BMW E39 M5 (LCI)

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About this Collectable

Some say… that this is the most timeless BMW M5. Even the more sensible motorised E39 5-series are still sought after. They are old enough to qualify as a youngtimer, but also modern and reliable enough to keep up with today's traffic. And the M5 is, of course, as always, the ultimate version. It was the third BMW M5 in history (after the E28 and E34), the first with an 8-cylinder and the last with a manual gearbox (in Europe). And, apart from the "Sport" button that only adjusts the throttle response, with just 1 (ideal) setting. As the men from BMW and M found that the car was perfectly adjusted in terms of engine, steering and chassis. And they are right. This is the last "analog" M5.

It is no coincidence that Alex Roy chose the BMW E39 M5 as his car to break the American Coast to Coast record. The combination of anonymous looks, sufficient power, lots of comfort and high reliability made the E39 M5 the obvious choice. He managed to set a new record in 2007, in exactly 32 hours and 7 minutes. A documentary has been made of this, click here.

This BMW E39 M5 is the so-called LCI / facelift version. This means that this car has the more modern headlights (with the so-called corona rings), altered rear lights and PDC at the front

The interior has been updated with gray dials in the instrumentation, the larger (6.5-inch) display / navigation (with the cassette player hidden behind it, still a beautiful gimmick) and the smaller steering wheel. There were also technical  adjustments (for example the VANOS) for the facelift models.

This particular car originates from 2001. In 2015 with a mileage of 66,000 km, it exchanged its German number plates for a set of yellow ones with "NL" on it. Tom bought the car in May 2015 at Premium Classics in Vught and has always maintained the car at BMW Renova in Breda since then.

The engine was recently completely and preventively overhauled / serviced, after Tom heard a "suspicious noise" in the VANOS. One thing lead to another and now the engine is as new, after a complete overhaul by the expert from Kronenburg. The connecting rod bearings, the timing chains with guides and tensioners, the camshaft and crankshaft sprockets, the VANOS plastic line, the valve insert rubbers, the water pump, the coolant pipes, the oil cooler, the spark plugs, the oil (10W60 Castrol M) and the clutch have all been replaced, the injectors tested and the cylinder heads disassembled. There is also almost 12 months of warranty left on the engine. The airco has also been refilled. 

The color of the car is Carbon Black, which, contrary to what the name suggests, is actually very dark blue. In combination with the full leather interior in black ensures that this M5 has a relatively unobtrusive appearance. It is said that 7,985 left-hand drive European cars have been made and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find original copies with a non-astronomical mileage (and a good service history).

Equipment

This BMW M5 left the factory in 2001 equipped with the following options:

• M Sports Steering Wheel, Multifunction
• Individual Audio System
• White Direction Indicator Lights
• Glass Roof, Electrical
• Floor Mats Velours
• Warning Triangle and First Aid Kit
• Interior / Outside Mirror with Auto Dip
• Smoker Package
• Seat Adjustment, Electric with Memory
• Armrest Front
• Lumbar Support, Driver and Passenger
• Seat Heating Driver / Passenger
• On-Board Monitor with TV
• Navigation System Professional
• Provisions for BMW 6 CD Changer
• CD Changer for 6 CDs
• Headlight Washer System / Intensive Cleaning
• Park Distance Control (PDC)
• Fog Lights
• Xenon Light
• Automatic Air Conditioning
• Kilometre Speedo
• On-Board Computer V with Remote Control
• Dynamic Stability Control
• Hydro Steering-Servotronic
• Side Airbags for Rear Passengers
• Tyre Pressure Control (TPC)
• Alarm System
• Headlining Anthracite
• Deleted Model Lettering

Modifications

The original exhaust has been replaced by the previous owner by a SuperSprint exhaust, which gives the car a slightly deeper tone. “And that's a good thing, otherwise it's like a technically modified BMW 540i with a manual gearbox,” says a BMW enthusiast ...

The original owner had also fitted a DVD player (as the TV doesn't work in most regions), but Tom never tested it. 'M5's are for driving, not for watching TV'. 

In 2015, Tom had the notorious BMW E39 / E46 problem with the missing pixels fixed by a BMW specialist (with a lifetime warranty), so this problem will never come back.

Remarks

This Collectable is in very good condition, especially for a 20 year old car. There are only some minor cosmetic points of attention, also captured in the photos:

• Light chippings on the front and mirrors
• Small damage on the rear light and rear wing on the right
• Damage to the front left rim
• The original car phone in the center armrest is missing
• Minimal signs of wear on the cheek of the driver's seat on the entry side

Recent service history

• 86.250 km - April 2021 - new front tires (345 EUR)
• 85.000 km – March 2021 – preventive engine overhaul (approximately 15,000 EUR)
• 80.880 km – 3 June 2019 – MOT with service (1.170 EUR) at BMW Renova (see invoice)
• 79.039 km – 24 May 2018 – large service (1.674 EUR) at BMW Renova (see invoice)
• 75.366 km – 27 March 2017 – small service (800 EUR) at BMW Renova (see invoice)
• 66.600 km – 14 May 2015 – delivery service arranged by Premium Classics
• 62.560 km - illegible date - filters and check at BMW dealer
• 52.692 km - 17 October 2006 - oil service and filters at BMW dealer
• 33.980 km - 5 March 2004 - small service with oil service at BMW dealer
• 28.429 km - 16 October 2003 - filters at BMW dealer
• 19.453 km - 19 August 2002 - oilservice and filters at BMW dealer
• 1.770 km - 15 June 2001 - first service at BMW dealer
• 0 km - 21 januari 2001 - Delivery at BMW dealer

The complete service history is available on request. 

Included in the sale

• All keys
• All manuals and service booklets
• The Dutch service history since 2015 including all invoices

About the seller

Tom is a true petrolhead. But now that he has returned to the Netherlands, after having lived abroad for 13 years, his fleet of cars has become a bit too large. Understandably, he finds more than 10 cars a bit too many, due to a lack of space and time to properly enjoy them.

Tom bought this E39 M5 in the spring of 2015 at Premium Classics in Vught. His wife went to the Netherlands with their newborn for 6 weeks that summer and instead of renting a car, he thought it was a much nicer idea to buy one that wouldn't depreciate too much. And so it became, as a reminder of the first BMW he drove for a longer period (a 520d as a company car) many years ago. He and his family have enjoyed this wonderful M5 for 6 years when he was in the Netherlands and systematically (despite the limited kilometers) had services carried out at BMW Renova in Breda to keep the car in perfect condition. The car is now back after the preventive engine overhaul at Kronenburg and is in fantastic condition.

But don't take our word for it: even Magnus Walker, car enthusiast and die-hard Porsche fanatic, is also very enthusiastic about this model M5, look here for his unvarnished opinion.

Summary

Seller - Tom
Seller type - Private
Location - Netherlands
VIN - WBSDE91090GJ21535
Year / month of construction - 02-05-2001
Mileage - 86.350 km
Warranty - 12 months on the engine
Bodywork - Saloon
Engine - S62 engine, V8, 4.941 cc with 400 pk @ 6.600 rpm
Lay-out - Rear-wheel drive
Gearbox - Manual 6-speed
Exterior - 416 Carbon Schwarz
Interior - Black Nappa leather
Upholstery - Full leather
Smoker's car - No
Owners - 2 in Germany, 1 in the Netherlands
Tires -  LF + RF: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym3 (new) / LR + RR: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym3 (6 mm, from 2019)

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