BMW: New M5 What has this world come to? Active audio to enhance the exhaust note
09-30-2011, 01:43 PM
#33
Rennlist Member
All of the issues that you mentioned are easily modded away.
it is the last of the breed -- big v8 german sedan, rear wheel drive, manual trans with defeatable traction control
I added some dinan bits (diff, exhaust, intake, sways) and widened the front wheels to dial out the understeer... in street use I found the stock brakes to be sufficient.
with a little massaging, the car is stellar -- what mid sized sedan of its era was even close in driving dynamics... certainly not the slushbox E55... SRT8, no thanks
09-30-2011, 03:20 PM
#34
Pro
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was admiring an E39 M5 on the freeway the other day - after all these years it still has good presence. I actually like all the m5s and m3s. I think BMW does a great job of bringing some fun into the mid-sized sedan/coupe segment like no other. It's a souped up street car and a good one at that.
09-30-2011, 03:20 PM
#35
Rennlist Member
Maybe the e39 m5 will make you yawn when you're comparing it to a GT3, but I can't think of any serious competition in its class, in its day.
That said, it's not without its faults, and I would avoid model year 2000 like the plague. Many burn oil like it's going out of style. I believe the piston rings were revised starting 2001. These cars are also very sensitive to high temperatures, and the timing gets retarded BIG TIME.
Things that frequently fail:
MAFs
Rubber throttle body gaskets producing vacuum leaks
Vanos
Front lower control arms
That said, it's not without its faults, and I would avoid model year 2000 like the plague. Many burn oil like it's going out of style. I believe the piston rings were revised starting 2001. These cars are also very sensitive to high temperatures, and the timing gets retarded BIG TIME.
Things that frequently fail:
MAFs
Rubber throttle body gaskets producing vacuum leaks
Vanos
Front lower control arms
09-30-2011, 03:39 PM
#36
Race Director
Its class, is to me asinine, and the e39 m5 is the car made me realize it.
its a compromise. Its not a very good sports sedan (like a E90 M3), and its not a very good luxury car, so what is it....a big bowl of Meh.
and yes, my 2000 M5 burned about 2 quarts of Castrol TWS 10w-60 every 5k miles.
its a compromise. Its not a very good sports sedan (like a E90 M3), and its not a very good luxury car, so what is it....a big bowl of Meh.
and yes, my 2000 M5 burned about 2 quarts of Castrol TWS 10w-60 every 5k miles.
09-30-2011, 10:47 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
I think we've veered too far off topic here. THEY PUMP FAKE ENGINE SOUNDS THROUGH THE STEREO!!!!!!!!!!! It's insane!
Last edited by LastMezger; 10-01-2011 at 10:11 PM.
09-30-2011, 10:53 PM
#39
Pro
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Its class, is to me asinine, and the e39 m5 is the car made me realize it.
its a compromise. Its not a very good sports sedan (like a E90 M3), and its not a very good luxury car, so what is it....a big bowl of Meh.
and yes, my 2000 M5 burned about 2 quarts of Castrol TWS 10w-60 every 5k miles.
its a compromise. Its not a very good sports sedan (like a E90 M3), and its not a very good luxury car, so what is it....a big bowl of Meh.
and yes, my 2000 M5 burned about 2 quarts of Castrol TWS 10w-60 every 5k miles.
with that said, everything's a compromise. the very nature of automobiles is all about compromise. the gt3RS is a compromise.
10-01-2011, 11:14 AM
#40
10-01-2011, 11:19 AM
#41
E39 M5 is one of the best looking M5's out there, but it was made to suit the american market, with an underpowered engine, and again slow.
Now, this sound thing is a sacrilege.
I had more than 7 M cars and tons of BMW, worked for the factory for a few years, and I'm no longer a fan.
That is really sad.
Now, this sound thing is a sacrilege.
I had more than 7 M cars and tons of BMW, worked for the factory for a few years, and I'm no longer a fan.
That is really sad.
