2001 BMW E39 M5 Has Aged Like Fine Wine, Can Be Yours For $52k

If you’re looking to buy a BMW M car that is the perfect synthesis of old and new, then you need not look any further than the E39 M5.

This high-performance sedan has it all: timeless styling that screams BMW through all pores, a naturally aspirated engine, a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. It looks so classy and understated compared to today’s M5, and that is a big part of its appeal; that’s also why it has aged so gracefully.

The E39 M5 was the first M5 to ever feature a V8 engine, setting the course for all the generations that followed – bar the V10-powered E60 M5. It packed the S62 naturally aspirated 4.9-liter V8 which churns out 400 PS (395 HP) at 6,600 rpm and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque at 3,800 rpm.

See Also: Low-Mileage BMW E39 M5 Is Certainly Desirable – But $150K Desirable?

Depending on how good the driver is with the stick shift, the M5 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in as little as 4.8 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited at 155 mph (250 km/h), though in testing an unrestricted M5 it exceeded 186 mph (300 km/h).

The E39 M5’s performance remains very much relevant to this day, but finding an all-original example with relatively low mileage is getting increasingly difficult. We managed to find one in the Netherlands and it just might be the finest E39 M5 we’ve seen in a very long time.

Offered by Auto Leitner for €44,500 ($52,440), this facelifted 2001 BMW M5 with just 87,000 kilometers (54,059 miles) on the clock looks impressive inside and out. It combines a Titanium Silver metallic exterior with High Gloss Shadowline trim with a black leather interior featuring Titanium aluminum trim and many optional creature comforts.

Highlights include Xenon headlights, cruise control, automatic air conditioning, BMW Navigation Professional, multifunction M leather sports steering wheel, Hi-Fi sound system and power everything. There really is nothing more you’d need on a car, whether we’re talking about 2001 or 2021. The E39 M5 is offered with the complete (and never used) tool kit, original stamped service booklet, maintenance invoices, instruction manuals and two original keys.