BMW 5 Series

E12 front

E12 rear

The E12 is the first generation of the 5 Series and was manufactured for model years 1972–1981. It replaced the New Class sedans and was produced in the sedan body style. The initial models were powered by four-cylinder engines, with a six-cylinder engine introduced a year later.

There was no M5 model for the E12, however the E12 M535i is considered the predecessor to the M5.[4][5]

The E12 was replaced by the E28 in 1981, with E12 production continuing until 1984, in South Africa.

E28 front

E28 rear

The E28 is the second generation of the 5 Series, manufactured for model years 1981-1988 as a sedan. It was initially offered with petrol four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines.

In 1983, a diesel engine became available for the first time in a 5 Series. The E28 was the first 5 Series with the center console angled towards the driver and the option of anti-lock brakes (ABS).[6]

The E28 M5 began a line of M5 high-performance models that has continued through every generation since. It was powered by the S38B35 and the M88/3 six-cylinder engines.

E34 front

E34 rear

The E34 is the third generation of the 5 Series, manufactured for model years 1988–1996. It was launched in the sedan body style, with the range expanded in 1990 to include the "Touring" wagon/estate body style.

The E34 was the first 5 Series to be available with the wagon body style, all-wheel drive, and V8 engines. It also saw the introduction of stability control (ASC), traction control (ASC+T) a 6-speed manual transmission, and adjustable damping (EDC) to the 5 Series range.

Nine different engine families were used over its lifetime, consisting of four-cylinder, six-cylinder, and V8 petrol engines, and six-cylinder diesel engines.

The E34 M5 is powered by the S38 six-cylinder engine and was produced in sedan and wagon body styles.

E39 front

E39 rear

The E39 is the fourth generation of the 5 Series, which was manufactured for model years 1995–2004. It was launched in the sedan body style, with the wagon/estate body style (marketed as "Touring") introduced in 1996.

The E39 was the first 5 Series to use aluminium components in the front suspension. The proportion of chassis components using aluminium significantly increased for the E39,[7] in order to reduce weight. It was also the first 5 Series where a four-cylinder diesel engine was available.

V8 models used recirculating ball steering (as per previous 5 Series generations), however, rack and pinion steering were used for the first time, in the four-cylinder and six-cylinder models. Unlike its E34 predecessor and E60 successor, the E39 was not available with all-wheel drive.

The E39 M5 sedan was introduced in 1998, powered by the 4.9-liter S62 V8 engine.

E60 front

E60 rear

The E60/E61 is the fifth generation of the 5 Series, which was sold from 2003 to 2010. The body styles of the range are:

• 4-door sedan/saloon (E60 model code)
• 5-door estate/wagon (E61 model code, marketed as "Touring")

The E60 generation introduced various electronic features to the 5 Series, including iDrive, a head-up display, active cruise control, active steering, and voice control. The E60 also was the first 5 Series available with a turbocharged petrol engine, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and regenerative braking. New safety features for the E60 included adaptive headlights, night vision, active headrests, Lane Departure Warning, and high-intensity emergency brake lights.

The E60/E61 M5 was released in 2005 and was powered by the S85 V10 engine. It was sold in the sedan and wagon body styles, with most cars using a 7-speed automated manual transmission ("SMG III"). However, in the North American Markets, there was the option to buy the BMW M5 in a manual version.

F10 front

F10 rear

The BMW F10/F11/F07/F18 is the sixth generation of the BMW 5 Series, which was manufactured for model years 2010–2017.[8][9] The body styles of the range are:

• 4-door sedan/saloon (F10)
• 5-door estate/wagon (F11, marketed as "Touring")
• 5-door fastback (F07, marketed as "Gran Turismo")
• 4-door long wheelbase sedan (F18, sold only in China and the Middle East)

The F07 Gran Turismo was the only 5 Series to date produced as a fastback. The F10 was also the first 5 Series to offer a hybrid drivetrain, a turbocharged V8 engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, a dual-clutch transmission (in the all f10 series ), active rear-wheel steering (called "Integral Active Steering"), electric power steering, double-wishbone front suspension, an LCD instrument cluster (called "Black Panel Display") and automatic parking (called "Parking Assistant").[10]

The F10 M5 was powered by the S63 twin-turbo V8 engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It was the first M5 to use a turbocharged engine. Like the previous generation, the F10 M5, in North America was sold with a manual transmission.[11]

G30 front

G30 rear

The BMW G30/G31/G38 is the seventh generation of the 5 Series. It was officially announced in October 2016, and sales began in February 2017.[12][13][14]

Body styles included:

• 4-door sedan/saloon (G30)
• 5-door wagon/estate (G31)
• 4-door long-wheelbase saloon (G38)

The fastback 5 Series GT model from the previous generation is no longer offered, and was moved to the 6 Series range.[15]

The G30 is based on the same modular platform as the 7 Series (G11). BMW plans to release a saloon- and estate-style plug-in hybrid, the 530e iPerformance, which would have the advanced driver-assistance systems found in the 7 Series.[16]

The F90 M5 is the M5 performance model for the G30 generation and is the first M5 to employ an all-wheel drive powertrain. The X-Drive system allowed for the front differential to disconnect and provide a rear-wheel drive experience to the vehicle. It is powered by an upgraded version of the S63 twin-turbo V8 engine used in the previous generation F10 M5.[17]

Current production is located in Dingolfing, Germany, Shenyang, China and Magna Steyr, Austria.