If Nate’s story of E28 M5 ownership inspired you, but you missed days the cheap E28 M5s in reasonable shape, what are you to do? Well, the E34 is still fairly affordable if you want most of the same experience as the E28 with some updates and refinement (and, more weight); but the smart money right now is the E39 M5. With 400 horsepower, a 6-speed manual and a great looking shape, the E39 was an instant classic and raised the sports-sedan bar to a whole new level. For the first time, the U.S. got the full-fat M5, too – a nice change from the semi-diluted E28 and E34 models. Prices on these sedans have been hovering around the $20,000 mark for good examples but are continuing to slide; if you’re not looking for the best example, though, you can score some serious deals – such as today’s $5 short of $11,000 2000 example:
