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One-of-Seven BMW M535i Lightweight Leads a Secret Barn Tour
A rare South African-built BMW M535i Lightweight, one of only seven examples, is showcased in a new video that also reveals a private European car collection and the marque's unique local history.
By Eleanor Ellington · 4 min read
A rare South African-built BMW M535i Lightweight, one of only seven examples, has been revealed in a new video that offers a rare glimpse into the country's unique automotive heritage. The footage, published by the YouTube channel e34xpeditions, follows the owner as he drives the car before opening the doors to his private barn, which houses a collection of vintage European machines and tells the story of BMW's unconventional manufacturing in South Africa.
The car at the centre of the video is an E12-generation M535i, but it is far from a standard model. Known informally as the E12/8, this hybrid combines the older E12 body with interior components from the E28 generation, which replaced it in Europe in 1981. In South Africa, however, production of the older body continued, with BMW installing newer elements such as the E28-style dashboard and instrument cluster. The result was a car that existed nowhere else.
The featured example is even more unusual. It is one of only seven M535i "lightweight" versions built in South Africa, a designation earned through a stripped-down equipment list. There is no radio, air conditioning, onboard computer, or rear headrests, and BMW also deleted the power-operated seats and windows. This removal of comfort features reportedly saves around 60 kilograms compared with a conventionally equipped model.
Under the bonnet sits a 3.5-litre M90 inline-six engine, which is itself a hybrid. It combines a block closely related to the M88 used in the BMW M1 with a simpler single-overhead-cam cylinder head derived from the M30 family. The engine produces approximately 215 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed dog-leg manual transmission. A limited-slip differential, upgraded suspension, larger brakes, and BMW Motorsport hardware made the M535i a spiritual predecessor to the original M5.
The video spends considerable time on the car's details before taking it on the road. The owner explains its unusual construction, points out the stripped-down equipment, and allows the hosts to experience the M90 engine in action. By modern standards, 215 horsepower may sound modest, but in a lightweight early 1980s sedan with a manual gearbox, it is more than sufficient.
The second part of the video moves inside the owner's barn, where the M535i becomes just one chapter in a larger collection. Vintage Lancias share space with classic Mercedes-Benz and Bentley models, along with several other European cars accumulated over the years. The BMWs also provide an opportunity to discuss the company's unusual South African history.
Among the other BMWs in the collection are a BMW 2000 SA and its successor, the BMW 2004 SA. The 2000 SA traced its body back to the Pietro Frua-designed Glas 1700, adopted after BMW acquired Glas in 1966. It received BMW power but famously lacked familiar styling cues such as the kidney grille and round headlights. The short-lived 2004 corrected that with a BMW-style front end and other cosmetic changes, including its unusual E12-inspired rear lights, which were installed upside down.
These cars helped establish BMW production in Rosslyn and laid the groundwork for later South Africa-only specials. Together, the M535i and the cars surrounding it demonstrate how local manufacturing created an entirely separate branch of BMW history, one that continues to fascinate enthusiasts and collectors alike.
