{"id":2368,"date":"2019-08-16T08:53:35","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T08:53:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=2368"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:24:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:24:04","slug":"bmw-e34-touring-its-top-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/bmw-e34-touring-its-top-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"BMW E34 Touring &#8211; It\u2019s Top Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What you\u2019re looking at here is an E34 BMW M5 Touring. And just by saying that, I can hear some of you cracking your knuckles in readiness to type out an angry email telling me how wrong I am. After all, they never made a right-hand drive M5 Touring. And you\u2019d be right to suggest that. BMW didn\u2019t. But here in the UK we are a nation of tinkerers and garage dabblers. We don\u2019t look at cars from elsewhere and simply accept we can\u2019t have them. Hell no. We get fired up on tea and head into the garage with one objective in mind &#8211; we\u2019ll build our own. And that\u2019s exactly what this E34 is. It\u2019s a home-brew M5 Touring. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02208-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2379\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02205-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wheels, the spoilers and the skirts are justified, because when you open the front-tilting bonnet of the beast, you\u2019ll find a naturally aspirated 3.6 straight-six engine from an early E34 M5. Bolted onto the back of it, you\u2019ll find the right five-speed gearbox and beyond that, you\u2019ll find a limited-slip 3.91:1 differential. It is a proper bit of kit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, some of you will tell me it\u2019s not proper. Some of you will claim its an affront to the M5 name, or that at best it\u2019s an M5 replica. But given it houses the heart of an M5, is it a replica? Or is it something more? Shall I spend the next five hundred words or so trying to convince you why this coming together of what was once a 525 and an M5 is a good thing? No. I shouldn&#8217;t Because it doesn\u2019t matter. Not a jot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All that matters is why the car\u2019s current evolution is perfect for its current owner, Chris Harris. \u201cSo I needed an estate car.\u201d Explains Chris. \u201cFor the last decade I\u2019ve leased expensive, fast German wagons because they suit me down to the ground. Last one was an E63S, probably the best car I\u2019ve run. But it cost a fortune every month and the list price was well north of \u00a3100k. And that\u2019s just stupid for a family wagon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02189-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2374\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02177-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can\u2019t argue with the man\u2019s logic. An estate is a car that you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">use. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And by that, I don\u2019t just mean you drive it. You load it up with stuff; dogs, bikes, shopping, kids, all that jazz. An estate car has to work hard, and it should do so without you having to nanny it. A \u00a3100k AMG is nice, right up until you give yourself an emotional crisis when your mountain bike scratches the rear bumper, or when your dog barfs in the spare wheel well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was after \u201ca few scoops of whiskey\u201d that Chris found himself on Car &amp; Classic, it was then he stumbled upon the car you see here. Though it wasn\u2019t the sudden purchase you might imagine, as Chris explains. \u201cI have some history with these E34s. I bought one 15 years ago, a real one, and it was one of the most expensive cars I\u2019ve ever run. It never really ran well and then someone drove into it, the insurance decided to (foolishly) repair it and then the motor started burning oil. I sold it for about seven quid and vowed never to own an E34 again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2372\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02172-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2371\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02170-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So why, then, does the V5 of this once 525 now say Chris Harris on it? Well, the reality is that this car isn\u2019t a real M5. Again, some people will see that as a bad thing, but not Chris. This wasn\u2019t an overpriced, left-hook, factory M5. It\u2019s a fake, a fugazi, it has no following or any real provenance, and that appealed to Chris. He could (and did) buy it solely on the basis that it didn\u2019t cost the earth, but at the same time, he would get something that was fun. Something with genuine M5 power, but without genuine M5 \u2018sales tax\u2019. And it\u2019s an estate. Winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What of the car then? What\u2019s the spec? Well, as I mentioned earlier, it\u2019s running a 3.6 from a pre-facelift E34 M5. It has M5 axles, brakes, differential, steering, Bilstein suspension with H&amp;R springs, \u2018throwing star\u2019 alloys along with some other bits like the skirts, chin spoiler and full manual leather interior. The previous owner built the car in 2012 out of a 525 and an M5 that was, bodily, past its best. Given how gutless the 525 is, it was the right call. And with all the oily bits to go with the engine, this car is for all intents and purposes, an M5.