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It’s been a while since we took a look at the M5’s grandfather; the E12 M535i. Produced for a short time, the M535i was really the M-division’s first attempt at a production road car. It was more than just a prettying up as many of the “M-sport” packages are these days, too – featuring a limited slip differential, a close-ratio 5-speed manual, a host of not-so-discrete aerodynamic upgrades, some great BBS Mahle wheels to dress it up and heavily bolstered Recaros to keep you in place, the M535 looked like a natural racer. Back in the days when 200 horsepower was considered much more than adequate, these were one of the fastest sedans in the world, and one of the best handling, too. Rare to see for sale in North America, this particular model is available in Canada on Ebay today:
Has it really been 4 months since we looked at a 1988 BMW M5? Fellow author Nate has just refreshed his M5 and been raving about it once again. It’s easy to understand why; with a 1988 M5 in my family also, I’ve had the pleasure of driving the legend that has become the M5 many times and it’s enjoyable in every single instance. These M cars have also been one of the best values in classic BMW ownership for a while, though that’s been changing over the past year or two. But like the Audi C4 S4/S6, owners of these classic but traditionally more affordable have enjoyed driving them and most have higher miles by this point in life. Despite that, aided by reports by classic magazine and online sensations like Chris Harris, the star that was the M5 has gotten even higher in the sky and they’re all on their way up in value. Time to jump in, then? There are three E28 M5s on Ebay right now, and you can have any color you’d like, as long as it’s black:
For German car fans, Porsche so defined endurance motorsports that BMWs serious efforts in the late 1970s and early 1980s often go overlooked. But if you really wanted to go racing with the big boys in the 1980s and the premium rides from Zuffenhausen were out of your reach, you might just have looked towards March engineering for the solution. March was cutting edge then, a staple in the 1970s F1 scene with some unorthodox designs. With the new prototype categories in the 1980s, March produced a series of prototypes that were developed out of a customer BMW M1 that March modified. After some development, the March 83G and later 86G proved not particularly competitive to the much more highly developed 956/962s, but did win the 1984 Daytona 24hrs with Andial Porsche power. BMW also signed up with March for a run at IMSA GTP with a development of the 320i Turbo Group 5 and Formula 1 engine producing up to a reported 800 horsepower. In qualifying trim for Formula 1, these M12/13 motors could twist around 1,400 horsepower out of that small displacement. With Formula 1 and sports car racing legends David Hobbs and John Watson amongst the ranks of drivers, it looked like a sure bet for some wins. It was for naught, though, as Porsche and later Nissan and Toyota dominated IMSA into the 1990s. BMWs efforts are nearly forgotten, and that spells value in the used prototype market today:
Yes, here I am writing up another Phoenix Yellow M3. Although I seem to be the only one who likes this color, the E46 is still considered one of the last true “M” cars by enthusiasts across the board. I find this feeling a little silly; the argument that BMW “sold its soul” after the E46 and E39 M cars just doesn’t hold much weight, in my opinion. They’ve always been there to sell cars, and while the engineering has changed the result – cars that define their respective categories – hasn’t changed much no matter what the engine is or how many were produced. Indeed, one could argue that the neutered E36 M3 that BMW sent to the United States was as much a signal of the “end” of the “true” M cars as any. But it’s all opinion based upon what you own, and none of it really matters, honestly. M cars will be cherished by their owners no matter what generation or platform, and I’d like to cherish this one:
It’s been a little while since we wrote up our last M Coupe, a beautiful S52 powered Estoril Blue example. And while those early M Coupes are a great deal these days for a fun performance car with plenty of personality, most enthusiasts really want to get their hands on the later cars that came with the S54 motor. There weren’t many other changes to the 2001 and 2002 M Coupes besides this motor swap, but that was enough to make the already good E36/8 all the more entertaining. These later build cars carry a premium due to their increased performance and exclusivity and seem to come up for sale less than the early cars do. Today, there is a brilliant looking Sapphire Black over black leather example on Ebay:
