What year did the 540 6 speed come out

[duby55]

When did sales start in the USA. This is kind of trivia, research and brain spam for me all in one. Anyone know any history websites on the E34?

[timandbim]

don't believe everything you read on wikipedia, but i got this from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E34

A rare 540i M-Sport model was built in 1995. This package included not just a firmer suspension and sport seats, but used many parts from the M5, save for the engine and transmission. 200 "Sport" models were built, 135 of them with a 6-speed manual. Canada also got a special version – the M540i, which was similar to the American 540i Sport but had even more M5 parts, such as 345 mm floating front rotors, 18 inch wheels, and various trim pieces. Only 32 of these cars were built, all with a manual transmission. Australia was the final market that received one of the M5 enhanced 1995 540i 6 speeds. 70 '540i Manual Limited Edition's' were produced, all manual and all individually numbered. They all came with full M5 running gear and interior and the 'throwing star' M-System II wheels, but didn't have the M-tech exterior kit fitted.

[Paul in NZ]

were there any "normal" 540 six speeds?Were the first 540s sold in 1993?Were any of them six speed manuals?

[Dragunov]

I was wondering about the availability of manual 540s too. The regular manual 6 spd 540i seems to be rare in my part of the world. In fact so rare i can't find one on sale on the internet. There's 2 or 3 up at a time and they're all autos so far.

So my question is, how many manuals were made compared to autos? And if i can't get one from my homeland, what part of the world should i look at to find one?

And what's the adventage with manuals anyways? I'm not much of a car guy so i don't really get how having to push a knob around all the time enhances your driving experience, but i assume the manual tranny allows better performance?

Does it make a significant difference or will an auto satisfy me? When i buy something i always aim for the best i can get my hands on, but if it isn't significantly better than the second best choise i might just stick wit that.

[Macv]

Wasn't it like only 700-800 540i/6's built? Thats just a guess, don't hold me to it.

[repenttokyo]

as far as I know, 6 speed 540's went on sale in north america in 1995.

[nirvana19]

95 model year. I BELIEVE some were delivered in 94, according to my neighbor (bought a 530iM in that time period, considered 540i/6).

[BuckNaked]

1994 was the first year for the 4.0 liter V-8 in the e34.
The 6-speed transmission was not available until the 1995 model year.
There were approximately 1300+ 1995 540i 6-speeds shipped to the USA, approximately 700-800 are believed to still exist.
The expert on the subject would have to be a gentleman from Sweden that currently owns 5 of them. He posts on these forums regularly and goes by the name Stephan735i (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/member.php?u=5956).
He has some pretty impressive information to go with his amazing stable, like factory production data.

[ThoreauHD]

I didn't know there were so few of them. That kinda upsets me.

[Paul in NZ]

even fewer RHD ......:(

[Dragunov]

even fewer RHD ......:(

Well, that's what you get for not driving like the rest of the world :P

[Paul in NZ]

you could say there are fewer people wanting LHD tho!..

[billy in slo]

don't believe everything you read on wikipedia, but i got this from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E34

A rare 540i M-Sport model was built in 1995. This package included not just a firmer suspension and sport seats, but used many parts from the M5, save for the engine and transmission. 200 "Sport" models were built, 135 of them with a 6-speed manual. Canada also got a special version – the M540i, which was similar to the American 540i Sport but had even more M5 parts, such as 345 mm floating front rotors, 18 inch wheels, and various trim pieces. Only 32 of these cars were built, all with a manual transmission. Australia was the final market that received one of the M5 enhanced 1995 540i 6 speeds. 70 '540i Manual Limited Edition's' were produced, all manual and all individually numbered. They all came with full M5 running gear and interior and the 'throwing star' M-System II wheels, but didn't have the M-tech exterior kit fitted.


Good info on the M-Sport
http://www.kindel.com/bmw/
There is also a Yahoo group, best place to find one for sale.

[Stephan735i]

1994 was the first year for the 4.0 liter V-8 in the e34.
The 6-speed transmission was not available until the 1995 model year.
There were approximately 1300+ 1995 540i 6-speeds shipped to the USA, approximately 700-800 are believed to still exist.
The expert on the subject would have to be a gentleman from Sweden that currently owns 5 of them. He posts on these forums regularly and goes by the name Stephan735i (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/member.php?u=5956).
He has some pretty impressive information to go with his amazing stable, like factory production data.

Thank you;)

The total built number for all version of 540i/6 is 3203 cars, divided like this;

HE53 North America Limousine LHD 1523 cars (the 135 M Sport and 32 M540i is in this number = 1356 "normal" 540i/6 for the US)

HE51 Europe Limousine LHD 797 cars (there are a very low number of Individual cars with Nürburgring suspension and other M5 parts)

HK31 Europe Touring LHD 499 cars (there are a very low number of Individual cars with Nürburgring suspension and other M5 parts)

HE52 Europe Limousine RHD 249 cars (the 70 AUS 540i LE is in this number)

HE98 South Africa (built there) Limousine RHD 72 cars (all most probably with M Sport Package)

HK32 Europe Touring RHD 62 cars

So hold on to your cars, they don't make them no more:(

The first North American was built 1994-03-21 a Cosmosschwarz that car probably went to Canada because it has light cleaners and rear head rests, the second car an Arktisgrau was built 1994-03-31 and strangely lacked leather in July a big patch of 540i/6 cars were built so maybe in August/September 1994 the first cars came to the public.

In Europe we got them sooner, the very first was built 1993-07-08, but only 7 Limousine and 10 Touring were built in 1993 making January 1994 the first standard production month and sales started soon after.

Dragunov; Your best bet is Germany even if they are losing cars each month, all mine have I bought there, why a manual 6speed in stead of a slush box? I could answer like Ingemar Stenmark Sweden's Alpine pro from the 80: is, can't explain to someone that don't understand:D but I'm not like that, here some thought of mine;

You become one with the car, in an automatic the car decide for you here YOU decide, you can use all of the power or be in a high gear and just cruise, a perfect Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde car, slow with wife in town than alone on Nürburgring embarrassing sports cars:p

Stephan

[scott540]

Cool, didn't realize how rare they were. I wonder how many in white? I might have to get that rust fixed now. It's tough though since they aren't worth much now.

[BMWCCA1]

the second car an Arktisgrau was built 1994-03-31 and strangely lacked leatherObviously that one wasn't built for the U.S., either!

[Stephan735i]

Obviously that one wasn't built for the U.S., either!

Preproduction car I would say that doesn't necessary comply with later standard equipment, made to get the model type approved, do you have to crash test each version of a car or is it enough to just try the base model?

Both cars are in a colors not available at the time, these are really early 95 cars, first Euro MY 95 540i/6 was made 1994-04-29.

The question how many were made in 300 Alpinweiss III I hope to answer in not so much time, of the 500+ HE51 I have list on 16 is Alpine, the US version is of coarse much more common in white since it's a popular color, wile we didn't like white back in the mid 90: s, I'm still wanting for the first M Sport Package car in Alpinweiss III, none so far.

Here is a friend Alpinweiss III 540iT/6 (#124/499) that I help selling... http://www.garaget.org/?car=69047&image=628556 http://www.garaget.org/?car=69047&image=629001

Gorgeous color, extra fun that it's so rare over here:D

Stephan

[BMWCCA1]

There really was no "base model" 540i in the USA. Nearly everything was standard and the only options were probably AST and heated seats. Leather was definitely standard, as were sport seats on the 540i/6.

[Stephan735i]

There really was no "base model" 540i in the USA. Nearly everything was standard and the only options were probably AST and heated seats. Leather was definitely standard, as were sport seats on the 540i/6.

You could delete some options like the sport seats, there were an late 540i/6 built 95-10-09 in Individual Avusblau without sport seats, so with the right connections maybe working within BMW NA you could have a car without leather or some other special equipment.

