[kindanutz]

Ok here's my dilemma.... I currently own and have owned an 03 E39 M5 for the last 3 years as my daily driver... My personal choices back then were to go with the E60 M5 or with the E39 and supercharge it... Well I went with the E39 because I love the classic look which in my mind looks way better then the E60... Well the only well developed non-custom massed produced S/C kit only came out a little over a year ago by ESS and I just never got around to biting the bullet... I always thought I would keep the E39 M5 for a long time as when I purchased the beast there wasn't anything out there made by BMWs M division that "wowed" me, until the new gen M3s...

The thing is my car is creeping up on 80k miles, the technology is a decade old now, and I'm just looking for something new with all the new tech toys and something with a warranty (although I do all my own work and the car has been mechanically flawless)... Another thing is the resale prices of the E39s are dropping far below where I would like to see them... I'm worried if I don't sell it now I won't get anything for it later down the line with more milage on it... This is a tough decision... I've put about 25-30K into my car already so the car is the way I want it... It is paid off already so no monthly payment... There are a lot of previous owners that regret having sold their cars and have even went back to the E39 M5...

I'm having a really difficult time deciding whether to hold on to the E39 M5 and supercharge it, or sell and and get a new gen M3 with the plans of supercharging it maybe a year or two down the road... Im looking for some input from you guys before I make a decision that I may end up regreting... If you guys were in my shoes what would you do and why??... Thanks...

 

[JTB]

I am almost exactly the same position you are and considered exactly the same thing. My M5 is just about to click 70k miles. About the only thing I have seriously considered purchasing is an E92. My only complaint about the current M3, aside from camber adjustment, is the lack of power. The ideal, and logical, solution is to add an ESS kist to the E92

I feel that even if the value of my M5 were to fall another 30%, it is not a significant $ total. Armed with this logic I am going to wait for a new M3 to be released so I don't take that part of the depreciation, and then buy one and mod as desired - Stoptechs, suspension, and ESS.

Other things considered - used GTR... but might have transmission issues / abuse and it lacks the 6 speed.

 

[jselig]

I had a M5 a couple of years ago. Sold it. Regretted it and have recently bought another. I am not in a position to buy a e92 so in my eyes the e39 M5 is the best car out there that I can afford.

 

[mfizzlenyc]

Since you already have the E39 Just do New Rod Bearings and a ESS Kit!!! Not that I need a faster M5 in my area LOL their are too many S3s around these parts...

 

[joseph ramos]

I have owned a 99 M3, a 05 M3, a 02 911 Turbo, a 93 M5, we had a 01 M5, a 07 E55, and after all of these cars the only one I regret getting rid of was the 01 M5. So I got another one, I am happy now! I am planning on supercharging the M5 but I don't drive it everyday, mainly weekends. I drive a modded Mini S everyday.

 

[ECB]

My car is my daily driver and I have had the ESS S/C kit for over a year without any issues. I've driven an e90 M3 and like the power delivery of my car better.

 

[Mikey_M5]

My mate has a Dakar edition e92 m3 and I had a drive a while ago, the gearbox was great with the paddle shift although it needed to be in M mode and redlined to feel fast, I havent had any runs against him yet but I guess the 7 speed will help him at top end.

I would love to have that as an everyday car, apart from the stupid new emissions/road tax here costing £950 a year.

 

[blackxs]

Stock for stock the two cars will run next to eachother

So you need to ask yourself what do you want more...
The E39 M5 has its brute power, especially supercharged. Pulls like a freight train from any RPM. Still fun to throw around but definitely has a weight to it and a little front end bulk.

Or the E92 M3, definitely slower but may "feel" similarly fast, since it needs to be wound up for the power. Nimble, more fun tossing around corners, great on the track or the road

Power or Handling? Both cars are a tremendously well balanced package in any regard - both have power and handling, but which is MORE important?

 

[abbas.ali]

Hmm... Since your car already has some upgrades, you need to realize that the E92 still cost around 50k, and if you bought it you will end up getting 414hp.very close to the E39.. If I was in your situation I would spend 8k on S/C. It would be a lot cheaper then getting E92 and supercharge it.

 

[dookateh]

SC'ed m5 seems more unique, for ever 1 e39 m5 i see around where i live, i see about 10 e90 m3's.

