I hesitate to ask this but..... (M5 content)

OK, so all you Beemer haters out there, this thread is not for you. I'm a BMW guy. I race a 2002 in vintage, own a Dinan M3 and a Brunton SuperStalker and now am in the market for a car to use for taking clients to lunch. All my clients know I'm that crazy racer, so I can't show up to take them to lunch in a Ford or Chevy (even an SHO) so I have decided on an M5. I have been told by several that the early 2000's model will be the best as far as not overly complicated and relatively modest (by German car) maintenance and repair costs. This car will not see Race or AutoX duty, just be a daily driver. OK, lets hear your thoughts?

I want an 88 M5 (to me they look the best) but they are few and far between and crazy money, last one I saw for sale was $18,500

M5's are awesome and the perfect client shmoozing car

I think Keith lives with an e60 M5 - he would be a good source of info. I dig the original e28, but if I were shopping today, I'd lean toward the e39 M5. Still relatively simple as you mentioned, the looks are holding up well and it has a v8 that revs to 7000.

I've only owned one BMW, but I know that Beemers are motorcycles....

Mine's an E39, not the E60. You'll want to do your own maintenance, but they're wonderful cars.

The E39 was where I was looking. They are dirt cheap (for what you get) now and old tin is right. Hard to argue with a 7k V8

ryanty22 wrote: M5's are awesome and the perfect client shmoozing car

Especially since they all think I'm insane anyway.

TxCoyote wrote:

ryanty22 wrote: M5's are awesome and the perfect client shmoozing car

Especially since they all think I'm insane anyway.

Insane would be a V12 car like an 850Ci. Wanting an E39 M5 means you're only mildly disturbed.

I owned a 2003 M5. Lemans blue over caramel. It was gorgeous. The only mod was a Dinan exhaust, which I HIGHLY recommend. Brutally fast and sounded glorious. It required a fair amount of care and feeding, but I'm a checkbook mechanic, so your experience might differ.

As I recall the earlier e39 M5 sometimes had oil consumption issues, so a 2003 is the one to have.

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

TxCoyote wrote:

ryanty22 wrote: M5's are awesome and the perfect client shmoozing car

Especially since they all think I'm insane anyway.

Insane would be a V12 car like an 850Ci. Wanting an E39 M5 means you're only mildly disturbed.

Oh why would an 850 be insane? Clients like an aura of success and one of the high power/dollar bmws exude stereotypical success

It's gotta be a 4 door so the M5 is my choice. Unless I go with a non M car. some of them are 9/10 an M and according to several friends who have them a nicer daily ride. Decisions, Decisions

could always get a non-M e39 and dress it up in M5 parts. 99% of the clients would never know

Nah, that would be cheating. If I can find a car that I like, I'll buy it in the next few weeks.

The 540i sport is not the same car. I drove both and the M is in a different class. That engine is something else. The quality of the shocks makes a big difference to ride quality - I swapped out my 100k stockers for Koni Sports and changed the front bushings, and the car felt new.

The thing about these cars is that people expect them to be flawless. Makes a big difference in resale if they're not.

Or, you could go with an E34 M5 for less electronic complication, but those are probably very hard to find.

For a client schmoozing car an M5 is great. A close second would be a 7 series but not nearly as much fun.

TxCoyote wrote: OK, so all you Beemer haters out there, this thread is not for you. I'm a BMW guy. I race a 2002 in vintage, own a Dinan M3 and a Brunton SuperStalker and now am in the market for a car to use for taking clients to lunch. All my clients know I'm that crazy racer, so I can't show up to take them to lunch in a Ford or Chevy (even an SHO) so I have decided on an M5. I have been told by several that the early 2000's model will be the best as far as not overly complicated and relatively modest (by German car) maintenance and repair costs. This car will not see Race or AutoX duty, just be a daily driver. OK, lets hear your thoughts?

I don't think there are too many BMW haters in this group, in fact the opposite is more likely true. We are on your side.

Gooble gobble, one of us gooble gobble

ryanty22 wrote: I want an 88 M5 (to me they look the best) but they are few and far between and crazy money, last one I saw for sale was $18,500

They are not that crazy considering 90s Japanese cars like Supras are even more money.

I would just get a 535i, cam it, and do a MAF conversion. That would make up a lot of the difference. M30 is a good engine IMO.

I became a BMW fan due to this forum.

So this is going to be a daily and serve as a client taxi huh?

So you WONT be getting it slightly sideways then? No tire smoke? No fast on ramps? Uh huh!

ebonyandivory wrote: I became a BMW fan due to this forum. So this is going to be a daily and serve as a client taxi huh? So you WONT be getting it slightly sideways then? No tire smoke? No fast on ramps? Uh huh!

Didn't dsay that, just said no track duty.

ryanty22 wrote: Gooble gobble, one of us gooble gobble

The only reason I do not have another BMW.. I got really tired of all the idiots wanting to race me

I got to drive a Boss' well maintained M5 with that 400 hp V8. Sadly, I was following him, and he was trailering a loaded fully enclosed trailer. Still, it had gobs of power, and when I had a chance to get on it, it MOVED. Comfy, lots of room in the back seat. I say go for it. I would if I didn't have so many other more important wants.