The BMW E39 is the BMW 5 Series made between 1995 and 2003. The E39 was the successor of the BMW E34 in 1995, and itself was replaced by the E60 platform in 2003. Sales toGermany and the United Kingdom began in 1995, and by 1996 sales to the rest of the world had commenced. A mid-generational refresh appeared in 2001, featuring minute detail changes. At launch, the base model was the 520i, which developed 112 kilowatts (150 hp) in the pre-update models, and 126 kilowatts (170 hp) in later models. An M5 variant was introduced in 1998, with a 4.9 litre S62 V8 engine. All models but the M5 were available as either a saloon or a estate, the latter called Touring.
Introduced in Europe in 1995, the complete vehicle redesign draws heavily from the E38 7 Series in body construction and electronic technology. The mid-level BMW saloon showed evolutionary styling changes rather than a dramatic redesign. Initially offered only as a saloon, the wheelbase grew by 68 millimetres (2.7 in) and overall length by 55 millimetres (2.2 in) over the previous 5-series, the E34. In the US, the new 5 Series came in two forms: the 528i and 540i. The 1996 528i introduced a new M52 in-line six that it shared with the E36 328i, the 540i a 4.4 litre M62 V8 shared with the E38 740i. Both engines were upgraded over the prior 5 Series generation. The 2.8 litre dual overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine made 141 kilowatts (190 hp), versus 210 kilowatts (282 hp) for the 4.4 litre dual overhead camshaft, all-aluminum V8. A ZF five-speed manual transmission without overdrive was standard on the 528i, with an optional A4S 310 R four-speed automatic. The 540i, in contrast, could have either a Getrag six-speed manual or a new five-speed A5S 560Z automatic transmission with adaptive transmission control. Standard equipment on both models included dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, power steering, and air conditioning.
| Manufacturer | BMW |
|---|---|
| Production | 1995–2003 (1,533,123 built)[1] |
| Layout | Front engined, rear-wheel drive |
| Body style(s) | 4-door saloon 5-door Estate |
| Engine(s) | 2.0 L M52b20 l6 2.0 L M52b20TU l6 2.5 L M52b25 l6 2.5 L M52b25TU l6 2.8 L M52B28 I6 2.8 : M52B28TU l6 4.4 L M62B44 V8 2.5 L M54B25 I6 3.0 L M54B30 I6 4.9 L S62B50 V8 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed manual 4-speed automatic 5-speed automatic 6-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 2,830 mm (111.4 in) |
| Length | 4,775 mm (188.0 in) (saloon) 4,806 mm (189.2 in) (estate) |
| Width | 1,801 mm (70.9 in) |
| Height | 1,435 mm (56.5 in) (saloon) 1,415 mm (55.7 in) (2000-03 540i saloon) 1,440 mm (56.7 in) (1997-99 estate) 1,417 mm (55.8 in) (1997-99 540i saloon) 1,486 mm (58.5 in) (2000-03 estate) |
