lamb chops

Just bought a 518 e34 on an N plate and love it to bits. Been thinking if the underpowered 518 is this good what must the M5 version be like..

I love my cossy and wouldn’t sell it but can help thinking that for about 6-7 grand I could get a 50-60K car which still goes like stink but is also so refined..

Also found this topgear video which also makes me want one


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...&q=top+gear+m5

AlexF

they are lovely cars

lamb chops

Do you know much about them? I think there has been two engine versions a 3.6 and 3.8 not sure which is the one to have though..

RSrussell

I think they look ugly.......but then i have a mondeo

AlexF

E34

84-87 M5 3453cc 286ps

88-93 M5 3535cc 315ps

91-95 M5 3795cc 340bhp



E39

98-03 3535cc 315ps

thebigyin

e39 98-03 5.0 v8 400 bhp

Anonymous

I love the M5 E34, if it wasnt for fuel economy i would drive one daily.

thebigyin

ive got one,awesome car

Mr S1

iTrader: (2)

Buy one - absolute weapons. Mates got a 3.8 and feck me, what a tool...........

Anonymous

True, but his car is nice

Mr S1

iTrader: (2)

Big boy..............

AlexF

ooops I copied the wrong column

4941cc v8 400 bhp for the E39

lamb chops

Any pics John?

Found this site

http://bmwe34m5.com/faqs/

thebigyin

that site is excellent,very informative no pics as im gash with pc,s expensive to run but worth every penny

thebigyin

ive had both the 3.6 and 3.8 models,3.6 is cheaper to maintain due to not having edc suspension,roughly 500 quid a strut engine is reputed to be the tougher of the 2 as well

escortrsmatt

iirc the ealry 540 e34s with manual transmission are quicker than the m5

thebigyin

no ,mid range they are comparable,due to the fact that the v8 540 has more torque than the 3.6,and that the m5 does not start pulling till you are past 4k, the 3.8 and v8 540 have the same torque 295 pounds/ft,top end the 540 will do 150 whereas the m5,s unlimited will hit 170 ish mph, according to a eurocar test at millbrook

Twins

iTrader: (18)

Sold my M5 last year had it for 2 years only thing i had to do was put a clutch in it!! Not bad for an L reg with 130,000 on the clock! Loved it to bits jus was a bit heavy on fuel, but then wot can u expect from a 3.8! Never missed a beat considering the abuse i gave it!!! Like mine i would recomend a full service history if you are getting one, mine only had 2 owners and they both knew each other!

DangerousBryan

540 will also pull 170 when deristricted.mines putting out 310hp without the gas and will see 155 in 4th then into 5th and it just carries on,and mines and auto m5 definately a better drivers tool i would have thought though.mines crap up to about 30mph,then it just go's and go's and go's.
bryan

Rick

prices?

thebigyin

total bmw,s figures for the v8 540,286bhp@5800rpm, 0to60 7.2 secs,150 mph max, i find that a bit strange as i thought the 540 was like all other quick bmw,s ie limited to 155mph

AlexF

no the e34 shape is a HEAVY car...

they only really do about 140-145 on the m60 v8

its not a powerful engine for the size!

Alex

fordsportjay

iTrader: (6)

i had a black 3.6 version a couple of years ago-took it in p/x on a stage 3 cossie.......didnt blow me away like i expected it to......preferred the cossie.but i am biased

Mike1

Autocar tested a 540i Touring ( Autobox) in May 98 - guess that would have been an E39 would it?
Anyway, 0-60 in 6.2 0-100 in 15.9 30-70 in kickdown 5.6 and 155 max recorded.

lamb chops

Thanks for the replies guys, I wouldn’t have expected the e34 M5 to be as quick as a stage three cossie due to the weight. My 518 is heavy and that’s got a light lump! But I think I must be getting old as I do fancy some quality luxury to go along with my speed which lets face it a sierra hasn’t got..

What are they like to drive? Is there any torque or is the engine just tuned for top end power?

Also what do they cruise like?

Cheers

thebigyin

let me put it like this,my cossie has been garaged for the last year while ive been using the m5 every day,a good stage 3 cossie will feel lots quicker through the gears,but in reality there is not much in it,and i know which car id rather be in when the speeds get silly,m5 is so stable at high speeds,tbh its hard to compare the 2 cars,there both excellent at what they do,there just two very different cars,you really need to drive an m5 to see what im talking about,they are in a different league to cossies,obviously as they cost 3 times the price

Jim Green

An Immaculate E34 M5 with low milage...... I would consider as a replacement for the cossie. I've driven one of the last 3.8 cars with the Nurburg Suspension on it, and I think it was comparable with my cossie when she was at stg 3. The difference is the turbo on the cossie, it really does pull through the gears, where as the M5 does it so refinedly. I've seriously been looking at them come up on e-bay, and there are still some very nice ones around. Expect to pay around the 5k mark for something with 100k on the clock but with service history. All the way to 10k for a totally mint/concourse llate 3.8's with around 60k on the clock (If you can find one). It's amazing that year for year, they don't seem to be holding their money as well as an old Sapphire Cosworth, especially considering what they cost when new. 20k for a 4 x 4 Sapphire.....and up to around 55k for the same year M5.......Crazy.

3.6 Engined cars (earlier ones) are reputed to have the strongest engines.....over the 3.8 later cars. And of course the later cars had the very expensive suspension systems (500 Quid for each shock absorber from BMW.....OMG). Still a very special car though, and for us "Older Cosworth Owners) something worth considering in our old age. And....... much more reliable.

Seriously Looking at E34 M5's at the moment, and this is my 525 sport, which is a fantastic car and I'd take it on a long journey over the cosworth anyday....





Supplied from new with total full M-Tech Package, and totally mint.

Jim Green

LAMBCHOPS : I think we're on the same wave length....

TrevCannon

Buy one!

Mr Brannen

mates got a 5.0 V8 one on a V Reg, and its just amazing, 130 mph and u couldnt even hear the engine

Mike1

Maybe not from inside

rauri

i had a e34 535i for a while and it was a cracking car...went like stink too

m5 would be high on the list when i get fed up of old fords

Mr Brannen

Yeah agree on that, V8

lamb chops

Lovin your new one Jim!! I find myself wishing I had gone for a bigger engine as im not doing as many miles now and work from home three days a week.. Still have to travel 115 miles to Slough and back twice a week mind.

Im going on a road trip in May, taking the family to Spain in the 518. Would love to do this in an M5! What do they cruise like?

Jim I have just bought some 18" wheel for mine.. I hope you dont think im copying but I do love your wheels and I have a feeling they could be the same as yours.

Twins

iTrader: (18)

lamb chops

Thats looks great Twins!! I would have to have the cream leather if i had one just love it. Is that electric memory seats I spy?

Twins

iTrader: (18)

Yes mate electric everything on them ,the trim has the motorsport flashes through it and half alcantara

DangerousBryan

early e34 540's were limited to 150 to defer to the m5 being the "top" model.they didn't bother with the later ones.
mine is an early one (l reg) but was limited to 155.so maybe not all were limited to 150? used to feel like you had run into a brick wall at 155.

went for it early one morning and it was just about to go off the speedo and change into fifth at the same time when it just suddenly stopped accelerating thought mine might havwe slipped through the net but obviously not.

bryan

lamb chops

All you guys that have them need to post some pics like Twins!!


Just seem this on ebay, six speed!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

thebigyin

mines black with the silver trim all round the bottom of the car, champagne leather interior and dash,will attempt to post some pics