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BMW 5-series II (E28) gallery (1981–1988)

An evolutionary masterpiece that refined BMW's middleweight formula and birthed the original high-performance executive saloon.

All photos 802 I (E12) 48 1972–1981 II (E28) 23 1981–1988 III (E34) 13 1987–1996 IV (E39) 17 1995–2004 V (E60/E61) 53 2003–2010 VI (F10/F11/F07) 397 2010–2017 VII (G30/G31) 199 2016–2023 VIII (G60/G61) 31 2023
bmw 5-series pic #63674 1024 x 768 67 5-series E28
bmw 5-series pic #36438 1024 x 768 107 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36437 1024 x 768 108 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36436 1024 x 768 104 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36435 1024 x 768 112 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36434 1024 x 768 112 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36433 1024 x 768 102 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36432 1024 x 768 101 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36431 1024 x 768 100 5-series E28
bmw 5-series pic #36430 1024 x 768 97 5-series E28
bmw 5-series pic #36429 1024 x 768 65 5-series E28
bmw 5-series pic #36428 1024 x 768 78 5-series E28
bmw 5-series pic #36427 1024 x 768 69 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36426 1024 x 768 70 (1981-1987)
bmw 5-series pic #36425 1024 x 768 76 (1981-1987)

Building on its predecessor's success, the E28 arrived in 1981 with a sleeker profile, improved aerodynamics, and a significantly modernized interior featuring a center console angled directly toward the driver. It introduced electronic engine management, ABS braking options, and early onboard diagnostics, asserting BMW's technological ambition in the executive class.

The E28 cemented its place in automotive history when BMW Motorsport installed the M1-derived inline-six engine to create the first-ever M5. That unassuming sedan could outrun exotic supercars of its day while carrying a family in total comfort, establishing the E28 as the definitive sleeper sedan of the 1980s.