BMW 5 E28

Following a car as successful as the first 5 Series is always daunting, so it's understandable why BMW's first redesign of the car was very conservative. To many it was even tough to tell much difference between the new E28 5 Series and the old E12. The E28's windshield, roof and doors, for example, either carried over directly from the E12 or were only lightly modified. The most obvious change was to the car's rear third where the fenders and trunk lid stood high rather than drooping as in the E12. But the nose was also thoroughly changed with a new hood that didn't wrap over into the fenders (as it did on the E12) and a more aerodynamic grille.
Though the redesign was strictly evolutionary on the outside, there were substantial changes beneath the E28's skin. The use of new materials and advanced construction techniques dropped somewhere between 132 and 200 pounds (depending on the model). The inside of the car was redesigned to be more ergonomically efficient and safer by reducing the number of protruding bits and increasing the use of padding. Finally, there were new electronic systems like a service interval indicator and an optional antilock braking system.
The E28's suspension was an evolutionary step forward from the E12. The front struts now incorporated a double pivot universal joint and angled coil springs. The rear suspension used a transverse link with much better geometry than before. And the car's 103.3-inch wheelbase was a half-inch shorter than the E12's.
But the biggest change for American-bound E28s was the new 2.7-liter "eta" engine. Installed in the new 528e (BMW wasn't going to lose sales just to accurately reflect the drop in displacement in the car's name) that replaced the 528i, the eta inline-six was pretty much a miserable lump of metal. The high-compression eta had a low redline in order to ensure good fuel economy - not good fun. In fact, it was no fun at all. Rated at just 121 hp, it was an engine seriously strained by the 5 Series' 2,960 pounds of bulk and transmission gearing aimed at eking extra distance from every drop of gas. The 528e was the only E28 sold in America initially so it was tough to appreciate the new car's improved chassis with such compromised power production. The lousy eta engine was backed by either a sweet five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission.
Virtually no changes were made to the 528e for 1983, but a new 533i sedan powered by a 3.2-liter version of the six-cylinder engine was now available offering a strong 181 hp. Besides a greatly appreciated increase in power, the 533i offered a tauter suspension, rode on Michelin TRX tires mounted on wheels with an unusual 390-millimeter diameter and came standard with antilock brakes.
A four-speed automatic transmission was added to the options list for both the 528e and 533i in 1984, but other changes were scant. However, in Europe the first of the mighty M5s went on sale. Equipped with the DOHC, 24-valve, 3.5-liter Motorsports version of the BMW straight six, the M5 was an instant legend. And with a full 286 hp available, it was quick enough to even outrun that legend. But it wouldn't make it to America until four years later.
The 1985 model year brought with it a third 5 Series model for the American market and the biggest engine yet offered here. The big engine was a new 3.4-liter, 182-hp version of the SOHC six installed in the 535i, which replaced the 533i. The new model was the 524td, which put a 2.4-liter, turbocharged, diesel inline six under the 5's hood. Saddled with a mandatory four-speed automatic transmission and getting just 114 hp from its oil-burning power plant, the 524td was easily the slowest BMW 5 Series yet. BMW also sold some of the same turbodiesel sixes to Ford for installation in the Lincoln Mark VII and Continental.
Antilock brakes became standard equipment on the 528e and 524td for 1986, but other changes were few. The diesel 5 Series vanished before the beginning of the 1987 model year, but a new 535iS model appeared at the top of the range wearing a front air dam and rear spoiler. No more powerful than the 535i, the 535iS wasn't quite intimidating. But it paved the way for the intimidation that was to follow.
There were practically no changes to the 528e, 535i or 535iS for 1988 and really, who cared? The big news was that the M5 finally made it to America that year with so much performance it blew right past everyone's expectations of what a sport sedan could be. But it wasn't quite the full-throated, 315-hp beast then being sold in Europe under the same name. American emissions requirement sucked the 3.5-liter, DOHC, 24-valve six's output down to 256 hp. But for wealthy, performance-starved Americans, any taste of M5 goodness was greatly appreciated.
By the late 1980s, the E28 was looking distinctly old-fashioned. It was time for the 5 Series to take a big step forward.