1988 BMW M5

This car will be available for public preview at RADwood on Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 4:00pm - 8:00pm located at the Hagerty tent at the Gold Bar Hangar. Visit RADwood.com for additional information, including free admission.

BMW Motorsport built the E28 M5 by hand, fitting the 5-Series sedan with a 3.5-liter S38, a twin-cam, 24-valve inline-six rated at 256 horsepower in U.S. trim. It was paired with a Getrag five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, along with revised suspension and brakes. Outwardly, the M5 looked much like other 5 Series sedans, with subtle M badging among the few clues to what was underneath. North American buyers got the E28 M5 for the 1988 model year only.

Like all U.S.-spec M5s, this example is finished in Jet Black over tan leather upholstery. The car rides on later-model BMW Style 19 two-piece alloy wheels made by BBS and is fitted with H&R Sport Springs and a Nakamichi stereo. A limited-slip differential, sport seats, and the three-spoke M-Tech steering wheel were standard for the model.

Included service records dating to 1999 show it was maintained by Phaedrus Independent BMW in San Francisco through 2014 and later by shops in the Sacramento area. Per the invoices, the front brakes use E31 8-Series components. In May 2023, it received a cosmetic reconditioning at SEA Works in Rancho Cordova, California.