Been offered e39 M5 for my s'Charged 330

[litchy]

Always fancied a 'grown up' E39 M5. Just been offered a straight swap for my s'Charged 330. I know it well as the car is from my local body shop, (He's a real petrolhead and got all sorts of modded stuff). Its silverstone blue (V reg) with every extra apart from parking sensors and halo's.

There is something very special about M's. Everything is so functional and appears to be given lots of thought. Drove it and god for a big car, press that 'sport' button and it feels half its weight. I watched it drive away and wondered (again) could I see myself in it??
The only thing about the E39 is the shapes for me now feels somewhat dated (!) Also I had my heart set on a 'Individual' Estoril Blue one......I might wait although only ever seen one on pistionheads over the last 6-8 months????

[lumus]

IMO, the E39 (even in M5 form) is really showing its age, especially from the rear. I prefer your 330 :).

[zarnd]

Personally, although biased, I think that it is growing old gracefully. I think that it is going to age better than the e60. I think Silverstone is a better colour on the e39 than Estoril is, it just doesn't work in Estoril blue for some reason

cheers

[Alym786]

Have to agree with Zarnd, its a timless design! Plus Silverstone blue :cool:
Looks amazing...
Good luck whatever you deside to do! :)

[sjj84]

I also agree that the E39 shape is aging extremely well. When did it come out? 1998ish? Look at other cars from that era and compare them, certainly the E39 has done well. Agree about the prefacelift ones though, they don't look as good, although I'm sure it's not hard to change the lights over.

[zarnd]

e39 came out first on an N plate, so 1996

[mikem]

Tell him you`ll swap engines. :D

E39 M5 is an awesome car, especially if you plan on modifying it. :cool:

[uberbmw]

Id go for it, dont see as many M5s as you do 330s! (well not many SC330s anyway lol)

[mr sideways]

i would swap it in a hart beat.

[litchy]

Always fancied a 'grown up' E39 M5. Just been offered a straight swap for my s'Charged 330. I know it well as the car is from my local body shop, (He's a real petrolhead and got all sorts of modded stuff). Its silverstone blue (V reg) with every extra apart from parking sensors and halo's.

There is something very special about M's. Everything is so functional and appears to be given lots of thought. Drove it and god for a big car, press that 'sport' button and it feels half its weight. I watched it drive away and wondered (again) could I see myself in it??
The only thing about the E39 is the shapes for me now feels somewhat dated (!) Also I had my heart set on a 'Individual' Estoril Blue one......I might wait although only ever seen one on pistionheads over the last 6-8 months????

Heres mine and just spoke to someone else about this M5. It would be about a grand more

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/BMW+M5/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146-236,N-23-240-4294964123-4294967078/advert.action?R=200922335327540&distance=30&postcode=bl1+4lt&channel=CARS&make=BMW&model=M5&min_pr=&max_pr=9000&max_mileage=&vehicleYearOfManufacture=2001&vehicleRegLetter=M

[XKaLiBaR]

Its an M car, whats ther to think about? The only thing i would be thinking about is, whether you need 4 doors, kids or giving lift to families? Or better off with an M3 instead.

[330D]

Heres mine and just spoke to someone else about this M5. It would be about a grand more

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/BMW+M5/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146-236,N-23-240-4294964123-4294967078/advert.action?R=200922335327540&distance=30&postcode=bl1+4lt&channel=CARS&make=BMW&model=M5&min_pr=&max_pr=9000&max_mileage=&vehicleYearOfManufacture=2001&vehicleRegLetter=M

whats the mileage of that?

[jk330ci]

MPG oooh, but if your looking at an M car that don't matter.

[zarnd]

It's a lot of car for the money. I love mine and don't think that I will be changing it to be honest. Better than the e60 M5 in many respects too in my opinion

cheers

[XKaLiBaR]

It's a lot of car for the money. I love mine and don't think that I will be changing it to be honest. Better than the e60 M5 in many respects too in my opinion

cheers

I thought so, till I went in a ring taxi :D completely changed my view of the e60! In the right hands, it's an animal...

[zarnd]

I drove Graham's e60 M5. The chassis was so much better than the e39's chassis, but it's the lack of low down torque for me that I didn't like and missed from the V8. It probably didn't help that it wasn't my car and Graham was sitting next to me! Put the e60 chassis under the e39 body, engine and running gear and that would be absolutely phenomenal. Agree about the 'Ring taxi though, did it last year and it was awesome and we went in the wet!

cheers

[XKaLiBaR]

Haven't they already with the e92 m3 :D

[Black Sabbath]

I still love the shape of the e39 :cool: ,as has been said it has aged better than a lot of cars produced at the same time.So it depends on whether you think the deal is a good one,and is it affordable for you to run.I would have done the deal already if it was me :p :) :)

[XKaLiBaR]

Cars never age, people do ;)

[330-Singh]

I would be concerned about mileage as its not stated in the ad - that normally indicates intergalactic high miles!

If you are prepared for the higher cost of running then I say its worth thinking about. I used to have an SC 330 and I still got near 30mpg on a long run. In the M5 that will be more like 22mpg realistically and if you do just local runs then you probably want to 1/2 that figure lol

[zarnd]

I average about 21-22mpg in mine, on a long run i get about 27mpg, and have had 31 out of it

[XKaLiBaR]

I would be concerned about mileage as its not stated in the ad - that normally indicates intergalactic high miles!

