BMW 6 Series (E24)


The BMW E24 is the first generation of BMW 6 Series grand tourer coupés which was produced from January 1976 to 1989 and replaced the BMW E9 coupés.
The E24 was produced solely in a 2-door coupe body style. Aside from the M635CSi models, the E24 was powered by a range of BMW M30 six-cylinder engines. Initially based on the E12 5 Series chassis, the E24 switched to the newer E28 5 Series chassis in 1982.
The M635CSi is the first of the BMW M6 model line and is the third BMW M-badged car. It is powered by the M88/3 straight-six engine. In North America, the vehicle is badged as "M6" and uses the less powerful BMW S38 engine.
Although the BMW 8 Series was released as production of the E24 was ending, the 8 Series is considered a separate model line and therefore not a successor to the E24. The E24's successor, the E63 6 Series, was released in 2004 after a 16-year hiatus.

Development and production

The initial proposal for the E24 was based on a BMW E9 3.0 CS with an increased height, in order to make it easier for customers to get into the car. However, Bob Lutz rejected the proposal, eventually leading to the shape of the E24 in its production form. The E24 was designed by Paul Bracq. Unlike its E9 predecessor, the body of the E24 has a B pillar.
Production started in January 1976 with the 630CS and 633CSi in February 1976. A total of 86,216 cars were built prior to production ending in April 1989.
Originally the bodies were manufactured by Karmann, but production was later taken in-house to BMW.

Engines

Figures are for European specification models, unless otherwise stated.
ModelYearsEngineDisplacementPowerTorque
628CSi1979-1987M30B282788 cc
at 5,800 rpm
at 4,200 rpm
630CS1976-1979M30B30V2986 cc
at 5,800 rpm
at 3,500 rpm
630CSi*1976-1977M30B302986 cc
at 5,500 rpm
at 4,500 rpm
633CSi1976-1979M30B323210 cc
at 5,500 rpm
at 4,300 rpm
633CSi1979-1984M30B323210 cc
at 5,500 rpm
at 4,250 rpm
635CSi1978-1982M903453 cc
at 5,200 rpm
at 4,000 rpm
635CSi1982-1987M30B343430 cc
at 5,500 rpm
at 4,000 rpm
635CSi1987-1989M30B343430 cc
at 5,700 rpm
at 4,000 rpm
635CSi1987-1989M30B35 Cat.3430 cc
at 5,700 rpm
at 4,000 rpm
M635CSi1984-1989M88/33453 cc
at 6,500 rpm
at 4,500 rpm
M635CSi / M61987-1989 / 1986-1988 S38B35 Cat.3453 cc
at 6,500 rpm
at 4,500 rpm

* U.S. only

Transmissions

Initially, the E24 was available with a 4-speed manual transmission, a 5-speed manual transmission, or a 3-speed automatic transmission.
In 1983 the automatic transmission was upgraded to a 4-speed ZF 4HP22.

Suspension and steering

Front suspension consists of MacPherson struts and the rear suspension is independent semi-trailing arms. In 1982, the front suspension was upgraded to include twin-pivot lower control arms and the geometry of the rear suspension was revised.
The steering uses a recirculating ball system with power assistance.

M version

The M635CSi model, introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983, is the first in the line of M6 models. In 1987, the equivalent model for the North American market was introduced and badged simply 'M6'.
The M635CSi is powered by a version of the BMW M88/3 straight-six engine. The North American M6 vehicle is powered by the detuned version of the BMW S38 straight-six engine, which has a lower compression ratio and uses a catalytic converter.
Over its production run from 1983 through 1989, 5,855 /M6 cars were built, 1,767 of which were for the North American market.

Model year changes

1978

In July 1978, the more powerful 635CSi variant was introduced. The 635CSi featured a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox and a single piece black rear spoiler. The M90 engine's bigger bore and shorter stroke resulted in and increased torque in models without a catalytic converter. The aerodynamic changes reduced uplift at high speeds by almost 15% over the other E24 models.

1979

In 1979 the carburetted 630CS was replaced with the 628CSi; this car had a fuel-injected 2.8L engine taken from the E12 528i. An anti-lock braking system became available as an option.

1980

In 1980, the fuel-injection systems changed from Bosch L-jetronic to Bosch Motronic. The 635CSi central locking system could now be operated from the passenger door and trunk.

1982 facelift

In 1982, the E24 platform changed from the E12 5 Series to the E28 5 Series, resulting changes to exterior styling, engines, chassis, suspension, electronics and the interior. The struts in the new front suspension were double-linked ones, making the car less likely to dip under hard braking. The new rear axle was nearly identical to the trailing arm layout of the E28 528i, with a new pitman arm to control camber changes. Meanwhile, the ventilated rear discs had proven a needless complication and were replaced with solid ones.
The 635CSi engine was updated to the M30B34, which used a smaller bore and longer stroke than the previous M90 engine. The 635CSi became available with a wide-ratio 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

1987

E24s produced after June 1987 were fitted with ellipsoid headlamps, as per the recently introduced E32 7 Series. The front and rear bumpers and spoilers were redesigned to use a single design worldwide.
The 635CSi engine was updated to the higher compression M30B35, which resulted in a power increase of for engines with catalytic converters.

North American and Japanese model range

Although other markets offered multiple E24 models, in North America only one model was available at any given time.

630CSi

In 1977, the 6 series was released in the US as the 630CSi. The 630CSi is powered by a fuel-injected version of the 630CS engine. This 3.0 litre engine produces and.

633CSi

The 630CSi was replaced in September 1977 by the 633CSi. In United States/Japan specification, the 633CSi was powered by a version of the M30B32 engine. Output later dropped to.
In September 1980, the manual transmission for US cars was upgraded from a 4-speed to a 5-speed. A 3-speed automatic transmission was optional.
In September 1982, North American and Japanese market models received a major facelift, as per the models sold in the rest of the world.

635CSi

In 1985, the 633CSi was replaced by the 635CSi for the North American Market. This model uses the M30B34 engine, which produces and at 4,000 rpm. An L6 "luxury edition" version of the 635CSi was available in North America for the 1987 model year. The L6 featured leather headliner and trim and an automatic gearbox.
In 1988, the engine was upgraded to the M30B35. This engine has a capacity of 3.4 Litres and produces and torque. This upgraded engine resulted in catalytic converter equipped United States models offering similar performance to European models. Self-leveling rear suspension was added to the 635CSi and M6 features list.

M6

In 1987, North America and Japan received their equivalent of the M635CSi, called simply the M6. The main difference between the M6 and its European counterpart, is that the S38 engine is used instead of the M88. Compared with the M88, the S38 has a catalytic converter, the compression ratio reduced to 9.8:1, a double row timing chain, a shorter camshaft duration and a simplified exhaust manifold. The power output for the North American E24 M6 is, which is less than the European M635CSi.
Standard equipment on the United States market M6 cars included many features which were optional on the European cars, including heated power seats, self-leveling rear suspension, beverage chiller between the rear seats, air-conditioning vents for rear seat occupants, sunshade for rear occupants and an 8 speaker premium sound system.

Motorsport

Achievements in championships and series:
Race wins: