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E28 M5 New! View My M5 Photo Gallery )
If you understand "E28 M5" then you must be a German car aficionado! The E28 M5 was BMW's first truly awe-inspiring performance sedan and I happen to be blessed enough to own one. Produced in very limited quantity from 1984 to 1988 (only about 2,100 were ever made), it was officially available in the U.S. only during the 1988 model year. Of the total production, the lion's share (around 1,200) was imported to North America. The M5 could be ordered to taste in Europe. However, the only choice for those of us on this side of the pond was a fully loaded M5 in Swartz (Black) with a Natur (tan) interior. Rumor has it that a handful of M5s were delivered to North America with a Swartz interior, but those beasts are the stuff of legend.) E28 M5 bodies were assembled and painted at BMW's main factory in Dingolfing Germany. The resulting shells were then shipped to BMW Motorsport where the cars were hand finished by three-man teams. Each M5 came equipped with the S38 motor: a 3.5-liter inline 6 with dual overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. A single air plenum feeds six individual throttle bodies, which in turn feed the cylinders. The engine is mated to a Getrag 5-speed manual transmission, which drives the rear wheels through a limited slip differential. The M5 has four-wheel independent suspension with anti-sway bars front and rear. All four wheels are shod with 225/50-16 rubber. To help bring things to stop, the M5 has massive 4 pot calipers and vented discs on the front. However, the rear uses the same, non-vented discs found on every other E28. ABS was standard on all North American M5s.) No expense was spared on the interior either. This four-door sedan reasonably accommodates four medium-sized adults. Both front sport seats are heated and have 10 (yes 10) power adjustments including thigh support. The high side bolsters at the torso and thigh help keep you in place during those high-G corners that are inevitable when driving the M5. The front and rear seats are covered in buffalo leather and sport a distinctive M-emblem. The door panels, center console and lower dash are finished in the same leather as the seats.You can read about my car being featured in the April 2001 issue of Grassroots Motorsports Magazine! For more information, including those juicy performance figures, see the specifications below. *
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So, there you have it, just like BMW said, "A nice, practical 150 mph family sedan." * Specifications taken from the BMW Owner's Handbook, 528e, 535i/S, M5 unless otherwise noted. ** Autocar Magazine, June 1987, Page 59.
© 2003-2010 D. Lamar Hawkins. All rights reserved.
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