If you are prepared for the higher cost of running then I say its worth thinking about. I used to have an SC 330 and I still got near 30mpg on a long run. In the M5 that will be more like 22mpg realistically and if you do just local runs then you probably want to 1/2 that figure lol

you get 30mpg in a 330 lol? I used to get near that if i drove like a real bod, and concentrated hard on mpg needles staying above 30mpg. Or else normal driving it was around 23mpg. I get 21mpg in my M3, but no town driving.

[litchy]

Amazing...I had a real in depth conversation this afternoon with a tuner (not fair to mention who). He said he won't touch a E39 M5 and he's worked on enough of them. He went on to say..very fast but don't handle well, brakes are completely crap, now showing their age, very expensive to work on and in his opinion not truely worthy of the M' badge.
No matter how I look at it, if you can live without 4 doors, you can't really look beyond a E46 M3. Pound for Pound the best car out there for the money 'bar none'!!!!

[zarnd]

I think I agree with those comments when taking the e39 M5 on a track. What is he comparing it to for poor handling!?! Presume from the comments above then maybe he is comparing it against an e46 M3!?! It's a nigh on two tonne car and with different springs and ARB's then it handles fantastically well, but it is a large car at the end of the day!

For the money the e46 M3 is absolutely awesome, but really depends on what you want from the car and are going to do with it

cheers

[mikem]

`Bet it was a "tuner" who specialises in the E46. :rolleyes:

Having sat in Zarnd`s around the `ring, it handles as well as anything you need and I think a skilled driver could really make it dance. They were Ring taxi`s for long enough and plenty of Mk1 996 GT3`s struggled to keep up. :cool:

[litchy]

`Bet it was a "tuner" who specialises in the E46. :rolleyes:

Having sat in Zarnd`s around the `ring, it handles as well as anything you need and I think a skilled driver could really make it dance. They were Ring taxi`s for long enough and plenty of Mk1 996 GT3`s struggled to keep up. :cool:

To defend the 'tuner' doesn't specialise in E46. The have a full spectrum of cars including some real exotic stuff. Just a opinion amongst many positive ones I guess. I think sometimes because of our love of certain cars, we can all get a little blickered and look beyond their weaknesses. I still think the E39 is a great car but like so many of them, you buy the best you can afford, you remember that although the cars 9-10 years old, the running cost are still comparable to the cost when new. To buy the best I can afford involves more than just a straight swap. To be honest a great E39 M5 puts me into a really good E46 M3 and that was what I was trying to avoid. If the intention was just to spend 15 grand probably wouldn't have considered the M5 in the first place. Still a great car......

Oh the ring taxi isn't a E39 is it, thought it was an E60????

[felstmiester]

I had a 330 with a charger before i purchased my M5, and believe me when i say i know excactly what is going through your mind, due to the plain look of the 5 i was addement that it had to be an M3 or nothin. After taking an M3 on a test drive and not being impressed by the power comparing it to my charged 330 i took out an M5 and imediately my mind was made up.

Like others has said, its your choice but when you can smoke a 360 f1 in less than 12 grands worth of car you cant help but love it.

[mikem]

Oh the ring taxi isn't a E39 is it, thought it was an E60????


It`s an E60 now but was an E39 before it.

[felstmiester]

It`s an E60 now but was an E39 before it.
There's a vid out there somewhere of Sabine in a white E39 M5 giving a dude in a 996 T a hard time. Maybe he couldn't drive??????

[mikem]

There's a vid out there somewhere of Sabine in a white E39 M5 giving a dude in a 996 T a hard time. Maybe he couldn't drive??????


I think if you put Sabine in the 1.6 Astra I took, she`d give most people a hard time. :D

[felstmiester]

I think if you put Sabine in the 1.6 Astra I took, she`d give most people a hard time. :D
Lol, good point. :D

[Raj]

The E39 is a classic shape and well suited even in todays world. If I could afford the running costs, I would not hesitate to buy an E39 M5. And Silverstone is just stunning.

[benny boy]

how the hell can anybody say the E39 is not worthey of the M badage.

[paul46rider]

how the hell can anybody say the E39 is not worthey of the M badage.

was just thinking the same thing. its true M car. stealthy look, massive engine, massive power. awesome car

[XKaLiBaR]

As i said before, its a simple decision of, buy the M5 if you need 4 doors, or else an M3. The styling is pretty much the same all round, inside and out.
They have the same power outputs per tonne. M3 being lighter, so a little more nimble round the bends.

More choice for the M3 ou ther than the M5 aswell.

[zarnd]

As i said before, its a simple decision of, buy the M5 if you need 4 doors, or else an M3. The styling is pretty much the same all round, inside and out.
They have the same power outputs per tonne. M3 being lighter, so a little more nimble round the bends.

More choice for the M3 ou ther than the M5 aswell.

Sums it up for me to be honest.

[SJD]

I love the shape of the E39. So much so I just recently went back to one after just over 2 years in a 330ci clubsport.

The sport kit looks subtle but 'strong' - the M5 takes it to that next level. Lovely car. I drove one years ago (circa 2003) and it left some stonking memories.