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BMW 535i - sporty sedan with a claim to leadership

Name: BMW 535i 1988
Brand: BMW

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Created on March 19, 2022

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

BMW AG

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

BMW AG

Archiv

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BMW 535i (1990) - Driving pleasure, even in a four-door model

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BMW 535i (1990) - with 211 hp you are well motorized

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BMW 535i (1990) - the E34 with 3.5-liter engine is not a lightweight at around 1.6 tons, however

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BMW 535i (1990) - the car does not feel like a heavy car despite its considerable weight

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BMW 535i (1990) - wide tires for the times

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BMW 535i (1990) - low lateral inclination in the bends

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BMW 535i (1990) - sensitive power steering

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BMW 535i (1990) - handy and easy to drive

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BMW 535i (1990) - a lot of fun, especially on country roads

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BMW 535i (1990) - it accelerated from 0 to 200 km/h in 38.1 seconds

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BMW 535i (1990) - it accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds

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BMW 535i (1990) - managed a top speed of almost 240 km/h at the time

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BMW 535i (1990) - the elegant lines were designed by Ercole Spada

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BMW 535i (1990) - visually closer to the seven-series E32 than its predecessor from the E28 series

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BMW 535i (1990) - the large tailgate made it easy to load the 460-liter trunk

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BMW 535i (1990) - Twin headlights and lights with projection technology

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BMW 535i (1990) - the kidney grille only became wider in the later eight-cylinder models

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BMW 535i (1990) - simple and elegant design without frills

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BMW 535i (1990) - Claus Luthe was head of design at BMW when the E34 series was created

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BMW 535i (1990) - View of the driver-oriented cockpit, the airbag in the steering wheel cost extra

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BMW 535i (1990) - everything you need to drive a car and not too much more

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BMW 535i (1990) - why can't all instruments be so simple, elegant and easy to read?

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BMW 535i (1990) - Armrests for driver and front passenger

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BMW 535i (1990) - the original built-in radio was unfortunately replaced at some point

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BMW 535i (1990) - Leather seats for a hefty surcharge

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BMW 535i (1990) - front and rear seats separately adjustable in height

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BMW 535i (1990) - side window rouleau, also available at extra cost

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BMW 535i (1990) - the rear rouleau was subject to an extra charge

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BMW 535i (1990) - longitudinally mounted in-line six-cylinder engine with 3.5 liter displacement

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BMW 535i (1990) - an electronically controlled injection system supplies the six-cylinder engine with mixture

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BMW 535i (1990) - the 3.5-liter engine is clearly labeled

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BMW 535i (1990) - BMW lettering on the cylinder head

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BMW 535i (1990) - color designation "BMW-alpine white II"

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BMW 535i (1990) - Notes on the air conditioning system

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BMW 535i (1990) - relatively flat kidney grille framed by sheet metal parts

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BMW 535i (1990) - twin headlights and kidney grille as typical distinguishing features of the BMW of the nineties

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BMW 535i (1990) - clearly visible BMW kidney grille

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BMW 535i (1990) - twin headlights were considered sporty at the time

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BMW 535i (1990) - the famous BMW star-spoke wheels, here with TRX tires

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BMW 535i (1990) - Michelin TRX tires with the unusual dimension 240/45 ZR 415

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BMW 535i (1990) - aerodynamic precision work on the windshield wipers

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BMW 535i (1990) - integrated and non-folding rear-view mirrors that were also intended to protect pedestrians

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BMW 535i (1990) - matt black door openers

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BMW 535i (1990) - beautifully designed details

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BMW 535i (1990) - of course the fuel had to be unleaded normal

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BMW 535i (1990) - Type plate on the rear

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BMW 535i (1990) - large rear lights that still came on thanks to incandescent lamps

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BMW 528i (1982) - predecessor of the E34

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BMW 520i (1990) - the elegant lines of the E34

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BMW 520i (1990) - E34 as two-liter entry-level model with in-line six-cylinder engine

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BMW 520i (1990) - beautiful rear end of the E34

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BMW M5 (1990) - the E34 was available with 4, 6 or 8 cylinders

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BMW 520i (1991) - BMW Service Mobile with complete equipment

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BMW 535i (1990) - Matazo Kayama designed a BMW of the E34 series in 1990

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BWW 535i (1990) - BMW "Art Car" designed by Matazo Kayama

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BMW 525i (1991) - Esther Mahlangu designs a sedan of the E34 series

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BMW 525i (1991) - BMW "Art Car" designed by Esther Mahlangu

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BMW 525 iX (1992) - with all-wheel drive

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BMW 535i (1990) - one of the fastest cars on the road at the time

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BMW 535i (1990) - still a sporty-looking car today

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BMW 535i (1990) - almost coupé-like silhouette

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Summary

The BMW five-door of the E34 series is already over 30 years old, but when driving it feels almost as modern as today's cars. In fact, the new four-door models built from 1988 onwards represented a major step forward for BMW, putting it on a par with its competitor from Sindelfingen. The 535i was particularly sporty and luxurious with its 211 hp straight-six engine, which is the subject of this driving report illustrated with many current and historical pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

E34 - The little seven-series
Unobtrusive aerodynamics
No great leaps in technology
Quite a chunk
Top model for a short time
Gladly tested and compared
Transformed into a work of art
You don't really need more car

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

For almost 16 years, BMW had built the first two Fives, first as the E12 from 1972 to 1981, then as the E28 until the end of 1987. Visually, the differences had been comparatively small, but technically, of course, a lot more had been done. Nevertheless, towards the end of the 1980s, the five-series E28 looked a little outdated, and expectations for its successor were correspondingly high. The five-series E34 was presented in January 1988. The design was reminiscent of the seven-series E32 presented in 1986 and was also designed by the same team: Chief designer Claus Luthe (NSU Ro80, among others) worked together with the Italian Ercole Spada (Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, among others). The result was immediately convincing. However, it was not simply a shrunken version of the seven-seater, but the five-seater had its own unique features. The front twin headlights and the well-proportioned kidney grille were of course typical. The silhouette looked almost coupé-like, the proportions were just right.

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