BMW M5 25th Anniversary Edition: Spotted

30 Jahre M5s are over £90K; this much rarer E60 25th Anniversary Edition could be a steal in comparison

Careful what you wish for and all that. If we've been a bit hard on the current F10 M5 for being a tad soulless and aloof you can't blame BMW for playing it safe after its E60 predecessor. A peaky, normally aspirated V10 and hyper-aggressive automated SMG gearbox certainly gave the E60 unmistakeable character. And wallet wilting running costs. Unlocking that 507hp and 383lb ft took some commitment as well, peak torque not coming until 6,100rpm and power 7,750rpm. Rather different from the F10's 501lb ft from 1,500rpm...

Paint similar to 30 Jahre; rest much different

Yesterday we were looking at the 30 Jahre M5, launched last year to celebrate three decades of the super fast 5 Series. 300 will be built globally, the one we drove #1 off the line and undeniably something a bit special. As reflected in the prices being asked - at the time of writing there are two 30 Jahre M5s in the classifieds, starting at £95K. Quite a jump from the £35K starting price for standard F10 M5s. Yes, £35K!

For that you could have something much, much more exclusive though. When the M5's 25th birthday came around in 2010 the E60 was still current and BMW built a strictly limited run of just 25. Well, 27 according to BMW M Registry, 10 of which made it to the UK. This one, #7, originated in that amazing collection of M5s sold in June by CCA auctions where it went for £26,500 including premium. Add your VAT to the latter and call it £27K, the same car now advertised in the PH classifieds for £34K.

Where the magic happens

When you consider good examples of standard E60 M5s make mid to low 20s it looks like someone got a bit of a bargain, this car's exclusivity and one owner/28,000-mile provenance certainly adding to its attractiveness. Add in that moody Frozen Grey matt paint, fully loaded spec and smattering of 25th Anniversary trimmings and if you're after an E60 to savour for the long term this could still represent an attractive choice.

Or if rarity with a touch of usability are more your thing there's a nice looking Touring for sale too; 61,000 miles and £23,500 but sadly not a manual as the listing suggests. Such a thing existed for the US market but never in Touring form, as far as can be ascertained. We'd love to be proven wrong on that one though...

BMW M5 (E60) 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Engine: 4,999cc V10
Transmission: 6-speed SMG automated manual
Power (hp): 507@7,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 383@6,100rpm
MPG: 19.6mpg (NEDC combined - good luck with that one)
CO2: 344g/km
First registered: 2010
Recorded mileage: 28,000
Price new: c. £65,000 (standard M5)
Yours for: £34,000