Perfect Sports Sedan?

Unlike its predecessors, the E39 M5 was not handbuilt at the BMW M GmbH factory; it was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory in Germany.

Introduced in 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show, production did not begin until late October of that year. A total of 20,482 E39 M5s were made from 1998 to 2003. BMW M produced three versions of the E39 M5, the European LHD and RHD versions and the North American specification version.The BMW M5-E39 had a highly tuned V8 engine based on the M62 engine called the S62, which displaced 4.9 L and produced 400 bhp (294 kW). The engine featured a 7000 RPM redline, Double-VANOS, which varies the intake and exhaust valves for both cylinder banks, and individual throttle butterflies for each of the cylinders, allowing for a much faster engine response time.

All E39 M5s were equipped with a Getrag Type D six-speed manual transmission with the following gearing ratios:
4.23(1), 2.54(2), 1.62(3), 1.23(4), 1.00(5), 0.83(6)

It is the same transmission used in the E39 540i but some changes were made to cope with the extra power the S62 engine produced. A reinforced clutch, rear differential utilizing a shorter 3.15:1 ratio and a limited slip differential with 25% maximum locking.

Although we've never tested a perfect sports sedan before, the E 39 M5 comes as close as we've ever tested. Worth every penny when they were new, they may be the best bargain in the preowned car world today, and sure to hold their value or increase in value. The E39 M5 is not a cheap car to maintain, maybe one of the most expensive, and one should consider the total cost of ownership when considering the purchase of one.

Condition and maintenance history should be paramount over mileage when seeking an M5, because we've seen 200,000 mile plus E39 M5s that have the original engine with little more than routine maintenance that drive like new. With that being said, only a handful of cars provide the sheer power and driving pleasure of the E39 and those are three to ten times more expensive and few have the creature comforts of the M5. To sum it up the E39 M5 is a race car wrapped in luxury clothing, once driven by a true automotive enthusiast, nothing else will satisfy you again, except perhaps a new M5!

(Pictures courtesy of Top Speed, article courtesy of Automotive Enthusiast)