Page 59 - Car South Africa (February 2020)

01 No power steering here. Comfortable
05
Scheel bucket seats trimmed in blue
cloth. 02 Dog-leg five-speeder feels
tactile and allows for quick shifts. 03
Air-con has been ditched as one of
myriad weight-saving measures. 04 The
E12 racecar made its track debut at the
Republic Day Trophy race in ’76. 05 Based
on the 525i, the 530 MLE was fitted with
lightweight BBS Mahle wheels.

halo models. Driving side by side,
the F90 dwarfs the first-genera-
tion Five and provides a unique
photo opportunity. Inching closer
to the tracking vehicle, a light
Origin of M response from the stoppers. How-
prod on the brakes garners a faint

ever, their bite should improve
the more the car is driven, as it
still needs to be run in.
The M5 bids its South African

Finally restored to its former glory, we were given the rare relative auf Wiedersehen and
opportunity to drive the special SA-built 1976 BMW 530 MLE on track makes its way into the pits. With
one final lap remaining, I steer
the 530 MLE onto the straight.
By: Marius Boonzaier Marius_CARmag
Boasting 15 first-place finishes
Photos: Rob Till
from as many consecutive starts,
thus handing BMW three cham-
he mechanical units of the road-going version the five-speeder’s double-H layout pionship titles in three years, the
odometer reads were assembled the following before making a calculated shift E12 remains the most successful
143 950 km. An year. It’s believed only a few into second gear followed by a racing 5 Series in history.
T intricate dog-leg shift 530 MLEs remain in existence swift downward movement into I twist the metal key anti-
left and down puts the 530 MLE’s (just one racecar has survived) third.The close-ratio cog-swapper clockwise.The free-breathing
Getrag-sourced gearbox into first. and this is one of them. enables effortless changes. It’s six-cylinder goes to rest. The
The clutch response is in stark This car (serial number 770100) a pure, tactile experience. Sited odometer reads 143 960 km. I
contrast to the reaction of the belonged to BMW racing driver above the delicate lever’s wooden have a good feeling soon this
weighty accelerator. Releasing and race-team manager Peter knob is the original Sanyo Rally item’s numbered tumblers will
the left pedal with just the right Kaye-Eddie. It’s fitting that four II car radio. A centrally mounted continue rolling. Diederik Reits-
amount of throttle input requires previous employees of BMW analogue clock is surrounded by a ma, general manager of group
skill. But the tachometer’s needle South Africa who worked on plastic roundel dial, which can be communications at BMW SA, says
steadily rises and with it the the MLE production line in 1976 rotated to adjust the speed of the his wish for the restored 530 MLE
note of the atmospheric in- assisted with the restoration blowers; it’s an elegant design.The is that it’s never relegated to a
line-six. It resonates through the process carried out under the di- minute hand settles on 17h35. Of museum display but rather that it
cabin as the 3,0-litre’s revolu- rection of Luis Malhou of Custom my allocated 15 minutes with the be enjoyed on the road: driven, as
tions increase from adagio to a Restorations.The MLE is immacu- MLE, only 10 remain. it should be.
dynamic beat until it reaches a late, with only subtle wear on the Retracing its track-focused
crescendo. Car number 100 sets inside revealing its vintage. twin’s steps around Kyalami –
off down the main straight at Slight vibrations pulse through although at a more sedate pace Fast facts
Kyalami Circuit a mere two the cockpit. The speedometer than with lap times in mind
weeks after the completed pro- needle hovers over 50 km/h. – warrants concentration. This Engine: 3,0-litre, 6-cyl, petrol
ject was unveiled to the rhythm Windows rolled down, there’s no is interrupted by a V8 baritone Transmission: 5-speed manual
of Mango Groove’s “Special star”. synthesized sound permeating harmonizing with the MLE’s high- Power: 147 kW @ 6 000 r/min
Only 110 examples of the the MLE’s cockpit; it’s mechan- pitched six. A new-generation Torque: 277 N.m @ 4 300 r/min
type-1 530 MLE (Motorsport Lim- ical yet warm. Ample feedback M5 briefly occupies its spiritual 0-100 km/h: 9,3 seconds* (9,2**)
ited Edition) were produced at is relayed from the tarmac to forebear’s side mirror. The South Top speed: 208 km/h* (196,3**)
Rosslyn in Pretoria as homologa- the leather-clad tiller, which African-built 530 is arguably the Weight: 1 233 kg* (1 405**)
tion vehicles of the ’76 E12 race- requires a gradual tilt as the MLE genesis of all M cars. Engraved on Price in 1976: R10 595
car, which competed in the local approaches a left-hand corner. its engine plaque is the renowned *Claimed figures **Tested by CAR
Modified Production Series until The unusual dog-leg transmis- single letter M, which has come to (January 1977)
the mid-1980s. An additional 117 sion necessitates a quick glance at signify the Bavarian automaker’s

CARmag.co.za CAR FEBRUARY 2020 57