2002 BMW M5 (E39)

Highlights

• Extensive service and maintenance record
• Just 95,494 miles on the clock
• Desirable Le Mans Blue Metallic over caramel / tan leather
• Unmodified and presented in standard specification
• Luxuriously appointed interior with rare factory options

Overview

No one can argue like car enthusiasts. Seriously, stick a few of us in a room and ask us to discuss something innocuous, such as the car with the most comfortable seats. We’d still be arguing a year later. Diagrams will have been drawn on the walls. Two of us will probably be dead.

Having said that, there are a small group of cars, rarefied and special machines, that the majority of us will acknowledge stand head and shoulders above their peers in almost every respect. One such unicorn is the BMW E39 M5, a car that makes a very good argument for being the finest performance vehicle ever built, and all the car you ever need.

A bold claim, for sure, but one not without merit. This was BMW and M-Sport in their pomp, building a machine of such incredible ability and quality, that it left a hole in the automotive landscape that’s never really been filled since. Certainly, there have been faster, more luxurious super-saloons built since. But there’s been nothing that quite matches the E39’s stunning breadth of attributes – its sublime chassis balance, chest-compressing performance, steam-engine adjacent build quality and subtle yet muscular styling.

Possessed of the first V8 engine M-sport ever fitted to a road car, it’s now regarded as a genuine appreciating classic and, in many quarters, spoken of as the greatest M saloon there’s ever been. Every inch of the car has an over-engineered, robust feel to it. And when you get that high-revving V8 fired up, it will rocket you towards the horizon unfeasibly quickly for a relatively large saloon car. Yet it retains a deftness and clarity of communication in the chassis that has made it a firm favourite amongst proponents of the “Needell corner exit”.

Presented in gorgeous Le Mans Blue Metallic over a Caramel interior, and benefitting from a great service record as well as some truly rare factory options, this handsome super-saloon could be the perfect way to own a true motoring icon. Just 2,595 were built in right-hand drive between 1998 and 2003 too, so they’re becoming quite a rare machine now. One thing’s for sure: this handsome, 95,000 mile, unmodified, well-cared for example makes for a perfect modern classic.

Look, it’s an E39 M5. If you’re on this website, we probably don’t have to tell you how special that is. In fact, you’re probably not even reading this are you? You’re already lost in the image gallery or already bidding aren’t you? So why are we still talking?

…

Right, we’re off for a cuppa. Enjoy the pictures.

History and documentation

• 2002 car (facelift model)
• Originally registered in Eire, before import to the UK in 2020
• First registered 30 May 2002
• Two former owners in the UK, current owner since October 2021
• 95,494 miles on the clock, verified by MOT and service records
• Stamped service book with services as follows: October 2002 @ 3,481 km, March 2003 @ 7,015 km, February 2005 @ 25,732 km, September 2005 @ 31,682 km, January 2007 @ 45,473 km, May 2008 @ 59,437 km, August 2011 @ 87,627 km, August 2012 @ 95,558 km, May 2013 @ 100,122 km, June 2014 @ 108,424 km, February 2015 @ 114,651, April 2016 @ 129,982 km, October 2021 @ 84,782 miles, 2022 @ 92,381 miles, October 2023 @ 93,424 miles
• Full document pack
• Extensive collection of invoices and old MOT certificates
• Two keys
• Current MOT expires on 18 May 2025
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear
• Please note, the car’s private registration is not included and will be removed prior to sale
• London ULEZ compliant
• Converted from km to miles by Munich Motors in September 2021

