BMW E39 M5 Goes for a drive

The E39 was possibly the best BMW ever, and the M5 version even better. Turn up for V8 noises!
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[@edwinblank58]

A real M5, Sabine was a taxi driver in this famous car for many years at the Nürburgring.

[@benholroyd5221]

Do you mean taxi driver or 'taxi driver'??

[@edwinblank58]

@@benholroyd5221 taxi driver, it was in a Renntaxi. ( German like me)

[@benholroyd5221]

@@edwinblank58 Ok, so not a taxi taxi then. ps is that the German spelling of Nurburgring, or are you misspelling the one German word in your sentence?

[@edwinblank58]

@@benholroyd5221 misspeling it's Nürburgring.

[@benholroyd5221]

@@edwinblank58 :-P. If only Germans had a word like schadenfreude to cover this situation...

[@bunter6]

Have I entered bizzarro world? You Driving M5's and Hubnut is driving Skylines. I now eagerly await Harry Metcalfe's review of a Morris Ital.

[@Banom7a]

i would genuinely watch that

[@paulmcaleer2736]

The greatest M5 of them all - they had a good day at the office the day they designed the E39!

[@RobbieHerrera]

Beautiful car. I still have mine, it’s a 2002 and I still love it.

[@grayfool]

I still think this was the best era of car design. Great looks, good engineering, very fast, but without the over complication of later cars. Wonderful stuff.

[@tahsin28]

Ya, imo this was the peak of cars and its been downfall ever since. After this all cars became high, crossover-like and bubbly.

[@grayfool]

@@tahsin28 Totally agree. Also they became massively overcomplicated and increasingly unreliable.

[@InputArchive]

Was also the peak of Japanese manufacturing who’ve since dropped off massively

[@tumiantumi4726]

@@InputArchive The E39 was designed by a Japanese Ingenieur...Made in Germany, made in Japan...simply the best....as Tin Turner would say...

[@ahoneyman]

If you can find a good one, drive the 530 with a manual box. The lighter weight and rack and pinion steering really show on two lane roads. The chassis is so good you can rev it like a complete hooligan and if feels planted.

[@francispowell1811]

The sills are the same as all other e39s and the wheels are 18", not 17". Cubby holes are all carpeted.

[@ranjanaluwihare1511]

The best Beema ever! The last ‘Ultimate driving machine!’

[@maxidyne]

Wow, just wow! E39 is the most beautiful 5 series ever, and the M5 is the masterpiece of that serie. Only remark: those black wheels are awful. In silver so much nicer in my opinion.

[@energymc22]

"Chrome shadow line" as they were called!

[@histriamagna1014]

Morning Matt. One of the last good looking BMWs. Sleek and classy, understated but with presence. Nice one.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Sleek??? Handsomely chubby and rounded it is.

[@histriamagna1014]

@@kamrankhan-lj1ng Well, if you compare it with modern ones sleek it is. Today they look like bloated whales.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

@@histriamagna1014 the modern ones, with that daft oversize grille, look obscene to my eyes! BMWs used to be understated, well made, quality cars, and up until more recent years, tended to be driven by those ‘in the know’ about cars. Now, well, they’re a bit of a joke as far as I’m concerned.

[@histriamagna1014]

@@simonhodgetts6530 True. Today they are made in your face and flashy to please the new wealthy Chinese and Russian elite.

[@PRAGEETHKARUNADHEERA]

Yeah. Totally agree. This with the E46 M3.

[@4syth]

I have 2 E39's. 2002 M5 and 2000 528i M Sport with ESS supercharger, both Titanium Silver with all black leather and aluminium interior trim. I drive the 528i daily and the M5 a few times a month. For me, the E39 is the benchmark of sports sedans, I can't think of any car in the segment that can take the top spot away from the E39. Also, genuine Style 65 wheels are 18". Great video.

[@NeoNeko99]

Iconic 😍 Still my favourite M5 😄 Also the wheels are 18s and the last yellow light on the rev counter always remains on 👍🏻 But big brownie points for saying 4.9-litres and not rounding up to 5 like so many people do!

[@derekchapman5167]

I had the identical E39 M5; I particularly loved the 12mpg if you were moderately light-footed, up to the heady 20mpg on the motorway at 70mph!!! My word, it shifted though and not much would keep up.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I think these along with anything that's kind of analog and manual will go up in value in the future.

[@timothyclapham936]

great review of a truly brilliant car! How fortunate you are to have driven what arguably is 'the ultimate driving machine' No wonder you liked it! Have to say I wholeheartedly agree with you!! - this era of BMW is sooo much better than the current range of giant grill on wheels!! Also I am with you 110% on gearboxes! go analogue!

[@robc5955]

Oh you lucky sod what an absolute beauty, at least we got to share it.

[@edsmith4821]

The e39 got it so right right down the range it's still relevant even now .The combos of engines and ride are beautiful

[@gg_vard]

A neighbor used to have a red M Pack 528i (E39) but unfortunately he had an accident, couldn't fix it, sold it and bought a more economical Mk5 Fiesta (and then even more unfortunately later passed away) These cars are "prohibited" here in Greece with road tax of 820/840€ for the 528i And 1230/1260€ per year for the M5

[@GoldenCroc]

Thats not much though if you afford to buy one new. Depriciation is 10x more, easily.

[@NoHeal4U]

Last yellow/orange light never turns off. It's Always there.

[@jo05dk]

I'll join the seemingly endless line of people saying that this IS peak BMW, from back when i sat glued to my screen to watch the reviews of whatever BMW came up with, and had a real lusting for the brand. Such a shame they decided to leave what they had going on up to and including this generation, and go in a direction that has left me completely cold. Great scoop getting to drive this car. Kudos :) Much enjoyment was had watching :)

[@lucian6395]

"Sim simma, who got the keys to ma bimma"

[@matthewlockwood9533]

I own an E39 530d Msport and it's the best car I've ever had it's got most of the toys the M5 has apart from that stunning S62 engine. Love the review Matt! Shame it hasent got the front wing vents, maybe the owner has had standard wings fitted maybe?

[@GoldenCroc]

There were no vents on the E39 M5.

[@lucaseed8295]

You guys are amazing!! How you can find these classic cars in such good conditions for every single video?! Love those simpler design back in the days

[@jamieboyd448]

Even my 525i E39 is a great car to drive and surprises many of my friends who get in it or those who have driven it. They don’t want to get out of it

[@GentilsGarage]

Great review and fabulous car. Def one of the best cars ever made, even in the lower spec models. Even after nearly 20 years, the E60 still feels less of a car to me compared to the E39. Regarding those cup holders, apart from being flimsy, they are located in the wrong place. From past E39 experience, you couldn’t have hot drinks in there in the winter because the climate control cabin temperature sensor is near them. The problem? The sensor picks up the heat from hot takeaway cups and made the climate control blow colder! Nevertheless, I would have an E39 again, no doubt.

[@adams7405]

Whilst driving.

[@adams7405]

They designed the E39 extremely well,the cup holders were an afterthought. In 30 years and 700,000 miles of driving I have never had the urge to have a drink whilst driving

[@GentilsGarage]

@@adams7405 each to their own. But I use cup holders more to take drinks to the office rather than drinking whilst driving (sometimes a bottle of water in the summer) as the cup holders/bags they have in the shop are rubbish and can easily spill

[@stevenotto2581]

Turned over 39k miles on my 02 M5 today. Greatest car ever!!

[@grantmcfie7149]

Well reviewed. Agreed the last proper BMW. Only pity was having to lose the 6 cyl steering rack to fit the v8 in. Hence the dull steering you noticed. As mentioned above - the 530i was the best chassis but i would still have the M5 over that.

