Had mine 15 months and loving it - despite living on a highly speed restricted island with no opportunity to plant my right foot.

Ben

 

The E39 M5 itch STILL refuses to go away completely.....

Not far off two years with the current steed and, while it still ticks all the boxes for what I need and has performed flawlessly, the desire for a change has started to manifest itself. I think this would still rank pretty high on the list of potential replacements, assuming I could find a good one at the right price. And as time goes on, I suspect that's only going to become harder....

 

I'll try and update the ownership thread in the next day or so.

I can only reiterate the importance of choosing one with all the evidence of maintenance.

I absolutely would not buy an E39 M5 without that and nor would I buy one that had only been in someone's hands for a short time.

I am quite convinced that once you have got the car sweet, it is not difficult to keep it that way, accepting as you must that the odd stinger will come along.

I have had eighteen months of NOTHING significant needing doing (although I had some bodywork done out of choice) and will now probably have to spend a grand (service already done, a repair to the exhaust and an air pump). I'll probably need four new tyres in a couple of months and that will be it.

If it goes another eighteen months without significant expenditure, I think that can only be considered highly reasonable for the performance.

I may sell it before the five year deadline, and if I do, it will be pukka, just after I've refurbed the wheels and put new tyres on. The trouble is finding one that hasn't been skimped on, or one that isn't just about to hurt you financially.

That's why I wouldn't buy a 'perfect' 70,000 miler that hadn't needed any repairs at all. Basically, it's about to.

 

Mark - if you need any help looking for one you know where I am.

 

i've seen approximately 1m posts hankering after one of the early M3s

all by you

you've changed man..

 

It could be about to get worse.

I was towing the BMW up the A11 on Saturday not able to see anything directly behind me and really feeling the weight of the thing over the Caterham.

For the first time ever I thought "I'd be better off in a 4X4"

 

I have almost decided to sell it

Some musical cars going on in the household at the moment and I am running out of space

So I am going to spend March doing any bits that need to be done (like a wheel refurb) and then you may see it on here

I'll do a full report on the last twelve months or so before then

 

Cue offer from LL?

You could both do a lot worse