2002 BMW E39 M5 No Reserve; Full Leather; Evolve; Clean, Fun, and Reliable

2002 BMW M5 Description

This will sell - after 8 years of ownership I need to clear out the garage. No reserve so bid to own please.

Click HERE to view over 300 more pictures.

If you are looking at this you already know this is one of the best BMWs ever made and one of the best performance/luxury bargains ever. Six speed manual, ~400HP V8, full leather interior (including dash and doors), alcantara suede headliner, amazing stereo with two 10" subs in the trunk, classic styling, and the best "analog" driving experience which you will not find new again from any car maker. It has everything you need in a car. This one has enough mileage that you are not scared to drive it and it still has a lot of spirited life left in it. I used to have an online car dealership that specialized in BMW Ms and this was my parting gift as it was one of the cleanest M5s I ever came across. Has been my personal daily driver for the last 8 years. The original owner was a female executive at Hewlett Packard. I purchased it from the second owner who was a huge M5 enthusiast/BMW Car Club of America member and worked for George Lucas' Industrial Light and Film. So this car was in San Francisco for the first six years of it's life and was maintained well. This car has only seen BMW Castrol TWS for M-engines which is critical to find in a used M5. Oil was changed every 5-7k miles, transmission and limited slip differential fluids were changed every 50,000 miles, coolant system and brakes flushed every other year, etc. Since I purchased it, I have resided in Orlando and New Orleans so it has never seen salt or any bad elements that cause major issues. Non-smoker owners and no interior odors exist.

If you follow the 2001+ M5s, this has every option that was available on a full leather interior M5. Full black leather Nappa leather (leather dash, glove box, full leather door panels, premium leather seats, etc.), fold down rear seats, Parking Distance Controller, and the ///M Audio Package. The only option this doesn't have is the rear window screens as that was not available on full leather interiors. I have had a lot of different M5s and this color combination is spectacular and the best looking color combo I have ever seen. When clean, this car looks like a mirror reflecting everything around it. I took 300+ pictures in multiple settings so you can see what the car color looks like and distinguish reflections from blemishes.

Here are some additional items added since new:

* BMW Europe Nappa leather center armrest with flip-up/tilt function and storage bin (US version doesn't flip-up or have a storage bin beneath)

* BMW Europe headlights with clear corners (not orange like US models)

* BMW Europe first aid kit under the passenger seat

* BMW Europe M5 embroidered trunk mat (wasn't available in US models)

* BMW trunk cargo net

* BMW Europe TV module with video input/PlayStation 2 to watch DVD (I have never used so not sure that it still works but the prior owner would pick up analog TV signals and used the PS2 for games/movies. Analog signals are long done for the last 7 years when local TV stations were required to switch to digital).

* Evolve Alpha-N tune (installed so you don't have to replace MAF sensors every 6 months)

* Short shifter kit

* Bluetooth

* Navigation system upgraded from MK3 CD based to the MKIV DVD based system

* Upgraded Navigation Software to 3D

* I run the rear 18x9.5" rims on both front and rear to reduce understeer. Plus you can rotate tires with this large "square" setup instead of the staggered wheels that M5 came with from the factory. 3mm spacer on the fronts and longer rear lug nuts are up front to accommodate.

* Pre-wired for a Valentine-1 (V1 not included but I will leave the wire for you)

I hate to let go of this car but I am an OCD automotive engineer who doesn't like to let anybody touch any of my cars (meaning I do all the work myself besides mounting and balancing tires). Between work and small kids, I don't have the time to wrench and play with cars anymore. So unfortunately I need to let go of some good cars that are no longer getting used.

This M5 is a solid driver. I always kept it so that I was never scared to hope in it and drive it across the country. I have sold a lot of cars online and always like to point out every item so there is no surprise or disappointment for the buyer. So instead of ending my auction description here as most would, I will give you every detail so you know what you are buying. As I said, this is a solid driver that is ready to go anywhere but I would not say it is ready to pull into a track day event nor is it a perfect garage queen that just rolled off the dealer show room floor. Everything looks great from 10 feet away but this is a 14 year old car with 187k miles on it. Mechanically it is solid but there are some items that could be freshened up:

1) It is my opinion that every E39 M5 should replace the suspension components every 40k miles to keep everything fresh. This car is at 70k miles on the suspension. If I had the time, I would spend a couple weekends freshening everything up. This has the common E39 shimmy right around 50 MPH which is due to worn out thrust arm bushings. At a minimum, I would recommend that the new buyer replaces the thrust arms. Message me and I can send you a DIY article on the replacement.

