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Tag: M30

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Tuner Tuesday: 1988 BMW 535is Turbo

Published November 25, 2014 by Carter

When did the BMW tuning crowd become the new Volkswagen tuning crowd? I must have missed the memo, but it appears that it certainly went out. In my search for modified cars, I come across quite a few; it seems that for every well modified car, though, there are a few examples that leave you wanting for more. More attention to detail, more refined taste, and in some cases more money spent. That money doesn’t have to be spent poorly – we’ve seen, for example, cars which aren’t the best examples but have great photographs somehow be more desirable than good examples with bad photos. Heck, in one Volkswagen post I even pointed out how the seller was at a car wash (and photographed the car there being washed – a new, and also completely pointless, Volkswagen tuning crowd trend) but then failed to vacuum the car out. Well, it would seem that some of the hallmarks of the Volkswagen crowd are spilling out into the all-too-popular 1980s BMW bandwagon. List out loud the details of this E28 and you’ll have the enthusiasts drooling; Zinnoberrot 535is with black leather, Brembo brakes, M-System II throwing stars, Bilstein and Racing Dynamics suspension, Alpina cam and cluster, and a custom 400 horsepower M30 under the hood. But in this case, I don’t think the result is greater than the sum of the parts:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW 535is Turbo on eBay

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1987 BMW M535i

Published November 19, 2014 by Carter

Enthusiasts as of late have complained that the “M” brand has been diluted; it’s now possible to get “M” styling bits on just about every variation of BMW, making them both much more common and a little less special to see than the “true” M cars from the 1980s. Well, the reality is that BMW has been doing this all along; one of the best early examples of this is the E28 M535i. Effectively a continuation of the thought behind the E12 M535i, the E28 version was effectively mechanically identical to the normal production 535i. It carried the same either catalyst or un-smogged M30 producing between 180 and 218 horsepower, depending on the version. The brakes, suspension and transmissions were all seen on other models, too. But outside, the M535i got the M-Technic body kit and special TRX wheels that helped to set it apart from the normal E28s. At the end of the day, though, the M535i was mostly an appearance package; a M5-light, if you desired. But, they’ve got “M” associated with them, they’re a 1980s BMW, and they were fairly limited production; in the case of today’s example, it’s one of roughly 1,000 “DC89” Japanese market models that were automatic only. It’s no surprise, then to see strong bidding on a car that isn’t even in the U.S. yet:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 BMW M535i on eBay

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1987 BMW 735i 5-speed Euro-Spec

Published November 19, 2014 by Carter

Much like the E23 that it replaced, we just don’t seem to see a lot of good condition E32s cruising around these days. In comparison to the E34 that was launched at the same time and shared much of the technology, it’s interesting that this is the case; is it that 7-series owners just didn’t care for their cars as well, or expected something different from them? Certainly the German ultra-luxury market witnesses the greatest depreciation this side of a Nissan product, resulting in expensive cars in the hands of those who sometimes can’t afford or aren’t willing to maintain them. We’ve certainly seen our fair share of 750iL wrecks, for example – cars that just could never be brought back from the brink. But it still surprises me that we don’t see more of the 735i, especially the fairly rare 5-speed variants. We’ve listed them before, and I think one of the comments was “does a 7 series really fit with a manual?” Having grown up with one in the household, I can say it’s an emphatic yes. It may not have been the preferred transmission for the E32, but it transformed it from a sedate luxury car to a sports sedan with a luxury bias. It felt much quicker than it probably should have and drove more of less just like a heavier version of the 5 series – which is to say, quite well. But they’re very rare to see, so when this 1987 European-spec model popped up I was sure excited:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 BMW 735i 5-speed Euro-spec on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1982 BMW Observer Coupe

Published November 18, 2014 by Carter

The 1980s saw a fair number of interesting and innovative ways to chop the tops off of what would otherwise be lovely coupes; the Carelli 928 and Treser Quattro Roadster are just but two examples that we’ve written up. But long before the Porsche 993 Targa introduced a large sliding glass roof, in 1982 BMW combined with the automotive modeling firm MGA and some backing from The Observer to create a quite unique expression of topless motoring. Think of it as a BMW 635CSi Targa if you’d like; but boy is it unique and well done compared to some other 1980s creations. It’s also on sale, if you have a spare $50,000:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 BMW Observer Coupe on 4 Star Classics

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U.S. or ROW? 1985 BMW 635CSi Euro-spec vs. U.S.-spec

Published October 18, 2014 by Carter

I bang on about how much I prefer the look of the European market cars from the 1980s over the U.S. spec cars, and this is especially true amongst BMWs. For some reason, the powers that be at BMW decided to do the worst integration of DOT bumpers of all the European manufacturers; it was almost as if they said “Oh yeah? Well, take this, then!” Bulky, with too much plastic, rubber accordions and fading stainless trim, they stand out as a stark reminder of how simple and pretty the European bumpers on many of the same models were. However, it’s not often that we get to see two very similar models for sale at the same time; today, however, there are two nearly identical BMW 635CSis on eBay. Both are 1985, dark metallic colors, red leather, 5-speed manuals and updated wheels – and in their own way, each is lovely. Does the Euro-spec car win out for me once again?

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