The BMW E34 is the third generation of the BMW 5 Series, which was produced from November 2, 1987, until 1996. Initially launched as a sedan in January 1988, the E34 also saw a "Touring" station wagon (estate) 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 (ASC), traction control (ASC+T) a 6-speed manual transmission and adjustable damping (EDC) 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 sedan 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 sedan having a drag coefficient of 0.30.
Series production began in November 1987. In December 1987, the E34 sedan was unveiled to global press.
Body styles
Sedan 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
Diesel
Performance
* Automatic Transmission
** Governed (Auto/Manual)
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 (A4S 310R) - M50 engines (US only) 5-speed ZF 5HP18 - M50 and M51 (except US) and 1992-1995 530i (M60B30). 5-speed ZF 5HP30 - 540i
Suspension
Front suspension consists of double pivot MacPherson struts, with a replaceable shock absorber cartridge inside a steel strut housing. Control arms and thrust arms control front-to-back and side-to-side movement. Steering on most models is a recirculating ball design, however the all-wheel drive 525iX uses a rack and pinion steering system (along with front suspension) similar to the E30 3 Series 325iX model. All front suspension components are steel, except that the lower control arms on some models are aluminum.
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.