What is the difference between M and standard

[ThoreauHD]

I was wondering, what is the actual differences are between the M power models and the regular BMW's. The cars seem to to have 4 exhaust pipes and perhaps larger engines. Although I can't really tell.

Can you compare a 740i to an equivalent M power model? What is the difference between the two, and which is better.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

In my area...the only differance is the M.

Erzats schiess

[cschollum]

larger engines, well not really larger the m5 E34 is either 3.6 or 3.8 but they are namde and designed to get more power out of them, for example the 3.6 M5 has 311hp where as the 'normal' 3.5 has 208hp
They also have uprated brakes and suspensions
However if you are compairing it to the 540 then you already have larger brakes and similar HP

They cost more too!

the quad tail pipes you are refering to are on the later M5s not the E34 type

The later m5s after the E34 range after 1996 are a different story expecially the latest which have a significant amount of power, over 500 i belive when you press the M button

[Rustam]

larger engines, well not really larger the m5 E34 is either 3.6 or 3.8 but they are namde and designed to get more power out of them, for example the 3.6 M5 has 311hp where as the 'normal' 3.5 has 208hp
They also have uprated brakes and suspensions
However if you are compairing it to the 540 then you already have larger brakes and similar HP

They cost more too!

the quad tail pipes you are refering to are on the later M5s not the E34 type

The later m5s after the E34 range after 1996 are a different story expecially the latest which have a significant amount of power, over 500 i belive when you press the M button

and 10 cylinders?

[CharlesAFerg]

I was wondering, what is the actual differences are between the M power models and the regular BMW's. The cars seem to to have 4 exhaust pipes and perhaps larger engines. Although I can't really tell.

Can you compare a 740i to an equivalent M power model? What is the difference between the two, and which is better.

Define better.... Personal opinion I would think.

[ThoreauHD]

Yes, I intentionally said better because I had a hard time finding what the point of it was.

CS says they have uprated brakes and suspensions, but the engine is the same. The spark is changed perhaps- maybe due to something like the conforti/EAT chips.

So, basically, it's the same car with some racing rated parts. Hmm.. it costs more and is noisier. OK, that's all I wanted to know. Just the point of it. Thanks.

[Alexlind123]

Wait...are you talking about the difference bewteen an e34 m5 and 535i? The block is the same, i believe, but the engine is far different. They have upgraded suspension, a much more powerful engine, better brakes, and so on.

[Rob]

Basically they're just a sport version of the original car. Right?

[Paul in NZ]

a sport version??? well i guess so the 535 has about 155 kw,the ultimate 535 is the 3.8 litre m5 which had.....250 kw

[Jon K]

a 740i does not compare to any M model...

740i is an automatic, and with the exception of the E36 M3, no M car comes "automatic". Additionally a 740i is either 4.0L or 4.4L while an E39 M5 is 4.9L, an E36 is 3.0L or 3.2L and an E60 M5 is 5.0L V10.

[Gayle]

So if I am reading this thread correctly, the e34 M5s are 3.6 or 3.8. Were the different sizes produced different years (like the early M20) or is this one of those things were BMW made different cars for different locations or what? Are there a lot more of one or the other (3.6 or 3.8) in the same way that there are more autos in general that 5 speeds.

Please enlighten me on the demographics of the e34 M5 engine.

And what are the things that BMW did to get the additional horses out of the M5?

.

[ILoveMPower]

So if I am reading this thread correctly, the e34 M5s are 3.6 or 3.8. Were the different sizes produced different years (like the early M20) or is this one of those things were BMW made different cars for different locations or what? Are there a lot more of one or the other (3.6 or 3.8) in the same way that there are more autos in general that 5 speeds.

Please enlighten me on the demographics of the e34 M5 engine.

And what are the things that BMW did to get the additional horses out of the M5?

.

The 3.6L engine was used until '93 production year, the 3.8 (used in 93-95) is just a bored version of this S38 from what I gather.

I believe the S38 uses a similar, almost identical block as the M30, however, much of the power is gained from the head/valvetrain technology as well as independant throttle bodies.

You cannot understand the S38 until you have heard/felt it at WOT.

EDIT: I believe 3.8s were featured in euro models.
ANOTHER EDIT: I believe all E34 M's were manual.

[Jon K]

3.8L is only euro market.

[Gayle]

Thanks Ilovempower.

I like your new sig. Very nice.

