BMW M5
The BMW M5 was produced from 1989 to 1995, with sales in North America beginning in 1991 and ending in 1993. It was made by BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany, using the 535i chassis from BMW's Dingolfing plant. An M employee or a team of M employees typically took about two weeks to assemble each car. The engines were also built by hand by BMW M technicians, all the way to 5% of the specified output.
The early E34 M5 was powered by an evolution of the 24-valve I6 seen on the E28 M5 and E24 M635CSi/M6. Named the S38B36, this 3.5 L motor had a bore of 93.4 mm and a stroke of 86 mm, giving it a displacement of 3535 cc. Other changes included an electronically controlled butterfly valve in the intake plenum for better low rpm and mid-range power, an improved flywheel, Bosch Motronic fuel injection, equal length stainless steel headers, and three-way ceramic catalysts.
The S38B36 engine had a maximum output of 315 hp (235 kW) and 266 ft·lbf (361 N·m) at 6900 rpm, although North American and Swiss versions had an output of 310 hp (229 kW) and 265 ft·lbf (359 N·m) due to a different catalytic converter. A further iteration of the engine debuted in 1992 with a displacement of 3.8 L, boosting output to 340 PS (335 hp/250 kW). That year also saw the introduction of a Touring version, which was available as left-hand drive only.
From 1988-1992, the M5 featured the M-System wheels with a directional bolted-on wheel cover. The design was oft-criticized for giving the M5 the appearance of having "white-wall" tires. In 1992 BMW changed to M-System II, with a new wheel cover design known as "throwing stars", and in late 1994, the car was fitted with M Parallel wheels which dispensed with the need for a cover.
Performance
+ 89-92 (Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L: 0-60 mph: 6.3 s; Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
+ 92-95 (Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L: 0-60 mph: 5.9/5.7 sec; Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
+ 91-93 (USA) I6-24v 3.6 L: 0-60 mph: 6.4 s; Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
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