2) Both front seats have the common E39 seat twist going on. You don't have to buy any parts to fix this; just need a weekend and the right tools to fix it. There are a ton of videos on YouTube and online DIY repair guides to fix this issue if you search BMW E39 seat twist. Message me and I can send you a link and video of guys that claim it is a 10 minute repair without removing the seat or having too special of tools.

3) On the hottest of summer days in New Orleans, if you get in the car and only push the clutch down 99% of the way then the car will not start. My wife drives my car probably 5 times a year. Over the 8 years of ownership, I have probably gotten three phone calls (usually in July and August) from her asking the trick to start my car. Any other month in New Orleans and she is fine starting the car with the clutch down 99%. As soon as you put all of your leg into the clutch and get it on the floor, it immediately cranks up. If you want to not run into this issue, replace the clutch position sensor. Outside of this issue and one dead battery, I have never had an issue with the car cranking on the first turn over the 8 years of ownership.

4) Power Steering Hoses - If you have any experience with a late 1990s/early 2000s BMWs, you know all about the power steering hose leaks. Dealer always wants huge money to replace them and a year later they leak again. Mine leak. I just top off the power steering fluid reservoir on a monthly basis and clean the fluid off the engine bay paint.

5) Recently about once out of every 20 starts or so the radio will act weird. After 10 seconds the radio volume goes mute. If you turn the radio power button off and back on, it works again for 10 seconds before repeating the mute. It is going to do this until you turn the car off and then turn the car back on. As weird as this sounds, this random radio mute is a sign of a failing ignition switch. I have had this problem on 8 different BMWs and the ignition switch fixed the issue every time in the past. I have already purchased a new ignition switch that comes with the car, but I have not had time to install it.

6) I have two keys, plus a valet and wallet key for the car. Of the two main keys, the remote lock/unlock/trunk does not work on one key. I just keep that as a spare and use the other key on a daily basis. Everything works on the main key.

7) Parking brake - Recently the parking brake cable on the interior starting acting up. So the parking brakes works when you lift up on it but when you let go of the parking brake lever, the lever does not stay up (so your parking brake isn't engaged unless you are manually holding the lever up or put an item under it to hold it up). I have not had time to take this apart to see if it is $14 clip or if you need to order the full $99 lever assembly.

8) Front windshield is original. It has 187k of sand chips and a few rock chips.

9) Will post 300+ pictures showing a full walk around of the exterior. I try to point out every flaw from original and use my watch as a size reference so there are no surprises when you see the car. There is a small indentation on the trunk near the M5 badge (you probably wouldn't notice unless I point it out), hairline crack on the front bumper, it is missing the front tow hitch cover ($11 part but will need to be painted), cracked front fog light glass, large rock chip on the drivers mirror, 187k miles of to be expected small chips and sand pits on the front end, etc.

10) Rims - I paint the wheels with plasti-dip once a year or so. Last time I got new tires, the shop tired to mount the tires with just one person and scratch the rims pretty good. Up close you see the chips but when sprayed with plasti-dip you don't notice from far away.

11) Tires - If you know the M5, you know it likes tires. You have 50% tread left on the rear and approximately 10% on the fronts. If I was keeping, I would replace the fronts due to their age soon (I think these were put on in late 2012).

I will clean out my garage and give you my spare BMW parts. Off the top of my head I have a water pump, serpentine belts, several sets of wiper blades, fuel filter, oil filter, oil, ignition switch, PEAKE code reader, and an intake air temperature relocation sensor that I never got around to installing. Plus I have some more accessories (couple different versions of cup holders, custom fit front windshield shade, etc.).

This has been a very reliable car to me over the years. It was all original paint/no accidents when I purchased it (verified with a paint meter in 2008). To date, it has only been in one minor accident. I was stopped at a traffic light in approximately April of 2015 when a driver was more focused on texting than driving. A Lexus RX300 rear ended me and damaged the rear bumper, trunk, and passenger quarter panel. I took the car to the highest end body shop in New Orleans (the M5 was parked between a $600k Ferrari F40 and a new Maserati) where they replaced the bumper and trunk plus pulled the quarter panel back out. The paint match looks great and you cannot tell it ever happened.

I have made my best attempt to describe the car accurately. Please thoroughly examine all pictures. You are buying as-is and you are welcome to have the vehicle inspected at your cost before the auction ends.