BMW M535i E12, the pioneer of joining BMW Motorsport?

The BMW M535i E12 is not the most beautiful BMW, nor the one with the most power, but it is true that it was the first to join the BMW Motorsport division, which is now known as BMW M. You may think the first M was the BMW M1 of 1978 designed by Giugiaro, of which 453 units were built to homologate the model for competition, but the E12 came first.

The BMW M535i was born from a second-generation BMW 528i whose chassis was prepared for more power and performance, along with a much more aggressive look. The suspensions were also reinforced, as were the Bilstein shock absorber mounts. The braking system now featured the four discs of the BMW 635 CSi, Mahle-BBS 14-inch wheels with 195/70 tyres from the same model, and a limited-slip differential with the setup of the BMW 633 to add more character and edge to the Bavarian model.

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1,410 units of the first member of BMW’s performance division

It was fitted with the M90 engine, a 3.5-litre six-cylinder inline unit that produced 218 CV of power, the same as fitted to the first BMW 6 Series E24 and BMW 7 Series E23. The engine had two valves per cylinder and Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, delivering a maximum torque of 308 Nm at 4,000 rpm. Its top speed was 228 km/h and it reached 100 km/h in 7 seconds, not bad for a mid-size saloon.

Coupled to this engine was a Getrag gearbox, characterised by first gear being located at the top left of the shifter, with ratios well suited to sporty driving. Both outside and inside, the BMW M535i had equipment details that set it apart from the rest of the range, such as the front apron and rear spoiler. It also featured sports seats signed by Recaro, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, upholstery with the BMW Motorsport colours and very special decoration on the sides and front.

It is important to highlight that they were hand-built at the Garching plant of BMW M and represented a major leap in performance. Some enthusiastic drivers of the world’s most powerful letter do not count it as a true M, but it can be classified as the first member of BMW’s performance division.