SapphyMike

Why did you choose this car?

Im interested as the book figures arent as quick as an E36 M3 Evo?

Is it quicker in the real world?

What is the attraction? Genuine Question.

maxest

iTrader: (1)

Go and test drive one, that'll answer your questions,,

Graceland

Mike - Drive one, you will be thoughly surprised.

If I wasn't doing the E36 track car, I would of sold the E39 Diesel and bought an M5, as driving Stu's over in Germany was amazing!

thebigyin

dunno what book you are reading m8 but i have an e39 m5 and have also owned numerous m3 evo,s,the m5 is much MUCH quicker.

thebigyin

also the attraction is simple for me, torque,and lots of it from virtually idle speed up.

Graceland

There is the element of Business Class aswell - you look a million dollars if you step out of an M5 wearing a suit.

Step out of an E36 m3 Evo wearing a suit and people will think you went to asda for that suit

SapphyMike

LOL!

I'd love a go in an M5 but I dont know anyone, so hence my question here really.

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

The M5 is pretty much all things to all men. For starters, It looks good. (IMO.)

It has every single comfort you can imagine, even down to heated seats, electric seats (even elec headreasts), folding mirrors, auto wipers, parking sensors, etc.

The interior is top class. Fabulous high quality hard wearing leather that is comfortable and oozes class.

Its UBER reliable. These things simply dont break. 5 litres of normally aspirated BMW designed M series V8.

The main thing is the way they drive.
Drivers cars are generally about Torque. The more you have available across the rev range, the more driveable they are as an everyday car.

If you want an easy to drive car, that will slot in 6th at 800rpm and 21mph and pull all the way from there, cleanly to 7000rpm and 186mph? Then you want an M5. It may as well be an auto its so torquey.

However, if you want a car you have to thrash quite hard to make it go fast then buy the M3 instead as they are horrible thrashy things by comparison.

If you like to hoon about, the M5 is a blast, you can go as sideways as you want with TOTAL control. The power curve is so linear you really can steer the car from the back without too much trouble. They almost beg for it!

Mike, if you want to pop over to Blackpool, you can have a drive in mine.

bigchez

Or you've been to court!

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

Nuff Said.
Although its worth mentioning fuel economy is poor, especially if used for very short journeys. On a run its acceptable.

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

P.S: If your not convinced yet, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zCrpzpV2e0

Automotive porn.

carlo

iTrader: (4)

If you drove a 39 m5 you wouldnt compare it to a 36 evo..39 are great cars all round..

rs gez

that video was ace!!

DangerousBryan

had a race with one on sunday at york and it was a dead heat.

bryan

gar mae

I so want a M5 after that vid

SapphyMike

Stu,

Thank you for your well thought out reply

And VERY thankyou for your VERY kind offer I may just have to take you up on that in exchange for some beers etc

I am tempted just to run my Mondeo diesel for a year while I save up for something like an M5. I love turbo'd cars, but I think im growing up, and having things like Skylines are just too chavvy for me? lol

I agree with you - M5's look the shizzle!

Have you remapped yours?

Are they generally reliable? (well, as reliable as a V8 super saloon can be?)

SapphyMike

in your E36 Evo?

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

So did I.
So i finally took the plunge and bought one. best road car ive ever owned, by far. It really does do whatever i want it to.

I can take nicole out with climate control on and soft music playing. You cant hear the outside world, soundproofing etc is as you would expect a top of the range flagship 5 series to be. You can hold a conversation, at totally normal speaking volume, at 140mph no problem. We were surprised how easy and quiet it was on the autobahn.

I can hammer up the motorway overtaking 95% of cars on the road. She is still 400bhp and goes like it once up to speed. Cruising at 70mph equates to about 1500rpm too i recall so VERY quiet indeed on UK Motorways.

I can hammer round the Nurburgring safe in the knowledge it was designed there and was designed to take this level of pain. When youve done your 30 laps with sport mode on and DSC off, turn the sport mode off, climate control back on, and cruise home. No Drama's.

I personally dont like bein looked at, thats why i always preffered the Saff to the Escort Cosworths, and the M5 is the same, discreet enough to be "Just another BMW 5 series" to Joe Bloggs, but car enthusiasts know exactly what it really is, which is a very high quality 400bhp 4 door sports car. Another score for the M5.

Rick

I LOVE my 528i E39. half the power of the M, but the 6 is so sweet, you just can't hear it, and will hapily sit at 130mph for long periods on the autobahn as my recent 3000 mile extended ring trip proved. I think it is the best looking BMW for a long time too - the 36 looks very dated next to it. It's big, and it's comfy. Whilst i haven't driven an M5, but been in a couple - i'd say u need to think what you want. I consider it the ultimate daily driver if u can live with the economy. It isn't mentally fast - think t34 cos; evo's and the like will leave u behind - especially on track. We don't have the roads in this country to exploit it's 170mph cruising ability sadly.

