The E39 M5 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998. Many regard it as the finest saloon chassis of all time and almost exclusively as the greatest M5 of all time.
BMW took the basics of its 4.4 liter engine and bumped it to 5.0 liters (BMW says 5, but it is really 4.9), giving 400 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque with a 7,000 rpm redline. Mated to a 6-speed manual and a limited-slip differential, the M5 could hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Unsurprisingly, the E39 also saw dynamic stability control and automatic stability control. In total 20,482 E39s were built.
I know people say the M5 E39 was the best of all M5s, but I never really loved it. The ride was too hard for a saloon — at least for me. It is a berline, not a 2-seat sport coupe.
