accident.

The shape that was signed off for production in early 1987 was unquestionably a masterpiece, throwing into sharp relief the conservative nature of its Mercedes rival, the W124 medium-sized saloon that had been announced around 18 months earlier, in 1985. By contrast, the E34 was lithe and sleek, and yet it was not so deliberately sporty that it looked out of place as a medium-sized family saloon. It was a design that would change expectations in that area of the car market, carefully blending usability and practicality.

As is usual in car styling, the team had considered possible future changes to their design so that BMW would have a bank of options for when the mid-life facelift would be due. Beyond that, however, they had devoted time to an even more major variation on the basic design: an estate car derivative that BMW was planning. This was drawn up alongside the saloon to a state close to production readiness but would not be released until the saloons had already been on sale for three years (seeChapter 3). The estate, which would reach the market with the name of Touring, would represent another serious challenge to Mercedes-Benz’s dominance of the mid-sized family car market in Germany.

STRENGTH AND SAFETY

Of course, there was far more to the design of the body of the E34 than just the inspiration of the styling team, and they worked from the start with the engineers who were responsible for the physical properties of the structure. The aim was to come up with a shell that was as stiff as possible in torsion, both to absorb suspension forces and to resist impact forces in a collision. Developed with the aid of the latest CAD (computer-aided design) software, the E34 shell was massively improved in comparison with the E28 version, for a weight increase of just 5%. The dynamic increase in both bending and torsion came in at 30%, while the static figures showed an improvement of 43% in bending and 70% in torsion. The results were achieved in part by using stiffened joints at all the major junctions in the shell, such as between the floor and the body pillars. Stronger sills made an important contribution, as did the use of a bonded windscreen and rear window. BMW claimed that the central passenger cell was now strong enough to remain largely intact in the event of a barrier crash at 35mph (55km/h) – a speed that was 5mph (8km/h) above the legal requirement in countries where there was one. While most buyers would fortunately never be in a position to appreciate this particular benefit of the stronger body shell, they would certainly have made regular use of another of its advantages: the strength of the shell allowed the tail panel to be reduced in height, giving a pleasingly low sill for the boot opening.

BMW was very proud of its latest technology, and the PR department liked to showcase it with ‘ghosted’ illustrations such as this one, which showed the layout of an E34 535i.

THE INSIDE STORY

By the time work began on the E34, BMW was already renowned for its clear, uncluttered dashboard designs, and Luthe’s styling team worked towards maintaining that reputation. They made few alterations to the sweep of the E28’s top panel, with its integrated cowl over the instruments, which was generally well liked, although the upper section of the dashboard was now made in soft-feel plastic. Interestingly, BMW promotional literature would later emphasise that this change had led to a 35% reduction in the fogging effect on the windscreen caused by plasticiser emissions – surely not a problem that many owners had complained about!

The two large main dials with their very legible markings were maintained, although this time with smaller flanking dials. Warning lights remained in a row at the bottom but were enlarged. The centre stack was still angled slightly towards the driver, but less aggressively than in the E28, giving the E34 a more orthodox appearance. The more rounded contours also provided a more luxurious feel. Radio and Electronic Check Control systems, when fitted, were positioned side by side below the two main air vents. This was the age of multiple small buttons (digital watches of the time suffered from the same problem), and drivers did have to take their eyes off the road to operate them.

Every model of E34 was given a telescopic steering column, which made it easier for drivers of all sizes to get comfortable behind the wheel. Of course, there was a side benefit to this, in that it contributed to greater active safety. The steering wheel itself was also carefully designed to impart a satisfying feeling of control. The four-spoke type that was designed for most models was complemented by a sporty, leather-trimmed three-spoke type on the top model, the 535i.

This was also a time when new electronic systems were making their way into car designs. On some BMWs, the health of these systems was monitored by Electronic Check Control, although in practice it was not fitted to the entrylevel models of the range. Where fitted, it would display a brief electronic message to warn of any one of twenty-three problems, in any one of six languages. A further advanced feature that depended on electronics was an automatic temperature regulation system for the E34’s passenger cabin. The controls were simple rotary types, although they did offer different temperatures on each side of the car. Once set to a desired temperature, the system would blend hot and cold air until that temperature was met and would then maintain it automatically. Such systems have since become quite commonplace, but the E34 was among the early pioneers.

Passenger cabin refinement was achieved by extensive use of sound-proofing – BMW would boast of 45kg (100lb) of sound-deadening material in the interior trim and under the bonnet on production cars. New assembly methods, which used laser measurement and surface scanners, ensured very precise fitting of the doors, which worked in tandem with three-section door seals to keep wind noise at bay. There was engine insulation for the petrol models and engine encapsulation on the diesels to reduce the transmission of combustion noise into the cabin.

If the interior of the E34 had one failing, it was a shortage of rear-seat legroom – but it was certainly not alone in that among family saloons of its time. The seats were carefully shaped for comfort, with multi-way adjustment standard for the front pair and head restraints all round as standard. The rear seat was shaped for two but could accommodate three, and to that end was provided with a three-point inertia-reel safety belt for the centre passenger as standard.

