I own 530iA and have driven 535iM and 540iA (archive)

The stock 530 does not compare to the 540 as the difference in torque and gearing is indeed very noticeable. The suspension on the 530 and 540 are identical (at least on the 94's.) The 535iM is somewhere between the 530 and 540. Consider the 535iM if you want fun-to-drive bang for your buck.

I did quite a few upgrades to my 530iA because it felt too underpowered and the gearing leads to a big yawn in the off the line experience. So here's what I did: chipped DME and tranny; high stall speed torque converter; lowered final drive ratio plus limited slip diff; free flow exhaust; sway bars, springs and struts; big brakes. Now I can keep up with 540iA and E28 M5 on the track (at least through 0-100 mph range) but they have higher top end.

Mango
'94 Dinan III 530iA

Hi all!

I'm considering buying an E34.

I'm already leaning toward a 540... but is the 530 close enough in performance to the 540 that finding that low mileage *perfect* 530 should sway me to that car?

I'm anticipating that the 540 has far more performance from it's larger engine, which should equate to a lot more
(torque) fun!

Also, are aftermarket suspension mods necessary to get rid of unwanted body lean or did BMW produce a "sports suspension" as standard on the 540 vs. the lesser 5ers?

feedback?

steve

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