BMW's secret M5 history unveiled
2009-11-02 12:55
The last in-line six M5 nearly became the first soft-top version…Nearly.
Upset about the E60 M5 CSL you can’t buy? Wait until you see what else BMW has been holding back on all these years. You’ll be livid beyond composure.
If you’re a fan of BMW’s M5 range you’ll no doubt be cognisant of its quarter century celebration this year. They're a wonderful range of cars, which essentially spawned an entire class of four-door high performance sedans.
At times though, the range has seemed erratically planned and executed in terms of body styles.
The first one was purely a sedan. Second generation added an estate, which was then cancelled on the third incarnation, yet added to the current range again.
Soft-top M5?
One thing the M5 range has always lacked though was a convertible.
In all honesty M5 traditionalists would probably need defibrillator resuscitation at the suggestion of such a thing.
You could probably factor in the current M6 soft-top as a M5 convertible alternative of sorts.
In reality though, BMW came painfully close to producing an E34 M5 soft-top 20 years ago.
It has a display place booked at the 1989 Geneva motor show before BMW scuttled the idea in fear of vanquishing sales of the vastly popular E30 3 Series convertible.
During the recent 25-year M5 celebrations BMW wheeled out the sole production E34 M5 soft-top to show just what could have been.
The convertible featured lengthened doors which flowed seamlessly into the handsome shape of the E34 body style.
Factor in the acoustically pure mechanical sound signature and monumental shove courtesy of its 232kW 3.6l in-line six, and an E34 M5 convertible would have made for stellar driving entertainment in fair weather markets like South African and Australia.
Imagine it with the optional Nurburgring handling pack and powered by those 250kW 3.8l in-line six engines which powered the last E34 M5s ever built…Would have been a very neat bit of kit.
M5 V8 estate
The other also ran M5 production prototype shown at the centenary event was an E39 estate.
As a model designation E39 severely polarises BMW M5 acolytes. It’s either considered the greatest incarnation of all or pure sacrilege, having ushered in the change in engine configuration from in-line six to V8.
Roof rails on a 294kW car. You can never accuse BMW's M-division for not having a sense of humour...
BMW’s decision not to build the E39 estate was hinged on concerns about the rear axle behaviour.
The 294kW E39 sedan has a severely tail-happy handling platitude when provoked, and the estate’s weight distribution allegedly exacerbated this.
Consequently the E39 M5 estate became a no-go, which is sad because it would have made a ‘street-sleeper’ of note, especially if the wife was driving it on the school run…
So there you have it, all BMW’s dirty M5 secrets revealed on the 25-year anniversary of perhaps Munich’s most revered product.
Makes one wonder what else they’re hiding though…Like a M8 perhaps?