HANDLING AND RIDE COMFORT

Suspension design had already attained a very high standard at BMW, although one important aim for the E34 had been to eliminate a certain tendency to oversteer that plagued the E28 range. As Fast Car magazine noted in its March 1986 issue, the E28 535i model was ‘very nearly one of the great cars of our time for its combination of spacious accommodation, refinement and high performance. Only its handling, particularly in poor conditions, lets it down.’ The same basic layout was retained for the E34, but it was further developed to deliver more neutral handling – not only for the sake of getting it right, but also because a reputation for poor handling would undoubtedly count against sales in the family saloon market.

There was no reason to change the established front suspension design, which depended on MacPherson struts with upper and lower wishbones and an anti-roll bar. With such additional refinement as could be engineered into it, it was therefore carried over for the E34 5 Series. At the rear, the E28s had used semi-trailing arms with coil spring struts attached directly to the hub carriers. By careful adjustment of the geometry, this set-up was tuned to provide the desired handling refinement without compromising the ride quality.

UNDER THE BONNET

As for engines, it was inevitable that some of those used in the E28 series would have to be carried over to the E34. However, the plan from the start had been to replace the older ones within a few years, and to introduce new ones, along with improved versions of the existing ones, at the E34’s launch. The model line-up for the new range would depend heavily on these engines and the hierarchy they established, just as the earlier 5 Series ranges had. Once again, models would follow the simple BMW naming system, with a three-figure designation that began with the Series code (in this case, 5) and ended with the engine capacity. As carburettor engines were still very much the norm and injected types were considered to be modern and a little exciting, an ‘i’ would be added to indicate such an engine under the bonnet. That was a marketing necessity in the 1980s.

The BMW high-performance tradition was carried over to the E28 saloon range to create the first M5. It was enough of a success for an M5 to be designed into the E34 range from the beginning.

The final selection of engines could of course not be made at the start of the E34 project. There would be six more years of E28 sales before the new car entered production, and changes in customer tastes and requirements would affect the range of engines in the run-out E28 cars. However, the engines team at BMW were able to make some sensible predictions and set to work on developing what they believed would be needed.

By the time the final selection was made, there were nine different models of E28 in production (plus some sub-variants), and a range of ten engines had to be replaced. The entry-level model was the 518i with a 105bhp 4-cylinder 1766cc engine. Next up the hierarchy came four models with small-block 6-cylinder engines: the 520i (1991cc, 125bhp), the 525i (2494cc, 150bhp), the 528i (2788cc, 184bhp), and – something of an oddity – the 2693cc 525e, with 129bhp. (The ‘e’ in its designation stood for ‘eta’, the engineering symbol for efficiency, and indicated the use of several ideas that promoted fuel economy. Interestingly, the model was known slightly more honestly as a 528e in the USA.) Above these came two models with big-block 6-cylinder engines: the 535i (3430cc, 218bhp), which had a cosmetically enhanced variant called the M535i, and the M5, with a Motorsport-developed big-block 3453cc engine that delivered 286bhp. Some export markets, notably the USA, also had a 533i with a 3210cc version of the big-block six.

Finally, there were the engines that had brought a very special kind of innovation to the E28 range: the 6-cylinder diesels. These had been the result of a remarkable leap in the dark for a company that had never made a diesel car engine and had built its reputation on smooth 6-cylinder petrol types, yet they had been highly acclaimed on their introduction in 1983. Offering a combination of smooth running, eager performance and traditional diesel economy, they powered the 524d and 524td models. Both had the same swept volume of 2443cc; the 524td engine was turbocharged and gave 115bhp, while the 524d type was naturally aspirated and delivered 86bhp.

The BMW sporting reputation had been hard-won on the race tracks. This is a road-going version of the lightweight 3.0-litre CSL ‘Batmobile’ (so named because of its huge spoilers) from the 1970s.

For the E34 range, the launch engines were to deliver models with the names of 520i, 525i, 530i, 535i, 524td and, a year or so after the first release, 518i. There would also be an M5, which was announced relatively early in the E34’s life. These positions in the range were to be filled by engines derived from four different ranges. Three of these were existing ranges that were carried over from the E28 models, and just one was new.

The smaller 6-cylinder engines, known as M20 types, were further improved versions of the earlier small-block sixes. These had been introduced in 1977 and were single overhead camshaft types with cast-iron cylinder blocks and aluminium alloy cylinder heads. The camshaft was driven by a timing belt rather than a traditional chain, and the engines had been designed with a 20-degree slant angle to allow a lower bonnet. For the E34 range, these would power the 520i and the 525i mid-range saloons. There would, however, be no direct replacement for the 525e (known in the USA as the 528e). BMW considered that the economy features that were now incorporated in the mainstream engines made this special engine redundant.