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-2370\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02165-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, to test out the M5-ness of this E34, I had to drive it. I\u2019m lucky in that I have past from with a 3.6 E34 M5, albeit a saloon. With this in mind, I was keen to see what this Touring was like. Being a home brew special, I thought it might be a bit rattly, a bit\u2026 unresolved. It\u2019s not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Credit to whoever built it, because it feels every bit like an E34 should, hell, it feels like an E34 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M5 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should. It\u2019s got that weight of an E34 M5. If you\u2019ve not driven one, they have a presence. They feel more solid, more dense and solid at their core than a normal E34. You have power steering, you have servo brakes, but everything takes a bit of effort. Not too much. Just enough to pull you in and make you well aware that you are integral to the car\u2019s performance. You feel like a part of an M5, you don\u2019t just feel like a driver. This Touring gave me that sensation, except this time I could put a mattress in the back. Or a kitchen dresser.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2382 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Untitled2.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"591\" height=\"581\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out on the road, the Touring takes some persuasion to get going. The 3.6 isn\u2019t happy at low revs, it needs to breathe and it needs to stretch, and this comes when you get out of second and up into third. From then on, with the revs climbing, the car sings and becomes more alive, it feels lighter and more alert at that point. An M5 at 20mph is very different to an M5 at 80mph, and this Touring is exactly the same. Though I have to admit, I didn\u2019t want to be the guy who crashed Chris Harris\u2019 car, so on that wet Welsh morning, I took things easy. I was just out to see how it compared to the M5 I used to drive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2377\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02191-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt needs some cosmetic work, admits Chris. \u201cBut the lack of air-con hasn\u2019t worried me anything like as much I as I feared it would. The suspension needs a re-think, but otherwise it\u2019s spot on. I don\u2019t have to worry where I park and I love that engine. You need to rev it, but the quantity of performance is just what I need. A 600hp estate car is a court case waiting to happen. This isn\u2019t. And it sounds perfect. The exhaust is way too rowdy, but I\u2019ll fix that too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2378\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-2000x1125.jpg\" alt=\"E34, E34 M5, Top Gear, Chris Harris, BMW, BMW E34, BMW M5, BMW Touring\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-2000x1125.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-765x430.jpg 765w, https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC02200-1020x574.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For me, this is a refreshing take on what a daily should be. Chris has bought what is right for him, not what\u2019s expected. Not that I needed it to be confirmed, but this further cements Chris as a proper car guy. This M5-u-like has been bought to be used, to be given a damn good kicking, to be parked without fear or anxiety, but to also give Chris the tools he needs when he does want to press on a bit and have some fun. And he can get those bikes and the dogs in the back, and you can\u2019t do that with a right-hand drive E34 M5 &#8211; they don&#8217;t exist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the last word, I\u2019ll hand you back to Chris. \u201cAll in, it\u2019s a honey. And it cost less than the fancy leather and ceramic brakes on the E63S.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;If you're partial to a tea-fuelled garage-tinkering session, this could be the classic for you. Here's where you can find a BMW 5 Series E34 for sale.&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:513,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;12&quot;:0}\">If you&#8217;re partial to a tea-fuelled garage-tinkering session, this could be the classic for you. Here&#8217;s where you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/list\/10\/5+series+e34\/\">find a BMW 5 Series E34 for sale<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What you\u2019re looking at here is an E34 BMW M5 Touring. And just by saying that, I can hear some of you cracking your knuckles in readiness to type out&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":2369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[15,45,782,404,783,53,12,13,781,784,406,780,382,75,14,251],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BMW E34 Touring - It\u2019s Top Gear - Car &amp; Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you\u2019re presented with the opportunity to drive a BMW E34 Touring with an M5 engine wedged into it, you don\u2019t say no\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/bmw-e34-touring-its-top-gear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BMW E34 Touring - It\u2019s Top Gear - Car &amp; 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