Unknown Concept Cars #4: The 1989 BMW E34 M5 Convertible

I’m back at home after my Croatia vacation, so it’s time for another “Unknown Concept Cars” post! And, surprise surprise, it’s once again about a one-off BMW. As mentioned a couple of times already, this is not a BMW-exclusive series, but they just made loads of cool concept cars over the years - plus, this one in particular, I’ve always wanted to write about, and it was even requested in the last post by Adrien Duval. So, here it is - the story behind the one and only E34 M5 Convertible.

As you (probably) know, the E34 is the third generation of BMW’s 5-Series lineup, following on the E12 and the E28 generations. It went into production in 1987 and was made until 1996, before being replaced by the E39 5-Series. During that time, it was only available in two body styles, as a traditional sedan, or as a “Touring” - that wasn’t always the plan, though. By 1989, BMW had cooked up a two-door convertible version, which came surprisingly close to entering production. In the end however, it didn’t - you’ll see why in a second - and so all that remains is this beautiful E34 M5 Convertible concept, stored away in one of BMW’s secret parking garages somewhere around Munich.

The idea was simple: Take a five-series, get rid of the rear doors, make the front ones longer so it would be easier on the eye, and swap the metal roof for a foldable fabric one. That’s exactly what the BMW engineers did, creating one of the sleekest looking convertibles of all time. The concept was set to be presented at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, the lot for it was already booked, and even the base price of 50,000 GBP (56,000€ / $64,000) had been agreed on by the officials.

But then, just one week before the intended debut, BMW pulled the plug. Why? They were worried that a production version of the E34 M5 Convertible would also raise high demands for an entry-level, non-M convertible version, which would end up ruining the sales figures of the popular E30 3-Series convertible. Unbelievably, that was the single reason that one of the best-looking convertibles of the late 80s never became a real thing, and that all that’s left of the project is this one-off concept car.

It really is a shame that the E34 convertible never became reality - an elegant four-seater convertible with a 340 hp inline-six engine is probably the wet dream of every BMW fanboy out there. At least today, we’ve got the 6-Series convertible and the M6 - no, hang on, they just got discontinued in favor of a 6 Series GT, but the new 8-Series coupe and convertible as well as the M8 are just around the corner. And whilst I personally think that the new 8-Series is the best looking modern BMW in the world - does it beat the sleek elegance of the E34 M5 Convertible? Hmm… No.

Do you love this car as much as I do? Comment below! Oh, and you can also suggest some other concept cars for future episodes!
Tobi aka The Stig’s German Cousin