Can you tell me which color combinations people chose? Most Black, white, red and green cars have tan leather from what I've seen, didn't people want black or grey leather with this colors?

Stephan

[bubba966]

Can you tell me which color combinations people chose? Most Black, white, red and green cars have tan leather from what I've seen, didn't people want black or grey leather with this colors?

Stephan

The tan is by far the most common interior color I've seen. I looked for 2 1/2 years for my Cosmos Black on Black M-Sport. As far as I can tell there's only 3 black/black 540iA M-Sport's.

I can't stand tan interiors, and the grey is too light for me. All that was left was black, which seems to be the least common interior color in the US...

[Jehu]

I finally got mine up to 120 Miles per Hour today... i could have kept going to find the governor but i had other things to do...

[Jehu]

Thank you;)

The total built number for all version of 540i/6 is 3203 cars, divided like this;

HE53 North America Limousine LHD 1523 cars (the 135 M Sport and 32 M540i is in this number = 1356 "normal" 540i/6 for the US)

HE51 Europe Limousine LHD 797 cars (there are a very low number of Individual cars with Nürburgring suspension and other M5 parts)

HK31 Europe Touring LHD 499 cars (there are a very low number of Individual cars with Nürburgring suspension and other M5 parts)

HE52 Europe Limousine RHD 249 cars (the 70 AUS 540i LE is in this number)

HE98 South Africa (built there) Limousine RHD 72 cars (all most probably with M Sport Package)

HK32 Europe Touring RHD 62 cars

So hold on to your cars, they don't make them no more:(

The first North American was built 1994-03-21 a Cosmosschwarz that car probably went to Canada because it has light cleaners and rear head rests, the second car an Arktisgrau was built 1994-03-31 and strangely lacked leather in July a big patch of 540i/6 cars were built so maybe in August/September 1994 the first cars came to the public.

In Europe we got them sooner, the very first was built 1993-07-08, but only 7 Limousine and 10 Touring were built in 1993 making January 1994 the first standard production month and sales started soon after.

Dragunov; Your best bet is Germany even if they are losing cars each month, all mine have I bought there, why a manual 6speed in stead of a slush box? I could answer like Ingemar Stenmark Sweden's Alpine pro from the 80: is, can't explain to someone that don't understand:D but I'm not like that, here some thought of mine;

You become one with the car, in an automatic the car decide for you here YOU decide, you can use all of the power or be in a high gear and just cruise, a perfect Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde car, slow with wife in town than alone on Nürburgring embarrassing sports cars:p

Stephan

Your contributions are so magnificently welcome Stephen. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being such a devoted and generous friend to us 540 owners... Cheers!

[Jehu]

Cool, didn't realize how rare they were. I wonder how many in white? I might have to get that rust fixed now. It's tough though since they aren't worth much now.

just make sure you REALLY check out the shop to which you end up taking it for the work..

[DueyT]

You could delete some options like the sport seats, there were an late 540i/6 built 95-10-09 in Individual Avusblau without sport seats, so with the right connections maybe working within BMW NA you could have a car without leather or some other special equipment.

Can you tell me which color combinations people chose? Most Black, white, red and green cars have tan leather from what I've seen, didn't people want black or grey leather with this colors?

Stephan
Stephan, great info!

My HE53 540i/6 is plain black with grey interior. Build date: 10/94

Cheers,
Duey

[scott540]

White with tan leather.

[duby55]

Thank you all for responding. I have never been into a car like I am with my e34 525. Its getting tired, but it still has a good few years to go. Its successer will be a 540 / 6 . I just wanted to start compiling as much information as possible, and who better to ask then all you BMW pros. Going from American muscle cars to a BMW has been a very positive and practical solution for my driving needs. Upping the horsepower and adding a manual trans from what I have will certainly make me a happier driver. I have to say you guys really know your BMWs. Thanks