Looking at some modern-day BMWs it’s hard not to become nostalgic. For me, the BMW E46 3 Series is still one of the best looking cars ever penned, but the BMW E34 M5 comes a close second. That made me go down memory lane and I stumbled upon the video posted below, showing the E34 M5 in all its glory back in the 1990s. The times were completely different back then and the guys from the Japanese show Best Motoring definitely knew how to put this car to the test.
What we can see in the video is how they tested the E34 M5 against its main rivals of the day and age: the Mercedes-Benz 500E and the local challenger, the Toyota Aristo 3.0. Before we get into what the Toyota Aristo is, let’s take a look at the Merc challenger.
As you might’ve noticed, it’s not an AMG model. That’s because back then, AMG was still an independent company and this 500E was born before Mercedes had bought the Affalterbach-based tuner.
On the other hand, the Toyota Aristo 3.0 is probably even less known by people around the world. This was basically a Lexus GS, to make it easier to grasp what it stood for, even thought he Aristo did come before the Lexus. Launched initially in 1991, the Aristo used a 3-liter 2JZ turbocharged engine making it a proper menace for the other two German rivals here. It had 280 HP in its most potent version along with adaptive dampers and a lot more tech than you’d expect.
To put things in perspective, I should mention it was the least powerful car here but had the most torque. The other two cars used naturally aspirated engines, a 5-liter V8 for the Merc and a traditional straight six for the M5, an engine that was developed based on the legendary M88/1 used on the BMW M1. Who won? Well, you’ll just have to watch the video to find out.
