Where was this M5 for the first 2 Years of its life??

[Gibo993]

I'm looking at an e60 M5 at a main dealer, it was first registered in this country in 2007 but was a launch press car. It has been registered as an 05
Its has low miles but the dealer is not sure where it was before it was registered.

The low miles tell me it was not used much until it was sold in 2007.
(I have not asked where the first 1200 mile service was carried out.

But any ideas where this car was, what it was used for until 2007??

Also its a press car, so could of been driven hard, but its been fully checked by BMW and has a years Warranty of course so no real risk as I would always maintain the Warranty, and experiences or thoughts?? Links to pics of press cars being hammered??
Its not the Top Gear - 5th Gear Car I checked but it is very similar

Also the early cars had comfort access does this give push button start as the 5th gear car had a olde Worlde Turn key

[TheCaseAce]

My 330i is like this.

UK registered, given to the press, first serviced around 1500 miles back in Germany.

No idea what branch of the press had it. Hopefully Woman's Own rather than Redline.

[Gibo993]

To Clarify the build date of the car was Jun 2005, but is was not registered in UK until April 2007 but they gave it an 05 registratiion number to match manufacture.

Do you think these where registered and used abroad in Germany? have you had any problems with your car?

[M5Dave]

Possibly Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.

The registration document for my car shows the date of 1st registration as June 2001, and the date of 1st registration in the UK as June 2006.

The service book shows the car was supplied new, and serviced for the first five years by a Northern Ireland BMW dealer.

The car is classed as a UK supplied vehicle (as are Isle of Man and Channel Island cars), and on being brought to the mainland was given a 'Y' registration plate, as per the date of 1st registration.

Edited to add,

All the E60 M5s I remember being tested on Top Gear, Fifth Gear and in motoring magazines when they were new, were '05' plate UK registered cars.

The only ones that were not, were the ones they tested prior to the UK launch, which were German registered left hand drive cars.

I take it the one you're looking at isn't left hand drive.

Edited by M5Dave on Tuesday 7th September 00:43

[Gibo993]

Thats what I can't understand, As it wasn't registered here until 07 if can't have been used as a Test Car for magazines. (I visions of it sitting being polished in the foyer of BMW HQ in Munich)
I suppose the service book will explain a lot more.
Its not left hand drive.

[croyde]

I've filmed and used press cars and I certainly would not want to own them afterwards.

[Soovy]

Press cars.

Imagine if you will meeting and marrying the girl of your dreams, and then a year later having children with her. Then discovering by chance that for the ten years before she met you she was ana11ly ravaged ten times a day in a shop windown in Amsterdam.

[Craigwww]

Soovy said:

Press cars.

Imagine if you will meeting and marrying the girl of your dreams, and then a year later having children with her. Then discovering by chance that for the ten years before she met you she was ana11ly ravaged ten times a day in a shop windown in Amsterdam.

LMAO

[Gibo993]

Ha Ha, Now you are spot on! I think it would just be a world of trouble never mind how good it looks, and even if it does not go wrong it will be hard to sell on becuase of the gap, I'll just be patient.

[Soovy]

I suspect that even if it comes with a BMW warranty they'll refuse to cover a new gearbox if it's done 200 LC starts.

[Gibo993]

I'll ask the dealer today if they can look at the Computer and see how many launches its done.
Bet I'm told its not possible.

[Soovy]

Gibo993 said:

I'll ask the dealer today if they can look at the Computer and see how many launches its done.
Bet I'm told its not possible.

It is.

[Jerry Can]

Gibo993 said:

I'm looking at an e60 M5 at a main dealer, it was first registered in this country in 2007 but was a launch press car. It has been registered as an 05
Its has low miles but the dealer is not sure where it was before it was registered.

The low miles tell me it was not used much until it was sold in 2007.
(I have not asked where the first 1200 mile service was carried out.

But any ideas where this car was, what it was used for until 2007??

Also its a press car, so could of been driven hard, but its been fully checked by BMW and has a years Warranty of course so no real risk as I would always maintain the Warranty, and experiences or thoughts?? Links to pics of press cars being hammered??
Its not the Top Gear - 5th Gear Car I checked but it is very similar

Also the early cars had comfort access does this give push button start as the 5th gear car had a olde Worlde Turn key

i have a *lot* of knowledge about BMW press cars.

Firstly can you check on the build spec as to whether it has option 902. This would confirm press preparation, which means that it has the best engines, extra polishes and checks for rattles, some changes to suspension settings and other bits and pieces that will show the car off in its best light.

i don't quite understand why it was registered as an 05, in 2007, unless it was on a private plate before that. I suspect that the car could possibly have been a technical training car, - static but pulled apart on a regular basis, or more likely it was surplus to requirements when originally ordered. That is, when the press dept set up their launches they have to do so from 2 years plus away, so accurately predicting how many cars are required is difficult and therefore this one was not required. From that point of view it means it won't have been ragged during the press launch.

it is not always the case that press cars are abused, some of them get given to regional lifestyle mags, and are pootled around the country - however in the case of the M5 it is likely that it could have seen some track action.

Thinking about it, I actually suspect it was not a launch car but a pre production car, whereby it is used by BMW head office to test out certain things, and then returned to Germany for inspection or possibly to be scrapped. It is then offered back to the UK head office to purchase (at a knock down price) to sell on to a dealer. I suspect that that might be why, a) there is unknown history before 2007, b) it is on an 05 plate as the vehicle is permanently exported when sent back to Germany and therefore when it is returned it needs re-registering, and it would be an 05 plate as that was when it was first used in the UK.

