Nineteen eighty-eight is the year if you want(ed) an original BMW M5. BMW sold over 1,200 '88 M5s in the United States. All of the them were black, because that's the only paint code the automaker designated for U.S. export. This 1988 BMW never left the care of the BMW USA fleet, and it has only 12,5XX miles. It has the only option available on '88 M5s -- heated seats.
A few BMW officials thought it would be a good idea to let members of the media drive this rare and desirable car up portions of the California coast this week. The car received a thorough checkup at the hands of top BMW USA technicians before setting out on the journey from Los Angeles to Monterey, California.
Its M1-derived, 4-valves-per-cylinder, 3.5-liter inline six-cylinder, rated at 256 horsepower in U.S. specification, is running strong. This is close as we'll ever get to traveling back in time to 1988.
The first thing that strikes is the light effort of all the major controls. The steering is light. The clutch takeup is light. The shifter for the five-speed manual transmission is light moving through the gates. The whole car feels light (and small) around us. Also, the seating position is high and bolt-upright in an old-fashioned way and we can easily see out around the skinny pillars and across the flat hood. Ah, sweet visibility.
By the way, light doesn't mean overboosted or imprecise or flimsy. This car just doesn't weigh much nor is it coping with modern-day performance car torque loads, so it doesn't take as much effort to change direction or change gears. Response to inputs are direct in a way that modern BMWs can't (and maybe wouldn't want to) replicate. When you turn the steering wheel or lay into the (cable) throttle, you know deep down that you're taking responsibility for what happens next. It's a neat and liberating feeling.
At the same time, we can't help but think how far BMW has come with its M cars and everything else when we drive the car. Torque is meager below 2,000 rpm and redline hits around 6,500, so you've got to make sure you're working in this operating range -- which is OK with us because we dig heel-and-toe downshifting. The '88 M5 feels quick if you keep the engine in its happy place, but it certainly wouldn't a dragrace against anything with the N54 engine or the E46 M3 or you get the idea. The not-so-big sedan holds a line nicely through corners, but the suspension gets unsettled more easily over bumpy pavement than a current-day BMW setup.
These shortcomings don't matter at all to us. We're continually angling for a way to get more time in the M5 over the course of a two-day drive. The honesty of the steering combined with the very mechanical engine sounds (with minimal exhaust note... watch the video below) combined with the satisfaction of ripping off a nice downshift make for a wonderful drive. If only there were more 1988 M5s with 12,XXX miles waiting around for us to drive.
kevm14 says:
05:32 AM, 08/14/10
Wow, nice. But it looks like the redline is 6900 not 6500.
jeepsrt says:
06:43 AM, 08/14/10
I've always loved that style of 5 series, very nice.
sniperruff says:
07:49 AM, 08/14/10
This along with the ITR and CRX comapro, are pretty awesome. I hope you have some in-car videos on twisty bits going along the coast soon!
openrdrmblr says:
08:49 AM, 08/14/10
Very nice looking car! I've always thought the BMW made some of the best looking sedans--at least up until 2003. Too bad you can't add the M5 to your long term fleet!
roadburner says:
12:35 PM, 08/14/10
I still regret selling my E24 M6; with a Conforti chip and Euro exhaust it made over 300 bhp at the crank. And the low restriction exhaust made the S38 engine's sound even more spine tingling. The E24/26 M cars are just wonderful cars, I know that I'll have to own another someday.
desmolicious says:
01:26 PM, 08/14/10
"rated at 256 horsepower in U.S."
286hp. The dood also mentions this in the video.
roadburner says:
02:28 PM, 08/14/10
"286hp. The dood also mentions this in the video."
The Euro cars had 286 hp. Stock US cars were only packing 256 hp.
greenpony says:
04:00 PM, 08/14/10
I love everything about this car. Except its homely looks.
roadburner says:
08:46 PM, 08/14/10
"I love everything about this car. Except its homely looks."
Maybe you would have liked my M6 better:
http://photos2.ebizautos.com/4013/5615621/5615621_1.jpg
inlinesix says:
10:05 PM, 08/14/10
I personally like the look of the newer BMW's, like E46 and later. But the interior of this "M" looks simple and I kinda wish cars were developed with "less is more" when it comes to interior design.
sniperruff says:
06:17 AM, 08/15/10
" greenpony says:
I love everything about this car. Except its homely looks."
Some calls it homely, I call it sleeper. Not a big fan when BMW decides to slap 17 M badges over their latest cars.
stephen987 says:
07:16 AM, 08/15/10
EPA 9mpg city, 17 hwy. Not the point of the car, of course, but still. . .
roadburner says:
11:19 AM, 08/15/10
"EPA 9mpg city, 17 hwy. Not the point of the car, of course, but still. . ."
