Why buy an E39 M5?

I am often asked by friends why I bought an E39 M5. I did what I thought was a lot of research on the E39 M5 model before I bought it and went in with my eyes wide open. But after 10,000 miles in the Beast there's some things that can only be learned by ownership. Make no mistake about it - the M5 is an expensive car to maintain. However, the M5 is a car that will reward you and bring a smile to your lips every time you drive her.
The M5 wears many masks and it wears them well. It's a quiet luxury car (that beautiful leather dash and alcantara headliner) with tremendously comfortable seats and leather appointments like only BMW can do. The no nonsense gauges with a real oil temperature gauge! It's a performance sedan that you can haul your children in the back seat and have plenty of trunk room for vacation baggage. It's a high performance road racing car that has tremendous low end power. The brakes will stop you so fast, your eyeballs feel like they may pop out. It corners like it's on rails.
It's reasonably economical on the highway at 23 mpg. It makes an understated styling statement with that small spoiler on the trunk, that tiny M5 badge on the door and that well designed front air dam. Then there's the six speed manual transmission that shifts like butter. There's the incredible S62 engine which is a mechanical masterpiece and I rarely use the radio on short trips so I can listen to the music of the engine. Most of all, it's how well all of this works together. The M5 embodies BMW's ultimate driving machine theme.
Many people buy them today because it's a lot of car for the money - average is in the low $20,000s US. What many fail to realize is that it was a $73,000 car when new and requires the parts and maintenance of a sports car of that price. Most owners put a lot of money in preventative maintenance and there are numerous M5s with over 100,000 miles on them and some with over 200,000 miles on them without a major engine or drive line problem. The car begs to be driven hard and going through $1200 worth of tires in 12,000 miles is common.
Oil changes with TWS can run $190 at a dealer and even something as simple as a fuel filter, is not an easy or cheap do it yourself job on the M5. Then there's the VANOS and the rod main bearings, which if the car is maintained well and not abused should work well for a very long time. The E39 M5s have a driving history mostly unknown by their current owners. The list of original owner M5s is shrinking every day. One thing is for sure - THE E39 M5 IS DESTINED TO BE A CLASSIC! It's not the kind of classic you keep under a tarp and trailer to auto shows, it's the kind that begs to be driven every day.