You’ve seen them on this site before, we like German station wagons, particularly those that come with M, RS, or AMG badges.
2002 BMW 525iT Touring Sport Wagon M5 clone on eBay
The owner of this wagon made an attempt to fill the gap left when BMW decided not to make an E39 M5 Touring. The car sort of gets it right. I say only sort of because while it looks the part, it started life as the lowly 525iT. We have seen some better M5 Touring clones using the 540iT as a starting point. The car does have an M5 body kit though to give it a more aggressive look.
To make up for the lack of cylinders and power this 2.5 liter six has been boosted by an ASA / Infinitas supercharger with an intercooler. Power estimates aren’t given, but depending on what kind of boost this setup is running it could be putting out closer to 250 horsepower rather than the stock 180. Unfortunately power is still fed through the stock automatic.
I like the Alpina Dynamic replica rims painted to match they add to the look. The eyebrows and M badges and tricolor fender flags also look nice. A dual exhaust, roof spoiler, adjustable suspension and even some interior goodies complete the upgrade.
The car is a two owner vehicle with 84,200 miles. I’d like to know how many miles since the supercharger was installed.
A nice looking car with a buy-it-now of $14,900. Even with the upgrades that is probably a bit pricey despite the mods and looks. We all know you never recoup those costs. I’m sure some folks wouldn’t believe that the car is a decade old.
2002 BMW 525iT Touring Sport Wagon M5 clone on eBay
~Evan
Basically, they’re asking for around a $6,000 to $7,000 premium for the modifications. I just keep wondering when people will give up on the notion of modifying a car to their own personal tastes and then expectiing someone else to pay for the mods once the novelty wears off. In the rare case where they match what the buyer wants, it could be a deal. Otherwise, it’s just more work and expense to reverse them.
It’s a (very) white 525 auto with some dress up bits and a supercharger bolted on to try to compensate for not being a 540. For the cost of all that stuff, plus the 525 itself, he could have just gotten a real 540 (with nearly 300hp stock). Add the body kit, and you’re still ahead of where this build ended up. So, this clearly isn’t talking my language.
Kevin, your point is well taken – custom builds severely limit the buyer pool. And as you said, personal value (influenced by how much they spent) does not equal market value. Most sellers eventually lower the price to a level that attracts attention from a larger circle of buyers, since they typically won’t go through the hassle and expense (and disappointment) of undoing their work.
Personally I think it’s hideously half assed and tacky.
Fake wheels for a fake car.
boost is 7-8lbs, 300 bhp, auto w/ess shift kit, mls head gasket, 4.10 gears. much more. fake wheels because why blow 4k on a car that will never see it back again. fender decals are vinyl, so new owner can remove at discretion. over 30k invested, only 2k since s/c add.
there was no e39 m5 made, check your history. didn’t want a 540, and couldn’t find one with decent mileage with only 1 owner history when i bought this one. i have other high dollar german cars, this was just a daily driver for the time being, that’s why i’m taking the hit where i’m at with the price. besides a 540 only pulls and extra 1k used , and try finding one in this shape with under 100k on the clock and this nice. good luck
Frank D, the author clearly stated that BMW didn’t make an E39 M5 Touring. Some dyno testing would be nice to back up that claim of 300hp at 7-8 lbs boost. Sorry, the internet isn’t a very trusting place. Good point about not getting the money back out of expensive wheels. That’s usually true. The flipside is that cheaper wheels tend to look, well, cheaper. And wheels are a major focal point on a car – particularly a customized one like this.
Your decision to get a 525 vs. a 540, or to equip it the way you did, is just that – your decision. Others wouldn’t make that same decision, but they wouldn’t be prospective buyers for your car anyway. Regardless, they do tend to express their opinions on sites like this. By the way, there are reasonable mileage 540iT’s out there for reasonable prices. They also tend to hold their value better. Much better than a $1K difference. GLWTS.
eurocharged hit 245 during early testing at the wheels on a mustang dyno. can check with jerry to verify. there may be some 540’s out there, but try and find one with only 1 previous owner that hasn’t been gone through, then think about what you want to do to it to make you happy, and that the sixes are the cornerstone of bmw, still today as well. these wheels are identical to the alpina’s and are powder coated to boot. also this car is a daily driver, not a drag or race car, i have others for that purpose, just meant to be better and faster than what was offered.
btw ,check nada..