[@daveb1433]

What an elegant BMW the E39 was. The new BMWs are gaudy. A friend of mine bought a new one in 1996 ( a 2.0 petrol) and it drove like a rocket. It was his pride and joy for a good few years.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Loved the E39 M5, the E39 is such a great looking car both inside and out. BMW really did create the pinnacle 5 Series, Time you got one Matt.

[@GoldenCroc]

Wondeful car, I had the similar-ish 540i. There is a wet (slow) nurburgring lap in it on my channel if anyone wants to see. Few extra details: Standard wheels were 18", not 17" I think. A fresh derestricted one will do a true 180mph, maybe even a smidge more in the right conditions. A know a guy who did 184, but I am not sure about tailwind etc. I did 166 myself in my 540i touring with 100hp less.. Satnav was avalible from the e39 debut, I had it in my 1997. For its time very good, many manufacturers did not have equal systems until about 2010 or so. You could also have an optional tv function for analog tv. With tv, it was very expensive, dont have the exact number but I would guess 5-6k £ or so in 1997. There might be a 60kg difference between this and the newest M5 on paper, real difference is well above 100kg, I think.

[@tonys1636]

Only owned one BMW back in the 70's, a 2000 saloon, only had it six months as although purchased new in the UK it spent the next two years in N. Africa and two months after being back and I had purchased it, it got a severe dose of rust sprouting everywhere, it was then white with orange spots all over. It also had finance outstanding on it which I later found out about through a mate who was a repossession agent, it explained why it was so cheap. Needless to say it was got rid of pretty quickly after a colour change, to metallic purple, new wheels and a spoiler added.

[@vspencer9764]

That’s perfection I don’t think anything could be better than driving through the Kent countryside in a real M series on a nice sunny day apart from having to play the pothole and speed camera lottery. That M5 needs to clear the cobwebs out down 7 mile lane.

[@terrencethorn9237]

Yes, it is one of the last "driving machines" - not an infotainment machine. AND some of us can maintain the basics ourselves. Also, the last of the understated, elegant 5 series.

[@markonmotoring]

That's a very interesting point you make about the body roll but a good mix of handling and comfort. I've recently out my 90s Mégane Coupe back in the road and in its day they seemed form but now very floaty for the type of car. I think.manufacturers were getting the Ballance right in the late 90s but over the last two decades a lot has changed. Spring rates have increased to compensate for weight, wheels have gotten larger with low profile tyres. I don't think legislation and customer expectations would allow cars like this to ever be made again.

[@GoldenCroc]

I drive a bog standard Renault Talisman estate, with the smallest diesel. No sports kit. It is stiffer sprung than most sports cars from the 1990s!!! Generally, my experiance is that cars have gotten stiffer and stiffer over time since.... well I think maybe since forever? A model T is an extreme terrain vehicle compared to even a SUV of today. So yes, I think you are right, many customers and reviewers demand harder suspension.

[@damaster316]

I had one about 10 years ago in the same colour Silverstone blue! Awesome car. Had a miltek exhaust system and sounded mega! Everytime I went somewhere in it, I turned off the traction control and pressed the sport button! 😎

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Great review, loving the new camera angles, a real bmw, with manual box not like today's offerings.

[@olivermacke838]

I love the E39 and I still remember how perplexed I was when the E60 came out. I really hated Chris Bangle back then. Sidenote: The M5 had different wing mirrors than the regular 5 with M-package. So you can tell them apart if you know what to look for.

[@PowerslideSWE]

Oh the familiar warm start vanos rattle, very assuring. Lovely car, made a mistake selling my first one, will not sell my current one. In my book the one driven here apart from the upholstery has a very desirable spec, no nav, no runroof. Regarding the top speed, 300 kmh (186mph) on the speedo un-restricted is not unheard of, my first one managed 296 km/h on a GPS speedo, they are fast.

[@PRAGEETHKARUNADHEERA]

E39 and the E46 M cars will never get old.

[@samharvey6194]

Definitely one of my favourite BMW shapes, seen a few Tourings in dark green recently so nice. One quick I found funny with the E39s the M5s went from rack and pinion steering to a steering box to wedge that V8 in lol

[@GoldenCroc]

Yes, it more or less uses a transplanted 7 series front to cope with the engine size/weight.

[@BreakStuffClub]

Yeah I have one. I actually like the steering you can still feel the road pretty well for not being a r&p unit.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@BreakStuffClub Yes, I didnt think mine was that bad either, certainly better than most modern electric steering at least?

[@bobagosto6441]

Man , you should've seen my buddies 1988 BMW M5. The 1988 BMW M5 Is the Definitive Sports Sedan-Road and Track. 1988 BMW M5 ENGINE: 3.5-liter inline-six OUTPUT: 256 hp/243 lb-ft TRANSMISSION: five-speed manual WEIGHT: 3420 lb PRICE WHEN NEW: $46,500. He bought it new. what a awesome ride

[@GoldenCroc]

256? Man, the US market got shafted really bad, huh?

[@bobagosto6441]

yeah. but boy that car could rev

[@GoldenCroc]

@@bobagosto6441 I mean its a lot less than the euro version, but it was probably still more than most any other sedan car availible, certainly the domestic ones?.

[@bobagosto6441]

@@GoldenCroc oh yes

[@paulmckinder3082]

What a car I had a 1990 BMW 3 series 320i and always wanted a 5 series wish I still had the 3 series now. Great video

[@alcoholisfreedrink]

I really like my E39 520I not exactly a race car but sure is nice to drive and it looks nice in every way.

[@dokat25]

had one same colour ,i found it boring and always worried about the vanos rattle, glad to get shot of it

[@Pmjs]

I love BMWs E28,E34,E39,E60,F10&G30. Of course I was a fan of the E34 before the E39.

[@WillPerryAbuseCoach]

Probably the car I miss most… great review, thank you 🥰🙏

[@Strike86]

Elegance, power, aggression but also comfort and utility. This is peak BMW, no doubt. Certainly one of the greatest cars ever made.

[@iainbradley2847]

Another great report Matt on the absolutely best BMW in aeons. Of course their had to be a flaw - such a pity they didn't get the Saab cup holder under license for the tea test! Bet everyone asks the same thing - having achieved the peak how did BMW then get it so catastrophically wrong since? My guess is the beancounters and Sales beat the engineers unfortunately.

[@GoldenCroc]

They are giving people what they want, since they like to make money. So yes.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

A friend of mine had a couple of these in estate form (albeit 3 litre diesels). A lot of car for the money, and they definitely felt well built. I’d agree that these were peak Beemer. However, I still really like the styling of the E60 - especially the wagon - I think that BMW lost their nerve after the backlash to the Chris Bangle styling, and the follow up (F10) was a little bland to my eyes. However, it’s the E34 M5 that I really like - I think that BMW really pushed the boat out on that one.

[@sirhoneymonster9410]

Bought my facelift Silverstone 4 years ago. Here to stay. Top speed was 186 mph unlimited, the magic 300kph

[@GoldenCroc]

Yep, It wasnt easy to get to 186, and it could not be done on every day, but it was possible.

[@kristianspencer1978]

0-60 in 4.7 seconds and 186 max. £200000 sounds like a lot, but recently the king of all super saloons the hsv gtsr w1, one sold for $1 million. My dream car however is a vxr8 ls3. 6.2 v8. £26000 for a nice one.👍

[@HowardLeVert]

Many years ago - when these were new and I did my boring commute to the station - I saw a girl racer in a Golf GTi goading the driver of one of these on the dual carriageway into town. He played along with her for a while... and then floored it. I swear the light around that car changed colour...

[@seancooke4127]

The E34 that came before this was an exceptionally fast Sports saloon with the straight 6 and 286 bhp. The E39 took the M5 concept to another level of power and chassis control.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@seancooke4127 286 was the first M5. E34 had 315 and 340-ish PS.

