Of all the generations of M5s that have come and gone, the E34 is my favorite, even over the considerably faster V8 powered E39. The current E60 never did anything for me and it remains to be seen how good the upcoming F10 will be. The E34 just embodies the peak of BMW styling mixed with their fantastic, breathed on straight six engine. Here is a relatively low mileage 1991 E34 out in the midwest. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but generally looks sound.
Up for auction is a rare 1991 BMW M5. These cars were handbuilt in Germany and there are not too many around these days. The car has 89,000 miles, is a two owner car, and has full service history.
Now the car is not concourse ready but a nice example for someone who wants an everyday driver or too spend a little time on it and make it perfect. The car has spent its life in the midwest so there are a couple of spots were rust has formed on the bottom of the doors and the door seams(see pics). Has had some paintwork (20 year old car), all panels are original except it does have a r-dot hood.
Mechanically the car feels very solid and strong. The transmission has no syncro issues and the clutch feels tight and it pulls hard, the car starts right up and the engine is strong. I do have a extra set of snow tires and BBS rims that do come with the car that in my opinion look better than than the factory wheels(forgot to take pic).
The interior is in good shape for a car of this age but does need some work to be perfect. The drivers bolster is torn and missing a chunk of foam. the rest of the seats are good but could use a dye job. The rugs are clean. All power options seem to work fine.
The asking price is hovering right around the clean retail mark at $10,000, however, knock a grand or two off the price and this would be a decent value. The one thing that puts me off is the light colored leather. I had a friend with a 1992 325i with the same interior color and as it ages, it looks awful. Too bad it’s not a darker gray or black. Still though, a solid looking example of one of the M division’s finest.
-Paul
What is the maintenance like on these E34 M5 models?
I do like the understated style of these E34s but the wheels are perhaps the worst ever put on a BMW.
Even though the wheels are ugly, they were a rather advanced modular design that improved cooling. Still, that wouldn’t be enough to make me want one. Parts for an E34 M5 would no doubt be a tad more expensive, but, as with any high performance German saloon, records are key. The car does have individual throttle bodies, making tune ups a bit more pricey than, say, an E36 M3. Many M cars are run hard and put up wet, so it’s important to know where they are coming from.
Here’s a good thread comparing maintenance costs of the E34 M5 to an E36 M.
Whoops, sorry, forgot the link!
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1134606
Yup those wheels suck. Needs Ninja Stars
eBay auction only got to $5,600 with 10 bids (buy it now was $10,500)