If it's your only car then it's the best by far for the money. If you want something as a toy, you maybe a touch dissapointed as it is all quite civilised. I'm planning on keeping my 528i, and looking at something like an Elise for hoonig around in

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

Exceptionally reliable mate. they had niggles when new with one thig or another but all E39s will have had those issues resolved.

Brakes will often be worn on used versions, and clutch's CAN be an issue if owner cant drive. But reports of them doing 100,000miles are also common.

Try the M5 Forum for more specific info.
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=3

Deano

Your called SapphyMike and you reckon Skylines are too chavvy ? Oh the Irony lol

SapphyMike

whats ironic about a name from when I USED to own a Sapph cossie?

I kept the name as that what people know me as.

perhaps i've missed your point?

Graceland

on another note, if you want the looks of th M5 but can't justify te fuel bills, then consider the 530d Sport -quite simply the BEST car I have owned. Period

SapphyMike

M5 is sounding better and better.

Perhaps it will be worth slumming it for a year? LOL I dont want to get into debt buying it, otherwise i'd be looking now LOL

It's going to be a daily driver but maybe the odd track day.

Rick

and if u want the silky silky smoothness, go for a 530i

DangerousBryan

yes. nothing in it on the 1/4 up to 100mph.

bryan

brad

stu
you say fuel economy isnt good round town , what sort of figures are you getting ?
it would be interesting to hear what everyone else gets out of there e39's too , i get 24 round town and up to 34 on a run (not using cruise) in the 540.

the e39 is possibly the best car i have ever owned , it does everything it says on the tin and with style .
i sometimes wish i,d spent the extra cash on an m5 but i just couldnt justify 5grand plus for an extra 100hp, 500cc and 30mph top speed when i drive slower than my mum most of the time .

Graceland

E39 530d Sport with an MSD Remap

Round town - 38mpg
Motorway - 48mpg
Average - 45-46mpg

I do a lot of motorway


Also, interestingly, I had it down to 20mpg on the Nurburgring but the journey there and back, with speeds in excess of 100mph on the continent averaged 43mpg - and that was a few 140mph runs too

Stu @ M Developments

iTrader: (12)

Varies dpending on coolant temp. Sadly my journey to work is only a mile so its always cold. However, once hot, i can get around 22 cruising round town gently, and up to 33 on a run at 70mph in 6th. Those are from memory, but close.

The 540 is an absolute steal mate, probably bargain used car of the decade IMO. I considered one hard, but really wanted an M. Maybe just for M's sake, although mainly because i i knew id kick myself not having the horses in the M5 due to teh power of cars i drive day to day, but other than that, the 540 is a great ALTERNATIVE.

carlo

iTrader: (4)

540 isnt nearly as reliable as the m5 sadly.In the experiances i have had with them coming into my work.

Jim Green

Stu's said it all, so I'll just put some pics up to keep you on the boil..............



One hell of a piece of engineering.........................















It's one of those cars that once you've had one, it's damned hard to think of a saloon car that you could replace it with...........Only options in my book would be the latest M5 or an Audi RS6..........There's just nothing else out there that can touch it when you consider all it's plus points. Absolute Luxury, 400bhp with huge torque, alot more agile than you'd ever imagine, German Reliability and Build Quality, 4 Doors, and it still looks good today, an never looks out of place either at the race track or outside some stately home. And as Stu has said, 30 laps of the Nurburgring, and drive it home again knowing that it was built to cruise the autobahns at anything up to 186mph (Once you've removed the 155mph limiter). A really amazing saloon car that really pushed BMW to think of a replacement.

vikingboy

OOC: mines coming up for its first service soon, are there any specialists in or around berkshire who know what they are doing (vs main dealers). is there a tuner industry for beemers as there is with RS's?

rapidcossie

If i bought an M5 and it was "only" the same speed as an E36 M3 I would be very dissapointed indeed.

BlueSmoke

For me, I just have this idea that surely a car that size can't be as fun to drive and as nimble as an M3? Surely?! I just can't imagine it being as rewarding on the twisties as the 3, as it is so big and barge like......

Am I really so wrong?!

SapphyMike

argh!

Toooooo nice!

So much nicer than an M3!

B19 LBP

iTrader: (2)

i will agree with everything stu has said,

i liked mine so much that this is the 2nd time of owning it

vikingboy

I just drove 100 miles of twisty b roads today and loved every minute - either wofting along or booting it past queues of cars. The car doesnt feel as big as it is when driving it - perhaps its due to the lack of any slop in the steering and suspension coupled with the gobbs of torque.

My M5 stopped me using my 700hp Evo for 6 months - its THAT good! Go and try one....

Jay,

iTrader: (4)

mike a m3 is just a chav wagon
csl shows petrol head
m5 is the daddy proper car good power good every where actually lol and not driven by dicks well not as many