BMW E34 M5 added to BMW Aus heritage fleet

Ahead of the Australian launch for the 2018 BMW M5, the German brand’s Aussie arm has added a new car to its garage to celebrate.

In line with a new M5 arriving, BMW Australia has put an example of the first generation of M5s to officially come to Australia, the E34, in its heritage fleet.

In Alpine White, the car represents one of 90 cars which were imported by BMW, of which only 14 shared its colour.

BMW says this colour is particularly special thanks to “the E34 M5 that took part in the first-ever Targa Tasmania, as well as the Bathurst 12 Hour, in 1992.”

Even more special is that the E34 M5 was the last to be hand assembled by BMW Motorsport engineers separate from BMW’s regular production line.

And in the snout, its gorgeous 3.5-litre straight six, based on that of the BMW M1, puts out 232kW at 6900rpm and 360Nm at 4750rpm, all while producing an addictive sound.

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Interestingly, this car was inspected at BMW Australia’s head office in Mulgrave, Victoria, before its purchase. It has found its way back after almost 18 years.

BMW also retains a handful of other classics in its fleet, comprised of a recent M4 GTS, an E46 M3 CSL, a Z8 from 1999, an ’89 Z1, and even a 1938 327 Cabriolet.

“BMW’s heritage is vital to the brand’s strength,” says BMW Australia CEO, Marc Werner.

“With these vehicles we can showcase the pinnacle of engineering and innovation for that point in time, demonstrating that BMW is always at the forefront of the driving experience.

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“A passionate group of BMW Australia employees has worked hard to unearth this original, Australian-delivered E34 M5. It will be a regular presence at our 2018 events for the latest M5, which will arrive in April. Both cars are game-changers, 18 years apart.”

BMW plans to continue using the heritage fleet for press events, promotional events, and even take them to prestige occasions such as Motorclassica.