[@seancooke4127]

@@GoldenCroc you're right mate. Good job someone is able to keep me right. The way my head is these days, every day is a Tuesday.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@seancooke4127 Sounds familiar to me as well, but I love my numbers too much to forget. Cheers mate.

[@kevinnye5132]

A classic that’s more than you could ever dream of 🤔 just perfect Matt , great review and a nice example of a brilliant car 👍🏻.

[@luispereira9999]

Great video!! The E39 aged so well :D

[@ihaveacoolhat1]

There's just nothing it did wrong. It was fast, looked beautiful, and retained a lot of the BMW DNA.

[@seancooke4127]

Poor old BMW. When you've gone and made the Best Sports Saloon ever built, ever, then you're never going to be able to improve on it. The Ultimate Driving Machine. In the 90s building boom, my cousin bought a Mk4 Escort RS Turbo, too slow. He bought a MK2 Supra 3.0i Turbo, he liked that. Then he bought a Blood Red E39 M5, search over.

[@daniellee9015]

Brilliant video Matt beautiful old car amazing machine

[@blueinquisitor2000]

What a fantastic car, I'd love to own an E39 M5 one day.

[@XclusiveAaron]

10:50 One or my cars is a 2004 BMW 330Ci M Sport, and the other day I had another one behind me in the same colour. I was thinking wonder if that's a 330 or 325 etc. Anyway it came past and was an M3! But you can't tell from the front in your mirror 🤣

[@cornishrider]

What a treat! I was only watching these last night with my son. There is one about a miles from us at a specialists due for restoration, we often longingly look at it!

[@stevenjones1972]

Hi Matt, great drive of the BMW E39 M5, nice car,I do like the paint /wheels setup.

[@timbre7999]

Fantastic to see this. The E39 M5 is such a legend.

[@videowsatcher]

thought sat nav was standard; must be market dependent. My 99 532i had the cd in the boot; a tape deck was behind the cover

[@GoldenCroc]

Doubt it was standard in many places, if anywhere. It was a very expensive option back then.

[@gerrymazon]

If the E28-driver knows his bmw's he could spot your M5 because of the side-mirrors. Only M5 had the oval side-mirrors (the rest had the rectangular shaped ones).

[@Thanos.m]

I'm not a BMW fanboy but I can appreciate the E39 but for my money I'd Rather an XJR

[@ofirs5830]

XJR from the same era I hope. Current General XJ looks like a big Kia

[@paulmcgeever5343]

For sure the last of the proper M5 !

[@cameronlaw9363]

It was the best M5 ever and it was in mid production when I was born. Did come with sat nav on high-end models

[@francispowell1811]

Excellent review. Unbiased and factual.

[@kingbee1971]

That's the one! Best. BMW. Ever. Gorgeous color and the interior with the 2-tone ostrich leather seats. Wow!

[@jon4539]

There's a company that puts a Spanish gearbox in e60 m5,what a beast that would be

[@ciaranburke3243]

Great review, bmw tried to improve on this m5 but failed miserably, by far the best and most desirable ever especially with that Manuel gearbox 👌

[@ronmccullock1407]

Fantastic review Matt

[@benholroyd5221]

4:23 "Cruise control indicators" Is that cruise control (and) (turning) indicators Cruise control (and) (cruise control) indicators Cruise control (on off) indicators? I ask, because in most BMWs the turning indicators are normally further over to the left, in the glove box.

[@NeoNeko99]

Cruise control is actually the little cluster of buttons on the right-hand side of the steering wheel itself, so it’s just the indicator stalk on the left.

[@benholroyd5221]

@@NeoNeko99 I was aiming more for a joke about BMW drivers not indicating. But thanks for the clarification.

[@NeoNeko99]

@@benholroyd5221 I thought so 😆 But I thought I’d mention it anyway 🙂

[@simonhodgetts6530]

@@benholroyd5221 with that daft electronic indicator stalk they introduced later, even if you did indicate, there was no guarantee that it would show the correct direction of travel, or that it would self-cancel, or, if you cancelled it yourself, that it wouldn’t then start indicating the opposite direction. Rubbish idea, and frustrating to use. I had 3 BMWs with that bloomin’ thing, and I never got why they couldn’t have stuck to a mechanical indicator stalk, like just about everybody else!

