A few days ago, all the fans of the Bavarian brand celebrated the official confirmation of the BMW M3 Touring, the first of its kind, and how close it was to becoming a reality 20 years earlier with that M3 E46 Touring prototype. Thus BMW enters to share the cake of the sporty family members of the D segment together with the already existing Mercedes-AMG C 63 Estate and with the much famous Audi RS4 Avant, which is only available in that body, as well as satisfying the desire of all those who seek character sleeper from a relative But there were already two other Tourings years ago made in BMW Motorsportthey were the M5 E34 Touring Y M5 E61 Touringthe relatives of the 5 Series, and that we present to you below.
BMW M5 E34 Touring (1992)
Its production started three years later than the sedan version and it was only available for the left-hand drive European market, which partly explains why only BMW Motorsport facilities in Garching left 891 units, each one of them made by hand by two employees. Regarding a 5 Series Tourig of the time, which had that new design language by Clausus Luthe that was released in the 7 Series E32, and how well it suited him after an E28 (its predecessor) so similar to the E12 that dates For 1972, it added 20mm lower bodywork, 2mm thicker anti-roll bars at the front axle and 3mm thicker at the rear, as well as a self-steering rear axle, plus a firmer suspension setting with dual-dual gas shocks. body and a less geared steering.
As to cosmetic changes were subtle, only some specific bumpers, the side black band or the M5 insignia could give it away, as well as its 17-inch five-spoke wheels. It was discretion and good taste personified. But without a doubt, the most important thing is found under his hood, a 3,795 cc straight-six that developed a power of 340 hp at 6,900 rpm and 400 Nm of torque, figures that were enough to be around 6 seconds from 0-100 km/h and provide an authentic driving experience together with its 6-speed manual transmission. In fact, and as a curiosity, this code engine S38 B38which corresponded to the update that the European M5 received, cost the same as a BMW 316.
BMW M5 E61 Saloon (2007)
After an M5 E39 with a 400 hp V8 engine, perhaps the favorite M5 of the brand’s followers, together with the first of its kind, the M5 E28, we find another Rare avis in BMW Motorsport, the M5 E61 Touringwhose production was also quite low, with only 1,025 units. On an aesthetic level, it called a little more attention, although not excessively, with some M bumpers that can also be seen in the other versions of the range, and some gills on the wings that were exclusive. Its lines were the result of the strokes of Davide Arcangeli, who managed to dilute to a certain extent the new design code imposed by the director of the department, a certain Chris Bangle, and thus avoid what happened with that controversial 7 Series E65 of 2001, although it did adopt elements such as the iDrive control, which today we can see not only in BMW, and also solutions such as a non-driver-oriented dashboard or a trunk lid higher than the hood in the sedan version to emphasize the wedge design. and improve aerodynamics.
However, this M5 would go down, and has gone down in history for its S85 engine, an naturally aspirated V10 from Formula One, of 5 liters and that generates 507 hp of power along with 512 Nm of torque, requiring four oil pumps to lubricate its more than a thousand components. However, its great peculiarity is that it was a super square enginethat is to say, that its stroke (75.2 mm) is less than its diameter (92 mm), which makes it possible to rotate at high speeds since the forces of inertia are less, reaching 8,250 rpm. The set was completed with an SMG 7-speed automatic transmission, capable of making transitions in 65 milliseconds, but which the American market did not accept, as good purists are for truly sporty vehicles, and that is why in the other Pond side we can find the M5 E60 and E61 equipped with the six-speed manual transmission of the M5 E39. Your benefits? 4.8 seconds in the 0 to 100 km/h of a two-ton car.
BMW M5 E34 Touring images: enthusiastauto.com