[SRR2]

No, the engines are different. They're made to closer tolerances in a different facility. They use more exotic technology in some areas, with the expectation that they're going to be run hard on the track. The E39 is a good example -- the difference between the 540/6 and M5 isn't immediately apparent until you open the hood. The M motor makes 100+ more HP than the standard 4.4L 8. It has individual throttle bodies. The early production had piston rings that allowed some oil burning to achieve better lubrication at the top of the cylinder. (That went over like a Lead Zeppelin, by the way.) Bigger (dual) exhaust, dual intakes, etc. etc.

In most cases the engines have different designations. e.g. M54 in ordinary 3-series, S54 in M3. M62 (single vanos) in ordinary E39 540s, S62 (double vanos, more displacement, and many other differences) in the M5. And so on. Generally, the parts for M-cars cost a LOT more than for non-M cars.

If you browse over to the m5board, and drill into the E39 M5 forum, you'll see plenty of evidence of the differences between the M and non-M E39s. They are having some horrendous problems with the M5s that simply don't occur in the 540/6 equivalent. Carbon buildup, oil burning, cat failures, bearings, cylinder wear, and on and on. It's a sad story for those owners, actually, that's costing many of them 10s of thousands of dollars (I'm not kidding) to repair.

[Gayle]

Very interesting. Thanks for the explanation. After seeing the M5s at bimmerfest and after having Mike Wong send me pictures of a bunch of e3 M5s at Octoberfest, I have an new curiousity about M5s.

[Anthony (M5 in Calgary)]

So if I am reading this thread correctly, the e34 M5s are 3.6 or 3.8. Were the different sizes produced different years (like the early M20) or is this one of those things were BMW made different cars for different locations or what? Are there a lot more of one or the other (3.6 or 3.8) in the same way that there are more autos in general that 5 speeds.

Please enlighten me on the demographics of the e34 M5 engine.

And what are the things that BMW did to get the additional horses out of the M5?

.


Gayle, see here for more:

http://bmwe34m5.com/faqs/?theme=1&level=4&question_id_select=401&chapitre_id_select=21&document_id_select=3

http://bmwe34m5.com/faqs/?theme=1&level=3&chapitre_id_select=38&document_id_select=3

Plenty of reading.

[Gayle]

Very interesting site. Even found a nice description of how to fix my door panels. :)

[Incantation]

one is less slow than the other :D

[SRR2]

IMO, the last M5 you should consider is the E34. The E39, particularly pre-4/2000 is a disaster. Even the 'fixed' ones, post 4/2000 and with the 2001 freshening and upgrades, are causing no end of headaches. The E60s are shaping up to be worse. Horrendous complexity, SMG transmissions that don't work right, a V-10 that drinks fuel like a Suburban towing a house trailer.

I was on the list in 1997 for a spot to buy an E39 M5 in their first year. Just before the time came to place the order I changed my mind and bought the M-Roadster (That's the one that burned itself up in my garage). Anyway, when I was looking last year to sell my E34 535 and get into some sort of E39, I once again thought of the M5 until I started reading the M5 board. It turned out that passing up that opportunity in 1997 was the smartest thing I ever did. The M5s are so problematic that I lowered my expectations and went shopping for an E39 540/6. Wanna see it? I just took some pix today and put them at Photobucket: http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f132/SRR2/E39/?action=view&current=P4150343.jpg Dial-up warning, as usual.

I have NO IDEA how well that slide show feature is going to work for anyone. Photobucket is not the easiest or most intuitive to deal with. Please let me know if it doesn't work right.

[Paul in NZ]

the 3.8 L M5 made it to very few markets.For instance Austarlia and New Zealand did not get it.I dont know why.Themarket for the M5 in NZ would be very small,we would have been a country of 3 million pepole and the cost of an M% would have been much more than a house......plus maybe at that time we were still running leaded petrol......Any how an Avus Blue 3.8 m5 is my dream E34

[Gayle]

SRR2 Your photobucket album works fine. Very clean looking car. Want to detail mine? Engine bay sure looks like it is packed tight. Do you work on the car yourself?

[SRR2]

Heh. Sure, FEDEX it to me and I'll see what I can do.

The engine room isn't as bad as you might think. It's not as easy as a 6, but it's not that bad. Most maintenance doesn't take materially longer, and since the engine is a tad shorter than the sixes, there's actually a bit more room in the front to deal with belts, water pump, rad, thermostat.... the usual suspects.

Yes, I'm a veteran DIYer. Plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, carpentry, cars, you name it. I don't do masonry, carpeting or sheet vinyl, nor would I attempt serious engine disassembly as I don't have the room or tools for it. You need a garage like Jon K has to have serious fun with hardware.

Photobucket: I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to play in a specific order. They're all over the place in the way they display now.