Friday 30th October 2009

BMW's Stillborn M5 Cabrio Revealed

Secret E34 prototype revealed at M5's birthday bash

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E34 Cabrio still lurks in a Bavarian shed

Hot on the heels of news that BMW has built a one-off 'CSL' version of the current M5, comes the still more intriguing revelation that - way back when - the M division designed and built a stillborn cabriolet version of the E34 generation M5.

As the story goes, the M5 convertible project was so well advanced that BMW had even allocated show space at Geneva for a grand reveal. Then just a week before the big event, Bavarian top brass pulled the plug on the project, fearing a convertible 5 series would pinch sales from the highly successful 3 series rag-top.

At least one E34 M5 version of the car was built, however, as these pictures published by Autocar attest. The car was apparently revealed to a 'select' group of media at recent birthday celebrations for the M5's 25th anniversary.

Not us though, and to think we even sent a card. (They didn't get it? Blame the postal strike...)

 

[Cassius81]

Is that a prototype previous generation M5 estate in one of the pictures?

[iluvmercs]

That's a gorgeous car, is a tad pointless, IMO (considering there was an M3 Cabrio).
Why it took all the time, from conception to only a week before the reveal, for the big wigs to realise it might steal sale from the 3-Series is rather confusing!

I like the E39 M5 Touring - now that's a car they should have put in to production!

Darren

[2 Wycked]

I want both of the cars featured in the third picture.

[Woodstar]

Can you imagine a 750iL V12 2dr Cabrio....

Edited by Woodstar on Friday 30th October 12:27

[dazren]

I read about this car a while ago on a the M5board forum. Looks fantastic. Looks like they used 850 seats to get around the folding seat issue.

Also on the forum I read that the E39 M5 Touring was built for someone at BMW who used it as his everyday car.

[Insight]

Yes it might steel sales from the M3 cabrio but they could actually make a bigger profit on the M5 cabrio and then make more money. Seems silly to me to have not done it. Look they have the 640 cabrio now and that doesn't steal too many sales from the M3 cabrio.

[Agent Orange]

That looks veeeery nice!!!

And that bottom right photo could very easily be my garage with the 5 carbio next to my E39 Touring!

Yummy... I cannot believe they didn't produce that car. Would have flown out the dealership and doubt it would have taken sales from the 3 series. More likely increased sales.

Could be wrong but don't think that is an E39 M5 Touring. Looks like a regular E39 with sport bumpers, DTM mirrors and M5 alloys.

[Nickellarse]

Wow.

[phylet]

That is exactly the car i want

[don logan]

It`as such a shame that car makers don`t sell more "oddball" variants.

Yeah yeah, money money money profit profit profit, but it endears you to them when they do, I`m starting to admire Renault more and more for it!

[Davey S2]

Insight said:

Yes it might steel sales from the M3 cabrio but they could actually make a bigger profit on the M5 cabrio and then make more money.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Cant quite work that one out.

[mat205125]

Insight said:

Yes it might steel sales from the M3 cabrio but they could actually make a bigger profit on the M5 cabrio and then make more money. Seems silly to me to have not done it. Look they have the 640 cabrio now and that doesn't steal too many sales from the M3 cabrio.

Don't confuse revenue with profit. The tooling costs, additional labour costs and probable limited volume would mean that profits wouldn't be large ... maybe even a loss leader.

[2fster]

Agent Orange said:

Could be wrong but don't think that is an E39 M5 Touring. Looks like a regular E39 with sport bumpers, DTM mirrors and M5 alloys.

So, could be an M5 Touring then?!

[dazren]

dazren said:

Also on the forum I read that the E39 M5 Touring was built for someone at BMW who used it as his everyday car.

Here you go. It was built for the guy who designed the engine:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-dis...

[cragswinter]

Right I could be wrong here but.....
Surely if it was a genuine concept car BMW would have moved the b pillar further back?it looks to me as if they've retained the orig 4 doors front door size.I can't make it out on my phone is this right?
If so it would look all wrong,with a huge expanse of body inbetween the b pillar shut line & the c pillar.
Think this is more likely a one off built by the m department rather than a pre production car one week away from being shown to the public.
IMHO !

[Huff]

Actually those doors are already significantly longer than on a regular E34 - look at the length of the sill between doorshut and rear wheel-arch. Any longer and (1) you'd never get them open in parking sopaces and (2) the car would probably end up rather floppy (and the doors even heavier)

I want an e34 Spyder ...badly.
<eyes own 540>
<eyes chainsaw>
<hmm...>

Edited by Huff on Friday 30th October 13:40

[Agent Orange]

2fster said:

Agent Orange said:

Could be wrong but don't think that is an E39 M5 Touring. Looks like a regular E39 with sport bumpers, DTM mirrors and M5 alloys.

So, could be an M5 Touring then?!

I was implying it looks just like my 530i E39 Touring with M5 alloys therefore could be just that.

Irrelervant though as appears is a M5!

[Tielst]

Perfect!!

[Garlick]

Great car, I really like this.

[TonyHetherington]

M5 CSL? Anyone got a link to that...?