I was able to average @18 mpg when I wasn't on the track. Anyway, hearing that S38 claw towards the redline made me forget about fuel economy altogether. It was actually a practical daily driver.
desmolicious says:
04:32 PM, 08/15/10
From European Car:
"Jumping through all the federally required hoops meant making changes; some were already applied to other E28 sedans and so were already approved, but the engine required some massaging. The compression ratio went down, catalytic converters went on the exhaust system and some recalibration of the engine-management system was required. In the end, that robbed the big six of 30 horses. Or, according to some BMW-philes, 50 bhp. Either way, 256 (or 236) bhp was impressive output from 3.5 liters then, and is none too shabby today."
breadwagon says:
07:09 AM, 08/16/10
What an interesting car! I still find it amazing how much interiors, especially dashes, have changed over the last 20 years. Everything is FLAT and angular in the 80s. I assume that there simply wasn't the technology to form and mass produce anything other than flat pieces of plastic. Dashes these days are so curvy and voluptuous by comparison.
Older cars have the best visibility, since performance and ergonomics had a slight edge over safety. Modern cars usually feel like your in a padded coffin. I love driving older cars because they are so light and underpowered. You really need to reign their cars necks to get any semblance of performance, and you can drive 9/10ths and still be going the speed limit!
This is such a sweet car. I bet 90% of the people it drove by had no idea how special it is.
bankerdanny says:
08:12 AM, 08/16/10
I had an '87 E28 535i for a few years (4 speed auto though). I really liked it. Comfortable, everything fell right to hand, fun to drive even with the automatic. Great long distance car, it would just eat up the miles.
As one might suspect, the transmission was the weak spot. BMW automatics of this vintage are well known for self destructing around 80k, which mine did to the cost of about $2,800 to replace.
Still, this was my 2nd favorite BMW body style (after the e24 6 series) and I would happily own another one (5-speed this time, even in Chicago).
jriz says:
08:57 AM, 08/16/10
Hey, where did this puddle of drool on my desk come from ... oh, my bad.
johnsha says:
09:00 AM, 08/16/10
These M cars w/ 3.5L 24v 6 cylinders were very expense to keep on the road. They had solid/mechanical lifters and required valve jobs every +/- 25,000 miles. I don't recall the actual pm schedule. I do remember it would run about $1000 in labor. I looked at buying a used '89 M6 (my favorite all time car) with 55k miles about 10 years ago, the car was cosmetically in great shape but need $4,500 in repairs. These "M" cars are "Porsche 928" and "Ferrari 308" expensive to keep on the road.
I had owned a '88 528e and '94 525iT, they were great cars. Too bad today BMW's have become so overwrought, bloated, and ugly. To gain a wider appeal they have lost responsive, sporty driving feel, and are filled with useless gadgets. BMW are not fun cars to drive! My '09 Pontiac G8 GXP and '04 Saab 9-5 Aero are a blast to drive: simple, sporty, fun cars like BMW of old. M3, M5, 535, M6 are too complicated, have too many electronic nannies, they drive great on the hwy and are fast around a track, but are not fun to drive on a curvy road.
greenpony says:
10:52 AM, 08/16/10
@roadburner "Maybe you would have liked my M6 better:
http://photos2.ebizautos.com/4013/5615621/5615621_1.jpg"
I can open my eyes again. Much nicer!
m3shmem3 says:
01:28 PM, 08/16/10
Oh how I wish you hadn't run this post, Erin. I'm trying to find an '88 M5 or 535is. Everything stock with low miles is worth more than my '07 335i (and I agree). Now they just went up 10%...thanks!
roadburner says:
08:35 PM, 08/16/10
The M5 and M6 were not much more expensive to run than their milder E24 and E28 siblings. In the first place, the major mechanical differences were the engine, transmission, and the self-leveling rear suspension. All BMW engines of that vintage had mechanical lifters. Hydraulic lifters weren't introduced until 1991(in the M42 and M50 engines).
That said, DO NOT run the S38 engine past 100K miles without changing the timing chain and the related tensioner parts.
agnh says:
08:48 PM, 08/16/10
All published accounts at the time said that there were only 600 1988 M5s to be produced, and 1200 1988 M6s.
roadburner says:
05:51 AM, 08/17/10
"All published accounts at the time said that there were only 600 1988 M5s to be produced, and 1200 1988 M6s."
Those numbers refer to US spec cars; BMW NA wound up importing @1200 M5 and was subsequently sued in a class action by several M5 owners who claimed that they purchased the car assuming only 600 cars would be built. BMW NA settled the case by providing purchasers and lessees of new 1988 M5s with a voucher entitling them to a $4,000 discount toward the purchase or lease price of certain BMW models. The vouchers were transferable, and I remember that more than a few were sold and traded between members of the old M Register newsletter...
tickm1 says:
07:29 AM, 08/17/10
Nice classic!!! the other interesting one that does not get enough credit is the 91 Audi V8 5spd awd sedan....only 73 got here....that would definitely be the car of choice for PCH tour.....
pelletaby says:
10:04 AM, 08/25/10
It's interesting to see a early M5, in Europe it's very rare. The year of this model is also interesting because the new E34 was launched in late 1987 and the "new" M5 came out as a 1989 model.
Regarding the price of owning a M5, things must be very different in USA, here in Europe it's not that expensive when it comes to service and maintenance. There are spare parts all over the place, if you need them. I've been a proud owner of three of these miracles without any problem (except speeding tickets). It's still one of the fastest family cars available. Someone here compared this car with Porsche 928 and Ferrari 308, try to fit the family in to them (and the luggage).
If my English is bad, I'm sorry for that. I'm Swedish.