Why Does the US M5 weigh more than the Euro M5?

Specific conversations and info for the BMW E28 M5 and M535i.
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e28blackbeauty
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Post by e28blackbeauty »

I was reading a spec sheet on the M5's and it said the US m5 weighed in at
3420lbs (1551kg) and the Euro weighed 3153lbs (1430kg) Why did the the Us weigh 300lbs more?

thanks,

matt
booker
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Post by booker »

Probably things like standard A/C, US bumpers/bumper shocks, standard power seats, etc...
monty23psk
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Post by monty23psk »

also sls system was more of an option in europe, standard in us.
BDK
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Post by BDK »

I would say most of the weight is in the U.S. F&R bumpers, SLS and Cat, all that could easily addd up to 300#'s.....

B
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Post by Guest »

[QUOTE="BNC"]I would say most of the weight is in the U.S. F&R bumpers, SLS and Cat, all that could easily addd up to 300#'s.....

B[/QUOTE]

Although the bumpers look like they would weigh alot more they don't. A few years ago on the Roach, I posted the weights of the US bumper system vs the Euro system. It wasn't a huge weight delta, I don't recall the amount, maybe 15 - 20 lbs more for the US bumper system.

The single largest item to account for most of the weight increase is the power seats, probably followed by A/C, then the SLS system. Another thing to consider is the sound deadening, the US/NA M5 has a much plusher interior than the typical Euro M5 and I believe the US/NA M5s had more sound deadening than the early Euro M5s. When you add up the small weight differences it adds up to the 300# delta between the US/NA and Euro M5s.

This is one of the reasons why the US/NA E28 M5 and E24 M6 had 3.91 LSD diffs vs the Euro version's having 3.73 diffs. This was to improve the acceleraton lost to the higher weight and 30 less HP.

Rich
'85 Euro M5
cgraff
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Post by cgraff »

Yes Indeed,

The US bumpers weigh ~30-40 lbs (front and rear) more than the euro set-up. So that is only ~10% of the total increase in weight.

If we were to weight the SLS components...the shock is 0.2 kg heavier than standard, the ARB switch is .35kg, hoses about .2kg each, 1.6kg for each pressure accumulator, 2.8 kg for the pump, .4kg for the tank...that's ~8 kg right there already, and not including the myraid of hardware and other parts. There's another probably 30-45 lbs in the SLS system.

A/C is very heavy. But I do not know for certain if the euro-spec car is weighed with A/C or without.

Each power seat motor is about 0.6 to 0.7 kg, and there are how many of them? 5 per seat? that's 6-7 kg in seat motors right there (~15 lbs)

Like Rich says, all the options start to add up in weight.

-Chris
BDK
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Post by BDK »

FYI....

I wieghed my federalized doors and the US M5 doors and they are very close in weight and I would bet the US standard are lighter than a federalized door....just fyi

No one addressed the cat issue either....uhhhumm......weight????

how about once clogged and full of debris???
Dana R
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Post by Dana R »

Don't forget the sunroof, and don't quote me on this, but I think power rear windows were optional. I'm sure that ac was optional. Leather seats weigh more than the cloth, too. All the leather around the dash and consoles is padded, too.
cgraff
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Post by cgraff »

Leather seats weigh more than the cloth, too. All the leather around the dash and consoles is padded, too.


Someone's gotta tell Duke! All his leather is adding weight his car shouldn't have! ;)

leather dash = 5.93 kg
standard dash = 3.81 kg

-Chris
eddie
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Post by eddie »

The catalytic converter is not a light item.

US power seats ... 65lbs!

It all adds up.

Maybe the paint is thicker?

Eddie in Seattle
BDK
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Post by BDK »

Maybe the Euro M5's only had 1 pinstripe and the US had 2, that's good for atleast 30#'s....

:D :D
Bryan in SB
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Post by Bryan in SB »

Point of reference.

My car has a sunroof, leather seats and A/C.

Loving it more every day! :D
Dinan e28
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Post by Dinan e28 »

Duke has cloth seats, does he have cloth door incerts as well?
RonP
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Post by RonP »

My euro M5 weighs almost as much as a US spec version with my fat ass in the drivers seat! Hey, if I can't make fun of myself then who can?
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