BMW E34 – The Complete Story

Book excerpt: 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.