[@GoldenCroc]

@@simonhodgetts6530 No offence, but I guess it just wasnt for you, I got used to it easily, and quite like it.

[@kieranwhite6647]

One of my lottery win cars getting the furious treatment, fantastic!

[@peterlazarus1876]

Sweet machine. You hammered up Boxley Hill as if it wasn't even there! Impressive car 💪

[@ellacfan9020]

My favorite super saloon of all time!! but where is the boot lip on this Gem?? It's just not right without the boot lip! :D Still a lovely looking e39 M5

[@thibaudvissouarn127]

The only advantage you had when buying a Mercedes was that you could have the T model in AMG which was glorious =)

[@neilmustow368]

Classic E39 5 Series M5 what a stonker and a manual gearbox

[@spainter1985]

Ah, proper BMW! So understated back then!

[@tomldaily6935]

The video I've been waiting for.. this should be great! Best bmw ever and my favourite youtuber Perfect! 😊

[@randomsurfer3963]

Hindsight is the most annoying thing ever. I remember when I was having a look for one many years ago and they were really cheap, about 7K the one I was looking at and I decided very wisely it was too expensive! I think the most impressive thing I perceived back then was the quality of the ride, I could hardly believe it.

[@Kryojenix]

Fellow upgraded the rear-view mirror to the post-2002 updated version

[@guy4469]

I cant afford an M5 so ill stick to my E38 728I still makes me smile .And its still quick today .

[@Birmingham_racing]

This is the best sounding v8 m5 without a doubt

[@Buffalobulltofta]

Timeless. Cant remember when i saw a well taken care of (lesser trim) E39 the last time, they are getting rare. Regarding manual, to be fair the new G80 can be ordered with one, kudos to BMW.

[@bmwman1981]

Why would you want a manual bmw 5 series.I’d expect it on a poverty 3 series or a very pointless 1series

[@Buffalobulltofta]

@@bmwman1981 i agree, it's a cruiser.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@bmwman1981 A lot of people thinks it makes the car more fun to drive. I somewhat agree with that. Not that complicated to understand.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@Buffalobulltofta Its not a cruiser in europe, certainly not when it was new.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

From back when I would actually buy a BMW... What a stunning car ! And now we are stuck with EVs (vacuum cleaners with bigger wheels), with not a hint of soul....

[@DJunclepaul2nd]

Respect to Mr Furious for caining this motor along an A road with traffic 😂.

[@mattw8332]

Interesting number plate.

[@theodor12]

One of the best cars ever made, along with the E46 M3.

[@cornishrider]

And the E30 M3 😃

[@Birmingham_racing]

E39 best generation of 5 series and this is the best m5

[@brianiswrong]

Sort of car I would love to borrow for a weekend,but not necessarily own.

[@kitvexed8229]

the beast only needs 3 things: 1. evolve tune 2. evolve medusa headers 3. kW suspension turns the beast into a monster... while looking the same.

[@mpersad]

Such an elegant car. In my opinion the modern fashion for ridiculous, aggresive grilles, is a really awful design trend.

[@seldom_seen_kid]

I loved my E39 530d Msport. Probably my best car to date.

[@radioactivepotato2068]

Peak M5. I'd probably still sooner have an e60, if I could find a decent manual.

[@johnshaw359]

The overriding thought is that a lot of time and money was spent on the design of E39 in general, if you've ever owned one.

[@johang7498]

That was a BMW to look up to! It's easy to see how BMW never got it as right again after the E39 with an M5 or other sports saloon.

[@jasoncornell1579]

Beautiful car but no tea shelf?

[@parkecorepersonaltrainingp2601]

Excellent review as always and a great car 👍👍

[@raihanhassan1]

this is one of the best car he has driven and cooler than his e61