Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Another One From the Vault: BMW E39 M5 Wagon]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/01/another-one-from-the-vault-bmw-e39-m5-wagon/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/01/another-one-from-the-vault-bmw-e39-m5-wagon/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/01/another-one-from-the-vault-bmw-e39-m5-wagon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

BMW E39 M5 Touring - Click above image for hi-res gallery

It seems to be raining apocryphal BMW M cars that have been sitting in cold storage. And in a way, it has! On Thursday, we saw the mind-boggling, hyper-cool E34 M5 Convertible that BMW stashed away for twenty long years. Today's car isn't nearly as crypto (meaning we've seen pictures of it before), but in a way it's much, much cooler.

We posited that perhaps the E34 M5 is in fact the best M car of all. Well, here's the truth -- the E39 M5 is the one we want, hands down, 100%. We were just waxing poetical. E39 M5, every time over here, boss. Why? With that big fat 400 horsepower V8 and those conservative duds, the E39 is still the ultimate M sleeper. Er, that is, it would be if not for the E39 M5 Wagon.

Yes that's right, an M Wagon. Many of you who bothered to click through the E34 M5 convertible gallery noticed the M5 Wagon (or "Touring" as BMW calls the 5-door in a lame attempt to mask its wagonness) just sitting there. We were going to say something, but, you know how it is -- pics or it didn't happen. Anyhoo, the story goes that BMW wanted to build the E39 M5 Wagon but some issue with the rear axle misbehaving led them to decide that the car just wouldn't be up to M Division snuff. And the plug was pulled.

So there you have it. And now we come to the part in the story where we come fully clean and admit that the M Coupe is our actual favorite ever M car. Unless that M8 shows its face...


Gallery: BMW E39 M5 Wagon


[Source: BMW Blog]

Another One From the Vault: BMW E39 M5 Wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW E34 M5 Convertible - Click above image for high-res gallery

Amongst M Division cognoscenti there rages an eternal debate concerning what's the best ever BMW M car. To the casual Bavarian-enthusiast the answer is quite simple: E39 M5. However, strong cases can be made for both the E30 M3 and the OG E28 M5, which featured the M1's race-bred 3.5-liter straight-six. In fact, there's a whole subculture of folks that feel a car's not really a BMW (let alone an M) without an inline-six. With that said, the E34 M5 is a pretty compelling candidate for best ever M car, as is the M1. Oddly, no one ever advocates in favor of the E60 M5. Moving on...

Think about it now -- the E34 M5 is the last of the totally hand built M cars. Sometimes one worker made an entire car, though usually the cars were built by specific teams. In fact, BMW test engineers could tell which person (or people) had built each individual car. That's pretty nifty. Only thing is, all those doors. And that roof! Who needs it? Sadly, it was only with the introduction of the E63 M6 that the big M cars got back to just two doors and a drop top. Or was it?

Turns out that back in the late '80s BMW built a convertible E34 M5 and they've kept it under lock and key for the past 20 years until showing it to a select group of journalists during a 25 years of M5 celebration. Based of the E34 chassis, the convertible version featured lengthened doors and was actually all set to go into production.

But then, just one week before its introduction at Geneva (they'd booked space for the car and everything), BMW pulled the plug and canceled the M5 convertible, fearing demand for non-M5 convertibles would cut into the highly profitable 3 Series convertible sales. Too bad, as this thing looks sweet. Also, if BMW pulls the long-rumored-though-(maybe)-never-built M8 out from some dark corner of the storage bin, well, we'll be pretty upset. Yet thrilled at the same time.


Gallery: BMW E34 M5 Convertible


[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: BMW builds E34 M5 Convertible, keeps it secret for 20 long years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why not? In Australia, Ford sells the F6 Tornado, Pursuit and Super Pursuit under the Ford Performance Vehicle (FPV) banner, hauling ass as well as anything else. BMW doesn't offer anything even close, so what is a Bimmer enthusiast to do when he has to stop at The Home Depot for garden supplies? Certainly not put them in the X5!

There is always someone out there who solves problems such as this before they actually become an issue. In this case, a bloke named POWERCHIP from the M5Board has taken a BMW E39 M5 and is converting it into what he calls the M5 UTE. It seems that after talking to Shane from Southern Rod and Custom in New South Wales Australia it looked like his dream car might just come true.

The yearlong transformation of this great sedan into the M5 UTE is truly amazing. Every inch of the vehicle is being properly engineered to drive just like the M5 from which it spawned. Click here to check out the 200+ photo album that details the build every step of the way.


[Source: Jalopnik via M5Board]

Aussies developed BMW with a bed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BMWE39 M5E39M5UTEFri, 22 Dec 2006 18:51:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/723131/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/12/22/aussies-developed-bmw-with-a-bed/723131/article-detail.xml 723131 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/e39-m5-ute-(450-x-338)_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/e39-m5-ute-(450-x-338).jpg <![CDATA[VIDEO: Best Commercial Ever? The E39 BMW M5]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/video-best-commercial-ever-the-e39-bmw-m5/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/video-best-commercial-ever-the-e39-bmw-m5/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/05/video-best-commercial-ever-the-e39-bmw-m5/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



I know it's completely hyperbolic to call something the "best ever," but right now, that's how I feel after watching the television commercial above. It's for the E39 BMW M5, and it does more to communicate the whole point of the car -- in a delightfully clever fashion -- than anything I've seen in a long time. Man, the last M5 was the cat's pajamas, wasn't it?

Go now. Click and bask in the unrelenting awesomeness.

[Source: YouTube]

VIDEO: Best Commercial Ever? The E39 BMW M5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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