--- title: "The E39 BMW 5 Series Could’ve Looked Much Different, Early Sketches Show" date: "2025-05-08" modified: "2025-05-08" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-e39-bmw-5-series-couldve-looked-much-different-early-sketches-show" categories: - "BMW News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "5 Series" - "BMW" - "sedan" --- # The E39 BMW 5 Series Could’ve Looked Much Different, Early Sketches Show ![BMW E39 sketch by Joji Nagashima]() *\BMW Classic via Instagram\* If you were to poll a group of [BMW]() enthusiasts about the best-looking [5 Series]() of all time, the E39 generation would likely snag the most votes. I would cast mine for the original E12-gen car that was co-created by the two legendary designers, Paul Bracq and Marcello Gandini, but what do I know? There's no sense arguing against the claim that the [E39 5 Series]() was a beautiful sedan, one that's aged like wine three decades on. However, it almost had a very different look, one that would have been far more futuristic at the time. [BMW Classic]() just shared some different, but ultimately rejected, design sketches for the E39 5 Series, penned by Joji Nagashima. Nagashima would eventually go on to create the finalized E39 design we've come to know and love. But it's interesting to see what his original vision for BMW's fourth-generation 5er was long before it went on sale. ![BMW E39 sketch by Joji Nagashima]() **BMW Classic via Instagram** Nagashima's original design—the white sedan at the top of the page, dated 1989—was vastly different from the one we eventually got. It was far more streamlined and had a bubbly, wraparound front end reminiscent of Italdesign's gorgeous [Nazca M12 and C2]() supercar concepts that followed. It wasn't quite as pretty as the Nazcas, and frankly reminds me a bit too much of the first-generation Dodge Intrepid, but there's an '80s-futurism to it that I find interesting. I also dig the big disc wheels. As we move to the sketch of the burgundy car, we can see shades of the eventual production model begin to appear. The kidneys, for example, are similar, as is the squinty nature of both the grilles and headlights being the same height across the front end. And while the hood lines are far curvier in this artwork, you can see how Nagashima eventually got to the finalized design. > [View this post on Instagram]() > [A post shared by BMW Classic (@bmwclassic)]() At the time of the first sketch, the E39's predecessor, the E34 5 Series, was only two years into production, with its ultra-boxy silhouette. So, what we're seeing from '89 was already radically different than anything BMW had previously made. Back then, BMW's design language was sharp and wedgy, but the company's artists were already looking well into the future. Chris Bangle is largely credited for BMW's drastic aesthetic departure of the mid-to-late '90s and early 2000s, for better or worse, but he didn't become chief of the brand's design department until 1992, three years after Nagashima drew up this swoopy sketch. I wonder if the E39 would still be considered the classic it is today if this look had been chosen instead. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()