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BMW 5 Series Sedan 1988

In 1988, the BMW 5 Series Sedan sits at a turning point in the model’s history. The 5 Series began in 1972, following the New Class, and 1988 marks the change from the E28 to the E34. For the sedan, that means the arrival of a new generation within a well-established lineage, with BMW continuing to position the car as a benchmark luxury sedan. Across its history, the 5 Series has been shaped by successive improvements in design, technology, and performance, and the 1988 sedan belongs exactly to that transition. It is therefore a model of change, placed between the end of the E28 and the introduction of the E34.

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History

The BMW 5 Series was introduced in 1972 as the successor to the New Class, and it then evolved through successive generations. The E12 covered the 1972 to 1981 period, followed by the E28 from 1981 to 1988. The year 1988 is especially significant because it marks the arrival of the third generation, the E34, produced from 1988 to 1996. The 1988 sedan therefore sits at the handover point between two chapters of the model: the end of the E28 and the start of the E34. Over its history, the 5 Series has strengthened its standing as a benchmark luxury sedan through steady progress in design, technology, and performance. Later generations, from the E39 to the G60/G61 launched in 2023, continue that same line of development.

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Technical data

8 powertrains recorded for the 5 Series Sedan. Some figures apply to the version as a whole rather than to each engine.

Compare powertrains

Pick a powertrain: the detailed sheet below follows your selection.

Comparison of official powertrains. Selecting a column updates the detailed sheet.
Criterion
Power66 kW66 kW66 kW84 kW75 kW84 kW84 kW84 kW
Torque142 Nm140 Nm140 Nm165 Nm135 Nm165 Nm162 Nm162 Nm
GearboxAutomatique, 3 rapportsManuelle, 4 rapportsManuelle, 5 rapportsAutomatique, 4 rapportsManuelle, 5 rapportsManuelle, 5 rapportsAutomatique, 3 rapportsManuelle, 4 rapports
DrivetrainPropulsionPropulsionPropulsionPropulsionPropulsionPropulsionPropulsionPropulsion
FuelEssenceEssenceEssenceEssenceEssenceEssenceEssenceEssence

Showing: 518i 4AT RWD

This powertrain

Power
84 kW
Torque
165 Nm
Transmission
Automatique, 4 rapports
Drive type
Propulsion
Fuel
Essence

Recorded across the whole version

0-100 km/h
6.3 - 16 s
Top speed
154 - 249 km/h
Displacement
1766 - 3982 cm3
Consumption
7 - 14.7 L/100 km
Dimensions
4618 x 1689 x 1420 mm
Weight
1160 - 1605 kg

Source: cardatawiki

Production

Production of the 1988 BMW 5 Series sedan should be understood as part of the changeover between two generations. The E28 is said to have been produced until 1988, while the E34 begins in 1988 and continues through 1996. The dossier does not specify the exact production span within that year, nor assembly locations or output figures. It can only be stated that the car belongs to the transition period between the end of the E28 and the launch of the E34. For finer production details, the supplied dossier provides no verifiable information.

Evolution

For a 1988 5 Series sedan, the most important evolution is its place in the timeline. It belongs to the period when the range moves from the E28 to the E34, making it a transitional car rather than an isolated version. The dossier states that each generation of the 5 Series brings improvements in design, technology, and performance, and that ongoing progression is exactly what defines the 1988 model year. Without adding unverified technical details, it can be described as part of BMW’s move into a new generation of luxury sedan. That evolution fits into a broader pattern in which the 5 Series is regularly renewed while keeping its identity as a reference sedan.

Variants

Within the 5 Series family, the sedan body style is the form most closely associated with the model’s everyday road-going role. For 1988, it sits both at the end of the E28 generation and at the arrival of the E34, which gives it a special place in the range. The dossier also mentions other important 5 Series versions, including the M5, introduced with the E28 in 1984, and the Touring, which appeared with the E34 in 1988. This shows that the 1988 sedan belongs to a broader lineup in which BMW gradually expands the 5 Series with performance and practicality variants. The exact differences of this sedan from other 1988 versions are not specified.

References