They don’t make them like they used to, so people are holding on to their classic cars for as long as possible. BMW Group Classic highlights an M5 E34, among the last M cars largely built by hand. Emil is the happy owner of this sports sedan with the bigger S38B38 engine, an inline-six 3.8-liter unit that came with the 1992 facelift in Europe.
The new “Drive. Live. Love” video reminds us of why the M5 E34 is so revered by featuring an immaculate example of the sedan. BMW also built a wagon back in the day, but those are exceptionally rare. Just 891 Tourings were assembled at the Garching site between 1992 and 1995. The clip features a car with narrow kidneys rather than the wider grille introduced with the final facelift in mid-1994. The last evolution of the M5 E34 also brought a six-speed manual, bigger brakes, active suspension, and the iconic 18-inch parallel-spoke wheels.
Even by today’s standards, 340 horsepower is a more than decent figure. Let’s keep in mind the second-generation M5 was relatively lightweight, especially compared to the G90. Despite adding about 250 kilograms (551 pounds) over the original E28, it still tipped the scales at about 1,670 kilograms (3,681 lbs) in European specification. Today’s M5 is 765 kg (1,681 lbs) fatter.
With a naturally aspirated engine, a stick shift, and rear-wheel drive – it’s the perfect combination for a purist. According to the owner, taking the six-cylinder engine past 4,000 rpm turns the M5 E34 into an “absolute beast.” His car looks like an absolute time capsule that could easily sit in the BMW museum with the very best. Thankfully, it’s not, since the owner enjoys driving it rather than keeping it locked up. He proudly owns one of the 12,254 sedans built during the M5 E34 era, which spanned from 1988 to 1995.
If this isn’t peak BMW, we don’t know what is.
Source: BMW Group Classic / YouTube
