E60 M5

[Theo]

I'm toying with buying a cool car of some sort, I keep coming back to the E60 M5 as the V10 appeals greatly to me.

What are these things like to own?

[griff87]

I'm in the process of getting one and have seen/test driven a lot now. There seems to be two groups of cars out there now, the 100k plus for around £13-14k and the sub 60k cars hovering at around £20k. The 60k miles seems to be a threshold where the car is still accepted on the all important bmw warranty at approx £140 a month, above that and its £300+. There is also a little bit of a purchase price premium for facelift cars.

Im looking for cars in the 60k-80k mile range with clutch/brakes/throttle attuators done recently. As for ownership, ill report back in a few weeks!

[pacerpete]

As with most BMWs, proper people have wagons. The saloon as well as being ugly has a strong stench of council. Obviously the wagons are rare and command more money but that will work in your favour when you get tired of the 13mpg and dashboard disco !

[Theo]

There's no hiding the fact that they look council

The wagons are undoubtedly cooler but quite a lot more coin.

Is it madness not having the BMW warranty? I'll certainly look for those major works you mention in the service history.

I did read that they had eyewatering fuel consumption, not really unexpected with a 5 litre V10! Fortunately I cycle to work so it's hardly a daily driver.

There's a decent looking one being offered by GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY PVT LTD in Iver, any experience of these guys Peter?

[Sanchez]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bmwcc_sco ... 2719419603

Couple in bmwcc Scotland.

[bss325i]

Rod bearings need doing at circa 60k miles.

Clutches last to approx 40-60k miles.

Throttle actuators fail (there are two) and are £750 a pop although there are people who recon them.

DSC units can pack up but can be repaired.

I have had to do a few odd repairs on them such as an injector sticking open and hydraulic locking the engine and another where one of the valve springs snapped.

Plenty of other M tax parts!

[kieran325]

I've had the E61 M5 for the last 18 months and in that time I've only had a new thermostat under warranty and that was only found when it was in for its oil service.

They are dreadful on fuel but that comes with owning the mighty V10 S85 and having a small tank doesn't help matters for cruising. I burnt through €900 of Shell V-Power once in a week on a trip to Switzerland, I didn't hold back on the Autobahn and it was an epic chariot to do such a trip in. In total I've done 3500 miles alone in Europe and I've enjoyed every trip I've done it.

The SMG is a pain to live with in traffic or city driving, its at its best on an open road, and I always the use the paddle shift.

I did a bit of research and was surprised how bad they got reviewed but I can honestly say it's been a great car so far and I'll be renewing the BMW warranty in January as I got 2 years warranty when I bought it through AUC. It's now done 53,000 miles and I'll be qualifying for the cheaper monthly warranty payments as paying monthly will continue to be at the lower rate than when it clicks over 60,000.

[pacerpete]

There's no hiding the fact that they look council

The wagons are undoubtedly cooler but quite a lot more coin.

Is it madness not having the BMW warranty? I'll certainly look for those major works you mention in the service history.

I did read that they had eyewatering fuel consumption, not really unexpected with a 5 litre V10! Fortunately I cycle to work so it's hardly a daily driver.

There's a decent looking one being offered by GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY PVT LTD in Iver, any experience of these guys Peter?

Sorry, I have never heard of them. I do know Court lane is home to scrap yards and other undesirables. No 3 acre spreads with carriage drives in that manor !

[Theo]

That's a lovely looking car Kieran - I read through your original thread earlier and wondered how things had gone. Pretty serenely by the sounds of it!

Peter, If I end up looking at that car in Iver I may drop by and see what's happening in your passage!

[brettski]

I thought you had a cool car Theo? How is the Hartge build coming along?

[Simon13]

Your too tight Theo!

[Gert_8]

I work on the guiding principle; if you can't afford to run a top spec car when it's new, you can't afford to do it when it's old.

[Theo]

I thought you had a cool car Theo? How is the Hartge build coming along?

That car will be cool but not particularly usable and I wouldn't like keeping it in London where I don't have a garage.

Really not fussed by the running costs but many people opine that the E60 M5 is just a bit of a lemon and that does worry me.

[Speedtouch]

Opiña Colada!

If you feel pretty competent at working on BMs, why let it bother you if you like the car. I wouldn't have thought it was great for driving about central London though - those sort of cars are best for long motorway/Autobahn storming.

[Andyboy]

I thought you had a cool car Theo? How is the Hartge build coming along?

That car will be cool but not particularly usable and I wouldn't like keeping it in London where I don't have a garage.

Really not fussed by the running costs but many people opine that the E60 M5 is just a bit of a lemon and that does worry me.

They're a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. Great when working (if you like that sort of thing) but everything is so much money. From memory, BMW will sell you a clutch kit but without the flywheel as well, no warranty. Discs are about a grand a pair iirc. When I was at Quarry Motors we used to see these in for repairs, just frightening. I also took phone calls from owners desperately searching for parts - secondhand brake discs and that sort of thing (innit).

The AMG E63 Merc of the same era is a vastly better idea. Still stupidly fast but a proper autobox and an FO supercharged V8. Generally a pretty reliable car.

[Andyboy]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 5.0&page=1

[Blitz]

Only one to get is a touring. The saloon just stinks of Ilford