This 2003 BMW M5 was produced in September 2002 and is finished in one of the E39 M5’s signature colors- Carbon Black Metallic. Showing a scarcely believable 3,355 miles on the odometer, this is about as close as you can get to buying a brand-new E39 M5. This M5 is on its second trip through our facility at EAG, last offered in 2020, at which point it showed 3,156 miles. Cars that have been used so sparingly and kept in such exceptional condition are considered “reference-grade” as they are essentially in as-new condition and are important to keep in such condition for future generations. Needless to say, the exterior is essentially perfect. The only changes of note from factory specification are new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and two color-matched plugs in the front bumper, where it was drilled for a license plate at the original selling dealer.

The interior of this M5 was ordered with a Sport interior, which fits the car with two-tone seats with “Ostrich” leather centers and aluminum trim throughout the cabin. On this car, a combination of black and “Silverstone” gray leather is fitted on the seats, center console, door cards and steering wheel. As with most leather interiors, most M5s you find for sale at this point- even very nice examples, have lost some of the factory matte finish on the various surfaces around the cabin- but not so on this car. The steering wheel is perfect, with the deviated M color stitching still as vibrant as when the car was new, and none of the plastic has gone the least bit shiny, as happens over time with these vehicles.

Powering this M5 is the aforementioned S62 V8- a true masterpiece of engineering. The 4.9-liter engine produces 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque thanks to 8 individual throttle bodies and double VANOS variable valve timing. As the first V8 BMW M car, the E39 offered seamless performance anywhere in the powerband. Whereas some of BMW’s previous M cars required the driver to wring them out to extract real-world performance, the E39 M5 offers effortless speed in any gear, at any revs. The only available gearbox for this M5 was a 6-speed Getrag manual, which sent power to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. In period, these M5s were clocked as running from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155- although it has been said with the limiter removed, they are easily capable of more than 185 mph.

The E39 M5 chassis is turning 25 years old this year, and even today, it remains the sports sedan that every modern sedan is measured against. That is just one of the many reasons that we at EAG are fans of this chassis, we always try to find great examples, and this one is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best anywhere. In an era where BMW’s slogan was “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” the E39 M5 seems tailor-made to fit that phrase.