The article said all photos by the author Martin Vincent Autocar magazine (UK) November 2 1988. If you look at the above photos, the pics of the 525i and the 530i look a little different in terms of cam cover ribbing. But compare both to the 535i engine pictured, the smaller engines are both further from the radiator, the 535i six looks physically bigger, as you would expect.Mike W. wrote: ↑May 09, 2021 4:17 PM Granted Realoem is not perfect. Pretty good, but not perfect. But look at Schmiedmann too. They show it as a M30 with M30 parts including a timing chain. I suspect the picture is something BMW supplied to the press and is in fact an M20 in a 525i. It was a short run before it was replaced with the 3.0 V8, but everything I see, have heard of and seen says it's a M30. As you know they weren't available here so I haven't seen one in the flesh, but all the parts say M30.
According to the European reports the 192 hp 24 valve 525i was seen as the six cylinder 530i's replacement. When the new M60 V8s came out later they were seen as jointly replacing the M30B35 powered 535i.
I would like to see a picture of the poster's engine compartment if possible. It may or may not match the photo in Autocar's 1988 article.