So I think the last point is your answer, pre prod car, registered in 05, exported back to Munich in 06, checked and then resold back to the UK in 07 where it was re-registered. On that basis I suspect it probably hasn't been ragged - but it was pre prod - which can provide a whole load of other issues. I think you may be able to tell this in the build spec. I suspect when you get the build spec it won't have the 902 option but will make reference to pre prod. - As an aside it was probably me that sent it back to Germany in the first place..

[Soovy]

Jerry Can said:

Gibo993 said:

I'm looking at an e60 M5 at a main dealer, it was first registered in this country in 2007 but was a launch press car. It has been registered as an 05
Its has low miles but the dealer is not sure where it was before it was registered.

The low miles tell me it was not used much until it was sold in 2007.
(I have not asked where the first 1200 mile service was carried out.

But any ideas where this car was, what it was used for until 2007??

Also its a press car, so could of been driven hard, but its been fully checked by BMW and has a years Warranty of course so no real risk as I would always maintain the Warranty, and experiences or thoughts?? Links to pics of press cars being hammered??
Its not the Top Gear - 5th Gear Car I checked but it is very similar

Also the early cars had comfort access does this give push button start as the 5th gear car had a olde Worlde Turn key

i have a *lot* of knowledge about BMW press cars.

Firstly can you check on the build spec as to whether it has option 902. This would confirm press preparation, which means that it has the best engines, extra polishes and checks for rattles, some changes to suspension settings and other bits and pieces that will show the car off in its best light.

i don't quite understand why it was registered as an 05, in 2007, unless it was on a private plate before that. I suspect that the car could possibly have been a technical training car, - static but pulled apart on a regular basis, or more likely it was surplus to requirements when originally ordered. That is, when the press dept set up their launches they have to do so from 2 years plus away, so accurately predicting how many cars are required is difficult and therefore this one was not required. From that point of view it means it won't have been ragged during the press launch.

it is not always the case that press cars are abused, some of them get given to regional lifestyle mags, and are pootled around the country - however in the case of the M5 it is likely that it could have seen some track action.

Thinking about it, I actually suspect it was not a launch car but a pre production car, whereby it is used by BMW head office to test out certain things, and then returned to Germany for inspection or possibly to be scrapped. It is then offered back to the UK head office to purchase (at a knock down price) to sell on to a dealer. I suspect that that might be why, a) there is unknown history before 2007, b) it is on an 05 plate as the vehicle is permanently exported when sent back to Germany and therefore when it is returned it needs re-registering, and it would be an 05 plate as that was when it was first used in the UK.

So I think the last point is your answer, pre prod car, registered in 05, exported back to Munich in 06, checked and then resold back to the UK in 07 where it was re-registered. On that basis I suspect it probably hasn't been ragged - but it was pre prod - which can provide a whole load of other issues. I think you may be able to tell this in the build spec. I suspect when you get the build spec it won't have the 902 option but will make reference to pre prod. - As an aside it was probably me that sent it back to Germany in the first place..

Blimey.

So run, then.

[-Z-]

Soovy said:

Press cars.

Imagine if you will meeting and marrying the girl of your dreams, and then a year later having children with her. Then discovering by chance that for the ten years before she met you she was ana11ly ravaged ten times a day in a shop windown in Amsterdam.

Soovy, you told me exactly the same thing before I bought my ex-press M3 2 years ago!

In fact, this exact one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQGclh6Sn8Q

Had it for 18 months and 20k miles and no issues whatsoever! If anything it was 'fitter' than other M3's.

Edited by -Z- on Tuesday 7th September 20:32

[Gibo993]

Thanks Jerry Can really interesting reading, I think the fact they are still asking top retail on the car, I'm going to pass on it, as its too many unknows.
I think the lost two years would be hard to expalin when I come to sell the car and I always sell myself and not through a dealer.

It could be a Gem but it could also be a lot of heartache.
Do they really fill the doors with expanding foam??

Do you work in Bracknell as I work about a 100 yards away!!

I have found a 'normal' Sepang Bronze I'm going to view this week

Thankyou for all the responses and thanks Soovey for the humour you did make me laugh.

Edited by Gibo993 on Tuesday 7th September 23:14

[Beardy10]

Jerry Can said:

Firstly can you check on the build spec as to whether it has option 902. This would confirm press preparation, which means that it has the best engines, extra polishes and checks for rattles, some changes to suspension settings and other bits and pieces that will show the car off in its best light.

Surely they don't do that do they Are the press cars significantly better than the "normal" cars ? What do they do to the suspension for instance ?

[TheCaseAce]

Soovy said:

Imagine if you will meeting and marrying the girl of your dreams, and then a year later having children with her. Then discovering by chance that for the ten years before she met you she was ana11ly ravaged ten times a day in a shop windown in Amsterdam.

Yes, that was my fear. 2 year in I've only had 1 issue, which was the MAF sensor packing up.

Hopefully she holds together and doesn't rectally prolapse now I'm out of warranty...

[Matt UK]

Soovy said:

Press cars.

Imagine if you will meeting and marrying the girl of your dreams, and then a year later having children with her. Then discovering by chance that for the ten years before she met you she was ana11ly ravaged ten times a day in a shop windown in Amsterdam.

So true!

I put hire cars into the same bracket, expect replace 'shop window' with 'back alley'

[Gibo993]

Well just spoken to the dealer at length today, It had its first service in Germany at 1200 it was then sold back to the dealer in April 2007 with 5000 miles.
Its been through the full AUC check and the last owner took it from 5000 to 21000 with only one sensor needing replacing.

Seems like a good shake down to me, I must admit I'm very tempted as it is such a massive spec and 21000 miles and I can pick it up for £27950 the dealer now has it up for £29990

It does not have the Press code on the options list.
It was most likely used for testing options - it seems to have them all
or it was a show car and used to ferry angel dust around