Used car buying guide: BMW M5 (E60)
Even on current vehicles, the SMG gearbox isn’t the smoothest or most resilient. To maintain the clutch’s daily life, as effectively as to boost shift times and jerkiness, elevate off the throttle a bit when altering equipment.
Normally, the E60 M5 really should be a deal with to generate – it is a BMW soon after all – and you can get pleasure from the continue to rather state-of-the-artwork motor and comprehensive stainless steel exhaust amongst fill-ups, and even the gimmick of switching to P500S manner, which unleashes all 500bhp, in its place of the ‘standard’ 400. When filling up, admire the Chris Bangle-intended lines, which to numerous eyes have aged perfectly and continue to assistance the M5 appear modern-day currently – to match its modern day general performance.
What we reported then
14th September 2004: “We could dedicate two difficulties of this magazine just to the motor spec of this car or truck. It is a powertrain engineer’s dream, a single of the best highway car engines still crafted.”
An owner’s look at
John Simmons: “I love these automobiles and particularly that wonderful, substantial-revving motor, which seriously comes to life over 5000rpm. Modding the exhaust only helps make it audio better, in my belief. Legitimate, the launch control’s a bit worthless but all the things else is so a great deal enjoyable I can forgive it. Check the record thoroughly since any repairs will value you a fortune, especially involving the large-finish bearings. Oh, and you’re on the lookout at 17mpg tops.”
Customer beware
Motor: Conrod bearings (likely the primary lead to of the M5’s standing for unreliability) can give hassle if oil improvements are skimped. Test for a Vanos warning mild: it could be an oil tension situation involving the sump-to-head hose or the Vanos pump (£1600) relatively than the Vanos device. Dilemma the owner about the oil that has been utilized: it need to be Castrol Edge 10W60 only. Be expecting oil usage of close to a person litre for every 1000 miles. Examine if the pricey primary services is due and negotiate if so. Throttle actuators can perform up.
Gearbox: Even on current vehicles, the clutch will have to have changing following 50,000 miles (most likely £3000 or much more). All will be jerky in town, but it should easy out at bigger speeds. If the vendor will not permit you put it in P500S method, they could be hiding a brutalised clutch. Some vehicles have experienced manual swaps, so verify in which the gearbox has appear from, and who has equipped it.
