TheSmokingTire – 475HP Turbo BMW E34 535i Review – Video

Older BMWs are being driven around the US today only by two types of people: the poor and the enthusiasts. The first category is made up of those that just can’t afford to buy something newer and find themselves confined to keep going with an older model.

The second category, however, is made up of those people that really like to drive and maintain their car in working order and aren’t afraid of some axle grease every once in a while. One such guy is Justin, and you’re going to check out the video below, you’re going to notice him to the right of Matt Farah.

Matt has been testing out his followers’ rides for quite some time and he encountered some rather attractive models so far. This one is sitting somewhere towards the top of the food chain with its impressive specs.

Starting out as a standard E34 535i, this Bimmer is now fitted with a 475 HP 3.6-liter inline 6-cylinder M30 engine that’s also good for some 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) of torque, an amount of twist almost on par with the current M5 and M6 models.

 

With a weight of 3,300 lbs (1,500 kg), it’s a really fast ride and the turbo woosh is downright impressive. So impressive, as a matter of fact, that it almost completely covers up the sound of the engine.

To make it all work, forged pistons were needed, along with a UUC 6 puck ceramic clutch, Racing Dynamic struts, a new ECU and a Big Brake kit from Brembo, the famous F40 one that brings a lot of stopping power to the plate.

That’s just part of the work Justin’s put in, as he says this is the fourth engine setup used on this car since he bought it for $8,000 back in 1998. Today, he reckons it would be worth around $15,000, but that’s only if he manages to find the right buyer. But that’s beyond the point. As Justin says: “the idea is that you feel comfortable driving a 25-year-old car around the country.”

It seems like he did a great job as Matt looked even more impressed than when he reviewed an E34 M5 a while back.