Chris Harris and DRIVE deliver once again an exciting review, but this time, instead of driving high-tech cars, Harris goes back in time and drives a classic: BMW E28 M5.
The first BMW M5 made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1984. It came equipped with an evolution of the M1 engine and sitting on the platform of the 535i. At its launch, the E28 M5 was the fastest production sedan in the world.
The European version of the M5s were powered by the M88/3 engine which delivered 282 hp whereas the North American M5 was equipped with a variant of the M88/3 called the S38 B35. The updated engine equipped with a catalytic converter that reduced the power output to 256 hp.
The S38 also differed from the M88/3 in that it had a dual-row timing chain as compared to the M88/3’s single row timing chain. The S38 B35 was used in the NA-Spec E28 M5 and E24 M6. Initially 500 E28 M5s were planned for the U.S. market, but BMW later increased production to 1,370 units for the US and Canadian markets.
Excepting 96 units that were assembled in kit form at BMW’s Plant in Rosslyn, South Africa, all E28 M5s were assembled by hand at BMW Motorsport in Garching, Germany.
Production of the M5 continued until November 1988, well after production of the E28 chassis ended in Germany in December 1987.
Let’s have a look.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/FzOPR7STqrQ
