The E39 was the first M5 with a V8 engine, but the sports sedan could have turned out very differently. In the early development stages, BMW considered to stick to the six-cylinder formula, which was used in its E28 and E34 predecessors. A proposal that was ultimately scrapped included the M5 of the third generation with a turbocharged inline-SIX. The idea of adapting a V6 was even more controversial, an engine configuration BMW never produced.
Both options with lower abduction were left behind on the proverbial tailor’s floor. When it came to replacing the aging S38, which attributed its roots to the M88 drive from 1978 M1, BMW decided instead for the larger 5.0-liter V8 with the code name S62. Alex Hildebrandt Alex Hildebrandt from E39 M5 M5 M5 -M5 project did not want to make a significant investment that would not have paid off in the United States. It is worth noting that the E34 M5 in the United States was a slow seller who only made 13% of the overall production with only 1,476 cars sold.
“In the end, the company was not ready to spend the money for only 2 to 3..000 cars per year. [of a six-cylinder engine] Was buried, but we had lost a lot of time two years of development. “
But why was BMW primarily a six -cylinder engine for the E39 M5? At that time, Karlheinz Kalbfell campaigned in the division for the inline-six tradition, with efficiency also in the foreground. Finally, however, he was convinced that a large V8 would be more appealing to the American buyers of horsepower.
However, the delay in the selection of the engine meant that the M division had been behind the schedule for two years. The engineers were commissioned to transform the existing M62 into the S62 by redesigning the block and increasing the shift from 4.4 to 5.0 liters. BMW also improved the oil system and installed an intake system with eight individual throttle valves, one for every cylinder, and made different changes. The Redline rose from 5,700 to 6,600 rpm, and the US car was classified with a healthy output of 394 hp. The availability of a six-speed manual, while competitors such as the Mercedes E55 and Jaguar XJR also automatically helped.
In combination with a relatively appropriate starting price of $ 69,500, the strategy paid off. In the United States, almost half of the 20,482 E39 -M5 -produced M5 were sold. A total of 9,198 cars reached American buyers before production ended in June 2003. The same S62 engine later carried the beautiful Z8 and even saw it used in racing cars.
