BMW M5, a beast in disguise

An early history from developing race winning cars in the 1970's to converting mundane German cars into autobahn speed junkies, categorizes the BMW M badge to a status of legendary.

Even though the first production BMW with an M-badge was a racing car for the road, the M1, the BMW subsidiary changed direction by creating the BMW M535i. This is considered the genesis of BMW sports saloons. The next 5-series BMW also got the Motorsport treatment and it eventually got named M5, which has stuck ever since.

But more about the history of the M5 perhaps later on, now let me introduce you to the M5 I drove on a warm summer evening in southern Finland.

This is the third M5 named 5-series from 1999. It was the first M5 without the signature straight 6 since it boasts a hefty 5.0 litre V8 developing 400 HP (60 more than its predecessor) to the rear wheels. This particular M5 though had been moderately tweaked to a tested 412 HP to make it feel that more special. All this power is at your hands with a 6-speed manual. No feeble automatic action here. But a traction control button is much needed to keep the 500 Nm of torque safely on the road.

BMW M5 from 1999 in Avus Blue metallic.

The numbers are indeed worthy of the M5 badge, which there are a lot of. These are the only telltale sign of the beast within. Otherwise it looks like a normal E39 5-series but with some added slice of testosterone with those beautifully crafted exhaust pipes. This particular M5 has 262 thousand kilometers on the clock, but you really don't notice it on the exterior or the interior for that matter. It has been taken good care of.

I'm not really sure about the colour of the leather, it was spotless though.

It does have a manly stance

The driving experience is quite what you'd expect. It's seriously fast when you straighten your ankle but if driven respectfully it feels like a normal car. The seating position is excellent as are the seats. The seats compliment the ride elegantly as well. The ride is firmer than a normal 5-series', to cope with the immense acceleration, but still surprisingly smooth, even on Finnish back roads. The steering had a bit of play in it but did tighten up a bit with 'sport' mode switched on. But for a large powerful car it is as easy to drive in traffic as a hatchback. But when the traffic light turns green you find yourself having a remarkably heavy right foot. But if you drive like a normal human being the M5 doesn't shout about and behaves the way it looks, stylishly and discreetly.

The diffuser has been given a carbon fibre look. Which, weirdly enough, works.

On the whole the BMW M5 (e39) didn't disappoint, but then again why would it. It's a piece of expert level German engineering which shows both inside and out. The distant rumble of the V8 and a quick glance at the speedometer will be an everlasting reminder of the beast within.

... Oh yea, and the millions of M-badges.

M5