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BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981)

Down the strip

About the 5 Series 518 90

The 1981 BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) is a rear-drive naturally aspirated saloon of 1,160 kg with 89 bhp, which works out at 76 bhp per tonne. Rear drive and 76 bhp per tonne make the launch the hard part of the run: 60 ft takes 3.42 s. Against the 14,946 cars in the set it is the 13,037th quickest to 60 mph, and the 1,292nd quickest of the 1324 BMWs here. Its 75.0 mph trap speed sits about where its 0-60 puts it, so it launches and pulls in roughly equal measure. The simulation is trimmed to 2 of 2 published acceleration figures for this car.

On paper

Similar cars

Picked for a fair race, not just a matching 0-60: pace, power-to-weight and body shape all count, and at most one is from the same maker.

Head to head

Where these times sit

Put this race on your own page

<iframe src="https://myautoracer.com/?a=bmw-5-series-518-90-66-1981&amp;b=chevrolet-aveo-sedan-1-2-86-63-2011&amp;embed=1" width="100%" height="880" style="border:0;border-radius:6px" loading="lazy" allow="fullscreen; web-share" allowfullscreen title="BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) versus Chevrolet Aveo Sedan 1.2 86, simulated"></iframe> <p><a href="https://myautoracer.com/">Race simulator by My Auto Racer</a></p> Copy

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Questions

What is the BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) 0-60 time?

The BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) reaches 60 mph in 12.23 s, simulated on dry asphalt at 20 °C with a 1 ft rollout. That makes it the 13,037th quickest of the 14,946 cars in the set.

What is the BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) quarter mile time?

19.36 s at 75.0 mph. It reaches the eighth mile in 12.74 s and clears the first 60 ft in 3.42 s. These are theoretical times from a physics simulation, not measured runs.

How much power does the BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) have?

89 bhp and 1,160 kg, which is 76 bhp per tonne. It is rear-drive, naturally aspirated, with 4 gears and a quoted top speed of 164 km/h. These are theoretical times from a physics simulation, not measured runs.

What cars are comparable to the BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981)?

Closest here on pace: Chevrolet Aveo Sedan 1.2 86 (12.21 s), Lincoln Continental four-door 7.5 V8 206 (12.28 s), Subaru Impreza 1.5 105 (12.22 s). Each one can be raced against the BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) in the panel at the top of this page. These are theoretical times from a physics simulation, not measured runs.

Are these real measured times?

No. Every figure on this page is produced by a physics simulation, not by a stopwatch at a drag strip. The BMW 5 Series 518 90 (1981) is modelled from its published kerb mass, rated power, drivetrain and gearing, then trimmed until it reproduces 2 of its 2 published acceleration figures. Conditions are the same for every car in the set: dry asphalt, 20 °C, sea level, 1 ft rollout.

Figures regenerated 2026-10-12. Every number on this page is computed by the simulator at build time, so the page and the app can never disagree.