The E39 M5 is one of the best M cars ever made. It has a 4.9 liter naturally aspirated V8 under the bonnet, a manual gearbox and it’s driven only by its rear wheels. But for me, it’s more than that, it is my favorite ever BMW. So every time I get the chance to ride in one, I immediately jump at the opportunity. Even though it was just a passenger ride, I loved it.
Up until this point, in this ‘Stories’ series I’m trying to make, I only filmed highly tuned Bimmers. But after spending the day with this E39 M5, I can safely say that this is one of those rare instances when less is more. The engine is tuned to produce somewhere around 450HP, it’s lowered and it’s also louder, thanks to an Eisenmann race exhaust. It has those awesome SSR Koenig 3 piece 18” wheels, an AC Schnitzer front bumper with a custom lip, a rear carbon diffuser, a Schmiedmann short shift with an M Performance shift knob, and that’s about it.
So yes, the mods list isn’t very long, but that’s a good thing because all they do is enhance the driving ability of this car without sacrificing the character of the E39 M5. It’s still a proper M car to hoon around twisted roads and that’s exactly what Michael loves to do with it. He loves his lowered, stanced cars, but he drives them like he stole them. Which is the reason why these cars were built in the first place, right?
The E39 is just like a bottle of fine wine. It just gets better and better with age. The exterior design has aged beautifully and even from the passenger’s seat it really fits very well put together, very ‘German’ if you may.
I’ve loved my (short) time with the E39 M5. And now, as I type this, I’m on the phone with my accountant to see if I can squeeze one of these in my garage.
Michael plans to fit an air lift system on the car during the ‘winter break’, he wants to rebuild the exhaust and the wheels to make them a bit wider.
Follow Michael and his E39 M5 here: https://www.instagram.com/michael_tbgstance/
