The BMW 525i was the most successful model of the BMW 5 Series (E34). Most customers regarded it as the best compromise between economy and driving performance. Initially equipped with the M20 engine and two-valve technology familiar from older series (170 hp), it was fitted with the new four-valve engine (M50), now generating an output of 192 hp, from May 1990 onwards. From September 1992, the M50TU was installed with VANOS at the intake camshaft. The expanded standard equipment of the BMW 525i essentially differed from the basic models. This included ABS, a more muscular transmission and an instrument cluster with an LC display taken over from the 7 Series. In 1991, the African artist Esther Mahlangu created an Art Car from this vehicle type.