The Smoking Tire Drives a Minty Fresh E39 M5
Matt Farah says the E39 M5 is worth every penny, even with the best ones now commanding nearly $100,000.
The 2000s produced some of the best BMW Motorsport cars. And by best, I don’t mean fastest. I mean high-quality M-branded cars with clean, Teutonic styling that were powered by good-old naturally aspirated engines. No turbochargers in sight. During this golden era, BMW’s Motorsport division made cars like the E46 M3 and the crazy-looking Z3 M Coupe. And of course the E39 M5. A lot of enthusiasts rightly consider the E39-gen M5 something of a pinnacle when it comes to M-cars.
Matt Farah over at The Smoking Tire YouTube channel had a go in one of the nicest 2003 E39 M5s around. He wasn’t disappointed. The car left the factory painted classic Alpine White. According to The Smoking Tire, BMW only made 139 M5s in that color. A total of 10,000 were sold in the U.S., which is a testament to the model’s popularity. That’s more than the previous first-gen E28 M5 and second-gen E34 M5 combined. According to Hagerty, a number one condition E39 is worth close to $100,000.
The M5 in the video is owned by Paul Zuckerman, who has actually owned the car twice. And we don’t blame him for buying it back. As Farah points out, with a scant 28,000 original miles, even the fine grain on the leather steering wheel is still visible: “This is literally the cleanest E39 M5 I have seen since literally they were being sold new. This feels like a brand new car.” The M5 also has a number of Dinan upgrades including a cold-ar-intake, ECU refresh, and a performance exhaust.
Farah lists the reasons E39 M5s are considered such enthusiast cars. “It’s the first V8 in an M-car. It’s a 4.9-liter V8 making 395 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque.” In its day the E39 M5 could get to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 180 mph. Adding to its driving machine credentials was the fact that it was only available with a manual 6-speed. “Things I notice immediately about driving this car that are no longer with BMWs,” says Farah.
“The clutch feel is exceptional. The rumble of that V8 engine. The steering is just weighted brilliantly. It’s really got direct feel but without being overly sharp… it’s very consistent.” Farah also notes that the M5 has a satisfying amount of body roll that makes it easier to judge what the car is doing during cornering. “The sensations of driving the E39 M5 are unavailable in the current BMW lineup at all.”
“This car has just the right amount of power, weight, and size to engage the three pedals and a stick,” says Farah. “It would be hard to overdrive this car.” Despite the car’s 3700-lb weight it’s actually way lighter than the current M5. When Farah takes the M5 down a very tight section of road with lots of camber and elevation change it continues to impress with how nimble it is.
In the end, Farah asks whether you would be better off spending $100,000 on a new M3 or on a nice E39 M5. “I would drive this happily,” says Farah. “As far as an engaging, luxurious, well-made, appropriately sized sport sedan, I’m not sure this has been beaten. I love this thing.” Can’t say we disagree on that point.
Screengrabs: The Smoking Tire / YouTube