BMW never built an M5 version of the E12, but the M535i that closed out its run became the template for one.
Lead trim: 518 · up to 197 hp
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FactBMW never built an M5 version of the E12, but the M535i that closed out its run became the template for one.
The E12 is the first generation of the BMW 5 Series, a four-door executive saloon produced from 1972 to 1981 that replaced the saloons of the New Class range. Early models used carburetted or fuel-injected inline-four engines; a straight-six arrived a year after launch, and by the end of production most models were six-cylinder. There was no M5, but the E12 M535i is considered its predecessor. It was built in Dingolfing and Munich and assembled in South Africa, Indonesia and Thailand, and was replaced by the E28 in 1981.
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VerifiedFIRST · WORLDWIDEFIRST PRINTONLY ONE IN VANCOUVERIn late 1997, this 5 Series became the first car in the world — alongside its E38 7 Series sibling — to offer side-impact head airbags, staying inflated up to seven seconds for rollover protection.
VerifiedFIRST · WORLDWIDEFIRST PRINTPROWith the 530e plug-in hybrid, this 5 Series generation quietly piloted wireless charging — just park over a 3.2 kW pad in the floor and the battery charges with no cable at all.
8 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 518 | 1974–1981 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 105 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 520 | 1972–1977 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 122 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 520/6 | 1976–1981 | 2.0 L Inline-6 | 120 hp | 118 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 520i | 1972–1975 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 128 hp | 131 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 525 | 1976–1981 | 2.5 L Inline-6 | 148 hp | 153 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 528 | 1976–1978 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 168 hp | 173 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 528i | 1978–1981 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 181 hp | 173 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 533i | 1974–1979 | 3.2 L Inline-6 | 197 hp | 214 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Nobody has claimed one yet.
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BMW never built an M5 version of the E12, but the M535i that closed out its run became the template for one.
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