 

[kindanutz]

Yea the E39 M5 is quite rare around these parts, then then again there aren't many new gen M3s either... Power delivery is a major concern here as the power in the 3 is in the upper rpm range while the M5 has usable power and torque all over the rpm range... Just stab the gas and ur off at any rpm, which will be amplified 10 fold by a blower... This has been a hard decision for me... Back and forth, back and forth... I began looking for and test driving used M3s and I thought I found the one but something keeps holding me back... Im looking for some input and opinions that may make something "click" for me and make the decision easier... Please help!!!... LoL...

 

[M5 London]

Do you want something FAST ?

or

Do you want something RIDICULOUSLY FAST ?

 

[OSHPE55]

Do a SC. New M3s are like Aholes, not to mention there are gobs of regular 3 coupes and not many can tell the difference. The E39 is classic and with a SC is a beast! And dammit, if I didnt sell mine to Clemster I would still have it!:grrrr:

 

[Wurger]

Since you already have built your car to your liking and are only worried about resale value (reason you mention for selling now instead of later), def go the m5 sc route. You will end up losing much more money on the 50k m3 with the depriciation next few years. ESS FTMFW. :flag:

 

[KingJaffeJoffer]

Man, that is a tough call and there is no right answer

I researched E92 M3s relentlessly for at least a year. The V8, styling and CF roof had me sold. But, for me, I could not justify the financial commitment. IF money were no object, I'd opt for the newer car with warranty. But, like most of us, money is an object to me and that is why I'm driving my Beast. Both cars have the V8s, pretty good reliability and look great. They are very comparable, but the E92 is going to cost you more (initial cash outlay/loan and then the SC). Also, I will say that, while researching the E92, a good chunk of owners gave the impression that they are waiting on the next gen M3. They were happy with their cars, but not totally satisfied. The 295 TQ figure was the main gripe. Before the E60s were introduced, I doubt that E39 owners were itching to upgrade in similar fashion (I could be wrong, though). I mention this because you'll be driving your non-SC E92 for a couple of years before you SC it.

N.B.--My use of the phrase "good chunk" is, of course, subjective. I'm not saying that 9 out of 10 E92 owners were/are not satisfied--I'm just saying that this gripe came up often enough for me to notice.

 

[SnizM3]

keep your M5......Ive driven several newer M3's and while they are great cars, the lack of TQ sucks in real world driving.

 

[Dntlvet]

I currently drive a 2010 M3 sedan that I picked up at BMW Welt 11-26-2009. I have been very pleased to use this as my dd.
I have my eyes on a 2007 M5 and when I have opportunity to ask for advise on this car I intend to do so.

 

[Gustav]

Copeid to the BMW M3 forum.

 

[monty540]

Cost wise it is a no brainer-

You have a great car you have cared for and Know its history.

With a Supercharger, it would thrash a M3 in drivability and acceleration, speed etc.

Sure the M3 is a coupe but as others have said few can tell it from a normal 3 series.

The weight in the front of a E39 is more and this is felt on the road- but this can be solved with liberal use of carbon for bonnet and guards.

Add some lovely lightweight seats and the weight really fall off the car.

Want even less weight?

Go for a nice header/exhaust and drop a heap of pounds.


Sure this all costs money but is a fraction of the depreciation on a M3.

You could easily blow $20k in 18 months on a new M3. Then add the cost of a blower and the wait to afford it.....


Any real world increase in performance of a M3 over a M5 atmo comes at a big cost in dollars and drivability and when supercharged the gap will widen.

Go the E39 M5........... the worlds best drivers sedan only Better!

Any gains in overall performance on the M3 will come at a much greater cost as well. The M5 has a lot of areas to reduce weight and increase performance- the M3 less so and all come at a nasty price.



Another way to look at this is the fact you can have a truly unique car that will blow away almost anything ever made. Or you could have a M3 and Know a heap of other peeps have em. All whilst you loose money on the 3.

 

[mikeoski]

Do you want something FAST ?

or

Do you want something RIDICULOUSLY FAST ?

This is a no brainer IMHO. The only thing that feels a decade old in my car is the factory '00 radio and NAV with a Baviaran Soundwerks stage 1 speaker upgrade. The sound of my blown beast accelerating is the music to my ears that never gets old though. So I can live with the factory radio in this car. cherrsagai