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The E39 M5 is well known for being one of the wolfiest cars wearing sheeps’ clothing ever. Typically seen in silver or black, I grew up near an Imola Red version that draws a bit more attention. Today’s will draw the gaze of all who pass, including car lovers and cops. As much I love subdued performance machines, red is my favorite color and I actually love this hue on M5s. I might go without the bright chrome wheels, but hey, if you’re going to be blinding people, you might as well get some help from your wheels as well. With right around 100k miles and a Buy-It-Now of $16k, this is a great deal for a stunner in both aesthetics and performance.
The E39 is a classic, handsome car that may well go down in history as the quintessential 5-series. The wagon was merely an extension of the good looks and capability, multiplied when they saw fit to drop the smooth M62 4.4 liter V8 in it. Manuals were available but extremely hard to come by, and while that would certainly be preferable, an automatic is well-suited for highway and family-hauling duty. With just 84k miles, this luxury wagon is roughly the same price as a VW Jetta TDI wagon of similar vintage. If you’re not too worried about gas mileage, I know for certain which one brings more comfort and speed for the money.
Last night I had a conversation with a friend in the market for a new mid-sized luxury sedan. After a lot of back and forth, I realized something that has been plaguing me with most new cars lately: there’s just not much out there that speaks to me. Sure, cars on the whole are more reliable and feature-laden then they ever have been these days, but there’s a bit of uniqueness that is lacking, along with a general disappearance of engagement in the driving experience that has perpetuated across the landscape as of late.
The E39 BMW 5 series is a bit of a touchstone for many enthusiasts, as they remember it as the last of the greats before more abstract styling and electronic aids found their way into the mid-sized offering. Styling was more evolutionary rather than revolutionary and the range of engines and transmissions satisfied most every need. This 528i represents the second year of E39 production and is equipped with the 5-speed manual gearbox, making it a good choice for 5er fans who want a more spirited drive.
For generations, we in the United States have been unjustly denied the most versatile of the fast BMWs – the M5 Touring. From its genesis in the E34 Touring through its evolution to V10-powered monster E60, the M5 Touring has remained one of the most desirable unobtainable German cars to U.S. enthusiasts. However, U.S. fans shouldn’t feel too discriminated against, because the fan favorite E28, E39 and even the new F10 have no touring option – anywhere. What is a lover of fast BMWs with 2.2 children and a dog to do? Well, you could take your E39 Touring to Dinan, who would be more than happy to turn the wick up for you:
I was so certain that we I had written this car up before as the Racing Dynamics prototype, I initially wrote the headline up as a “revisit”. But the year was wrong, the wheels were different, and then I noticed something – that earlier car was an R48, and this car took it to the next level. A full bored and stroked 4.93 liters, the RD50 pushed the performance envelope past the M5. With discrete body modifications and some of the best looking aftermarket wheels ever fitted to a BMW, this is certainly a unique alternative to the normal E39:
