1988 BMW M5 Review by Autoblog

Autoblog gets the opportunity to drive a 1988 BMW M5. This is the very first M5 ever built and was based on the E28 5 Series. It made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show back in February 1984 and was the fastest sedan in the world at the time of its launch. The 1988 BMW M5 has the carrying capacity of a sedan, but the performance of a sports car. It features a 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. Here’s an excerpt of their review:

Twenty-three years after it left the factory floor, I’m sitting behind the wheel of a 1988 BMW M5 cruising up Pacific Coast Highway. Unlike most cars with two decades under their floor pan (and the mileage to accompany it), this particular example is in pristine condition having just over 12,000 miles on its odometer. Owned by BMW Classic, the division tasked with restoring and maintaining historic BMW vehicles, and on loan to BMW’s press fleet, we’ve been handed the keys of this museum piece to partake in a caravan heading up the coast from Santa Monica to Monterey.

Full disclosure insists that I admit to having a serious soft spot for the E28 and the M5 in particular, so bear with me. As a teenager, my father had a 1984 E28 533i with a five-speed manual transmission. I learned how to drive stick shift on that car – and I took it to more than a few high school formals. The 533i was quick (181 horsepower), but it was no M5. When the M5 debuted, the posters went up on my wall, but I never had the chance to sit behind the wheel or take one for a spin. Until now…

…

Around town, the M5 feels a bit lethargic, as the throttle and steering aren’t as responsive as systems found on today’s cars (blame some old bushings, recirculating-ball steering, 50-series tires and dated engine management systems). The suspension is firm, but there is body roll. The brakes, on the other hand, feel perfect.

Tooling around town was a job for the ETA-equipped BMW 528e, not the M5, so I head for the hills. After about ten minutes of prodding, I’ve gained complete confidence in the black sedan. There isn’t a whole lot of torque down low, but keep the engine spinning above 4,000 rpm and the power is solid, only slightly eclipsed by the magnificent sound of the six spinning skyward. Thanks to the BMW’s near-perfect weight balance and responsive brakes, the M5 was and still is a joy to drive fast. And, it seemed to get better and better the harder I pushed it.

Source: Autoblog