BMW enthusiasts danced in streets all across America for the 1987-88 model year. In a one, two, three punch, BMW of North America brought us the M3, M5 and M6 in rapid succession. Investments were sold. Mortgages were assumed. Work hours were increased. Marriages were dissolved. Power-starved Americans needed M car’s Air ride suspension.
While in what by then had become true to form, the U.S.-spec M6 represented a severely detuned version of the fire-breathing European M635CSi, but the fact remained that we now had the real double overhead cam engine and suspension and conversion kits. We lived with the fact that it was reduced to 9.8:1 CR, producing 256 bhp at 6500 rpm and 243 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm versus the 10.5:1 European version’s 286 bhp and 251 lb-ft of torque at the same engine speeds. Later, Mr. Conforti would help our numbers out quite a bit with the simple addition of a chip–and Sunoco 94 octane gasoline in those fortunate areas of the country that have it.
The final 635CSi version marks the pinnacle of non-M U.S. E24 performance. Advances in Bosch Motronic technology allowed a compression ratio increase to 9.0:1, resulting in 208 bhp at 5700 rpm and 225 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. U.S. enthusiasts were finally vindicated with something at least approaching rest-of-the-world performance as the venerable M30 engine soldiered on into the 1990s, durable and dependable as ever.
But the hard edge present in the 1985-87 635CSi was softened for 1988-89. The E24 took a decidedly luxurious turn in the U.S., a marked departure from its road-burning personality elsewhere. Almost all had automatic transmissions, even though the L6 was nixed in favor of universally increased leather content. Rear seat air conditioning and a cigarette lighter coddled passengers, while the center armrest became an air conditioning-cooled beer cooler that was perfect for those long road trips through Texas. A 3.64 differential ratio helped even things out.
Outside, the big news was BMW’s switch to “world” bumpers for the 1988 model year, relegatingwThe second-generation (E-28) U.S. 635CSi and among the most common 6ers still found on the road. This example junked its TRX wheels, air ride suspension and tires in favor of Hartge alloys. the previous big aluminum units to the history books. The TRX scourge continued unabated, but ellipsoid technology headlights allowed a slight improvement for U.S.-legal headlight efficiency. Unfortunately, U.S.-spec ellipsoid halogens still fell far short of the Hella H1/H4 headlights used in the rest of the world and commonly fitted by those in the know here as well. Double unfortunately, H1/H4s did not fit in the ellipsoid headlight buckets.
