BMW M535i - the ultimate shark nosed BMW?

There’s nothing quite like a shark nosed BMW in our opinion.

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s when a BMW (or any other foreign car for that matter) was a rare site, BMW’s were top of the pile. Labelled as “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, they were not just the best to drive they were built better than their British competitors too

The ultimate in shark nosed BMWs for many was the E28 M5, but it’s long forgotten predecessor was the E12 M535i, albeit this was the first BMW M-technic marketed BMW rather than being a proper M Power vehicle. The M535i was also available in E28 format and offers a cost-effective alternative to the more highly strung M5.

At one point the quickest car BMW made (140mph, 0-60mph in 7.4sec), it was fast, agile but potentially lethal in the wet. As a result many ended up stuffed into a ditch or artfully bent around a tree. The second-generation E28 cars are more plentiful and easier to live and this is our feature car today. The raw material consists of a massively characterful and hugely durable 3.5-litre straight six, with 220bhp and 220lb ft, Bilstein gas dampers, and a limited slip diff for sideways fun. Unusually for many BMWs of the time, the interior was highly spec’d featuring a leather interior with Recaros, electric mirrors and even heated door locks.

Today these are still available for bargain prices and we found this BMW M535i on ebay (where else!) for £2,250, although the seller is open to offers so if you are lucky you might just get it for under £2000.

The present owner has had it for just over two years but more importantly the car comes complete with substantial history dating back to when the car was first purchased. It’s got 157K miles on the clock but these cars were built to last so it could be fine for many more to come without problem. Our biggest concern would be an Automatic gearbox which can prove expensive to fix, though this one is described as “runs through the gears very smoothly and seamlessly” so seems to be fine, and the benefit of an automatic is they rarely get driven as hard as a manual.

These can go rusty but this one seems to be in great condition for its 25 yrs with just a few stone chips and minor scratches and a tine but of rust around the rear wheel arch (a known BMW weakness on most models) so fairly easy to get into concours condition or perhaps in reality something you can use without worrying about picking up the odd supermarket car park ding. More importantly  (as parts get harder to come by) the interior is very tidy with no rips or tears on the leather and “the back seats look like they've been barely sat on in the last 25 years”.

Although the pictures show it on aftermarket rims it does come with the originals included in the sale as well.

So, if you want a “real” BMW, made before they became flabbier and made for “joy” rather than driving then this M535i might be a good place to start.