Interior

• Caramel / tan leather upholstery, finished to the usual high BMW standard of the period
• The seats all appear to be in excellent condition, with an attractive patina appropriate to their age, but no sagging or damage we could see
• We’re told that the interior has recently had a full professional detail, which included removal of all seats and a full carpet shampoo
• The plastic trim around the controls on the driver’s seat has cracked, but does not impede the function of the seat in any way
• The front seats are the rare, factory option ‘active comfort’, heated massage seats, with full electrical adjustment and a 3-memory function on the driver’s side
• We noted a little wear to the leather of the gearstick gaiter
• Caramel carpet with matched, tailored over-mats is fitted through the cabin and presents in excellent condition with no notable staining or damage and just a little usual wear to the driver’s over-mat
• Electrically operated windows, door mirrors and glass sunroof
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Period entertainment centre, with radio/cassette player, TV and Alpine 6CD changer
• The grey headlining is in excellent condition, with no sagging, damage or staining on show
• Dual-zone air-conditioning
• All of the instrumentation looks to be in good order, with no faults or issues reported
• A ‘check high beam’ message briefly appears at start-up – the vendor believes this is because the headlight bulbs have been upgraded to LEDs
• There is a little wear apparent to some of the buttons and other switchgear, but nothing beyond what you’d expect from the vehicle’s age and mileage
• Overall the trim in the cabin is in good condition, with a couple of cracks to the wood veneer on the dash fascia, but otherwise no notable wear
• We’re assured that everything in the cabin works as it should
• As with all E39s, the boot space is impressive, and is neatly finished with grey carpeting
• The usual period BMW toolkit is present and correct

Exterior

• Finished from the factory in gorgeous Le Mans Blue Metallic (381)
• We noted some minor chips, marks and blemishes to the paint, consistent with the car’s age and mileage, but nothing that would cause us concern
• The only marks worthy of note are a slight scuff on the near-side corner of the front bumper, a scuff to the lower off-side front corner of the front bumper and a small amount of bubbling to the near-side edge of the boot lid
• All of the bodywork looks to be in fine condition, with clean lines, even panel gaps and no evidence of corrosion or damage we could discern
• The external trim and badging shows very nicely, with some light patination, but nothing missing or damaged
• Both headlights look nice and clear, and none of the glass elements appear to have any cracks or chips we could identify
• We’re told by the vendor that both sills have received attention, and they look straight and clean, with a small amount of overspray to the floor pans indicating that the work was completed in recent years
• Underneath, the floor pans look clean and very straight, with no damage or corrosion
• Similarly, the exhaust system, differential and suspension components look nice and clean, and free from any significant corrosion or damage
• One of our favourite features on the E39 M5 is those lovely 18-inch, Style 65 alloy wheels, and here they are present, correct and recently refurbished with no signs of lacquer peel or kerb damage
• The wheels have been refinished in a more subtle grey colour, rather than the standard Shadow Chrome
• A brace of Falken 275/35 tyres is fitted to the rear axle, and they appear to have good tread levels; the front tyres are 235/40 and similarly look to have plenty of life left in them

Mechanical

• 4,941cc naturally-aspirated V8 – a development of the S62 engine and the first time M-Sport fitted a V8 in a road car
• As standard the engine benefits from quad-cams, individual throttle bodies, drive-by-wire throttle and double VANOS variable valve timing (inlet and exhaust sides)
• Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
• Mechanical limited-slip differential
• Factory performance figures: 400bhp @ 6,000rpm / 369lb-ft @ 3,800rpm / 7,000rpm limiter; 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds, electronically limited to 155mph
• The engine bay is lovely and clean, and everything appears to be standard with no modifications we could see
• Sport mode, ABS, power-assisted steering, traction control, cruise control
• The vendor tells us that the oil temperature sensor occasionally sticks and that the wheels may require a balance as there is a slight vibration at 60-70mph
• November 2023 – the driver’s airbag was replaced by Sytner under recall
• March 2024 – a new air conditioning belt was fitted, along with a new lower coolant hose temperature switch
• A full service was carried out in October 2023 at 93,424 miles
• The current MOT runs to 18th May 2025
• We’re assured the car starts, drives and stop just as it should, making excellent power and handling very well, with no mechanical issues to report

Summary

Every petrolhead surely has to own an ‘M’ car at some point, and no car collection is complete without one. And if you want one of the finest examples of the breed, a true super-saloon at the perfect intersection of technology, quality and analogue driving feel, then we think it simply has to be the E39 M5.

And what a cracking example we have here. The specification is spot on, it’s not been modified or messed about with, the mileage is low and it comes with some rare, and very desirable, factory options. Add to that the extensive maintenance record and were struggling to think of a reason you wouldn’t want this car.

If quality of finish and sheer driving pleasure are your primary concerns when choosing a car, then this is precisely what you’re looking for.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Chatham, Kent.