05 STI to E39 M5

[Jim1985]

Currently driving a 2005 Impreza STI mapped to around 330bhp. I've also just started doing track days. I've been wanting an M5 for about 13 years now. I normally get bored of my cars after about six months but after 18 months of the STI I'm starting to get itchy feet. I fancy something fast and German and a little nicer inside. Servicing costs put me off in the past but I imagine the independents are reasonable.
Anyone done a similar change? Would I be disappointed? Would it struggle on track? I know brakes are a weak point...

[Jim1985]

Ah I'm a bit disappointed. E46s just aren't special enough IMO.

[Jim1985]

Ah I'll probably keep mine then for a bit longer. I like E36s but only as a lower budget car.

[Jim1985]

The M5 was the be all and end all car to me for a very long time. It became a definite aim for me when I had my hot hatches and now I'm in a position to possibly upgrade to one it seems like it may not be 100% suited to what I want from it.

[Jim1985]

Track days for me are less about chasing times and being fast around a track and more about being able to enjoy my car driven quickly without fear of police, oncoming traffic or lampposts.

Recently I HAD decided to keep my STI. But after driving past one yesterday, and thoughts of the V8 and all that torque... I can't get the M5 out of my head!

I fit coilovers to all my cars, so that's not an issue... And it would be a daily as well. 3 weekends in the month it would be taking me to Nandos. On the 4th it'd be at Oulton Park. One a month MAXIMUM.

I'm still so keen. Especially because I dont care about facelift or rear blind or widescreen display or telephone, I'm half convinced I could get a bargain. I want a dark coloured example with less than 130,000 miles for less than £7000.
Is this do-able? Will I get stung with a billion pound suspension bill?

[Jim1985]

Im going to register on some forums - any recommended uk based ones?

I'm not after a car that's specifically faster than my STI, I just don't want it to feel like a step down in performance. Plus I can always buy another STI, I feel the market for E39 M5s may have bottomed... This might be my only chance! Plus I'm expecting a company car in the next year so that should help. Then it'll probably get sold on when I move in eighteen months or so and get an inexpensive buzzy little hatchback for track duties.

That posted example sounds ideal- I can't see pics though. Ill have to register

[Jim1985]

Cool will sign up! I think the fact I'm ignoring all advice against tracking one (exaggeration) shows how much I want one lol. I actually planned it out and thought practically, affording a track day in January or December is too near to Xmas to justify the additional expense. Likewise in the month of my GFs birthday and our holiday. So realistically I would be looking at 8 MAXIMUM. And even then I might have to do less because of servicing costs.
Also, for a bit of clarification, I'm not the ballsiest driver. I've always been too concerned about crashing to really push it on the road. So really, trackdays are more about being able to drive as fast as I want to in my own car as another aspect of enjoying it, rather than beasting it round and knocking seconds off my lap time. I enjoy driving but I'm not competitive. If a better car passes me, then it's obvious why. If a lower powered car passes me, it's because the driver is more skilled than me. Either way it doesn't affect my enjoyment. I genuinely enjoy driving, so track days let me do that and not risk my license or my life. As a result, maybe having a perfectly honed track tool would satisfy me less than owning the car I actually want. The mighty M5...
I noticed the other day how few E39s of any guise are actually on the road anymore, at least locally. Anyone experience any snobbery or do people on the whole genuinely like M5s?
People either talk to me about my STI or roll their eyes haha.

[Jim1985]

Fantastic insight thank you! I suppose with mine being a newage and yours being classics, the valley between them as the M5 will be a little bigger for you than me. With me being very keen on one would you advise it?

[Jim1985]

Yes I was replying to 2STIs. I have a habit of writing a reply whilst someone else does and confusing matters!
I think I'm 99% decided I'm going to try and get one in the next few months. Ive got Oulton Park booked in Feb so I'll do that in the STI and take it from there.

Is £8000 a realistic budget?

[Jim1985]

Fantastic!
Yes, the running coats have intimidated me somewhat. But I'm making sure the car I buy has had recent brakes, suspension refresh at some point in it's life and hopefully and inspection 2 recently.

[Jim1985]

Thanks for the hint! Any other comments on M5 ownership?

[Jim1985]

Haha! Glad you put that smiley face there!

Signed up to M5Board and BMW5 although BMW5 won't send the activation email so I can't log in at the moment.

Thanks for all the info. I'm glad to be going into this with open eyes. Is rod bearings a common grumble? When I looked into M5 ownership a few years ago I don't think I read about that.

[Jim1985]

Ah Deary me, I'm confused again. I always imagined they were expensive to run but that it was maintenance rather than breaking down.

[Jim1985]

Ah good that's what I wanted to hear! Sell it to me! Wink wink nudge nudge

[Jim1985]

Haha Ill probably join you! Thanks for the informative post. The supportiveness of the standard seats did cross my mind actually.
With regard to track days, I'm not a mega hard driver. I prefer to see track days as a legal, safe, full on 110% country road blast type of affair; as opposed to them being a time to test my own limits, as well as that of my cars. I suppose in essence I was concerned that the M5 was far too powerful to enjoy on the roads, but far too comfortable to cope on track. Now if I've gathered things correctly, it's simply a fine handling, powerful car that weighs 1800kg, and needs to be treated as such, then that's fine. I doubt I'd be trying to drive it like I did my MX5 (I.e, trashed it everywhere). I've enjoyed driving most of my previous cars fairly hard/briskly on the right roads and adjust my driving style accordingly.
My mind is made up. I'll do my trackday in Feb, then prepare the STI to be sold.

Anyone fancy a swap?

[Jim1985]

Yes I'm realising there's not a great deal of ten on the market at the moment. I've not even began to lol at distances from me yet. I have seen one or two I'd consider but I've set my heart in black or dark grey. Plus a few of the ones I've seen that read well all have had remaps etc and that's something I'd like to do myself further down the line. I like to personalise and modify. I wouldn't want to buy a 'completed' car...

Anyone car to sell me theirs? No caramel leather though please

Edited by Jim1985 on Sunday 4th January 23:45

[Jim1985]

I thought I’d ask this here rather than starting new threads. Looking at cars, I’m looking at between 120,000-160,000 miles and hoping that it has had possibly a clutch, and at least MAFs and most importantly suspension components replaced (thrust arms and balljoints? I’m still learning!).
I’m not familiar with BMW servicing (or main dealer servicing of any brand actually). I understand that the Inspection 2 is actually a physical inspection of the car as well as a service. So would I be right in thinking that if the car has lived his life regularly visiting the BMW dealer, if at any point when it had an inspection it needed suspension components, would they have been replaced?

Obviously I can’t be ringing every for sale ad asking for full documented service history. So seeing if it has had FBMWFH throughout its life, would I be right to presume it’s in tiptop condition? Or is it all done at the discretion of the owner on a car by car basis?

[Jim1985]

So theres no guarantee that a car on 150k will have had it's suspension replaced if theres no obvious fault with it aside from sloppiness?

[Jim1985]

Im with you. Thanks. I was just wondering if I needed actual documentation of suspension work or if it simply having had FBMWSH was sufficient.

Thank you!

[Jim1985]

Great info thank you!
Ill sign up to BMW Car Club and look out for Tristan!

My only concern is that if I was to stump up the £12,999 for this one at Image Automotive Holdings
http://www.millenniumheroes.com/cars/bmw-e39-m5-7-...
The is it really guaranteed to be better than a lower car? I.e. will it really be free from issues/have sound suspension/brakes etc.