My BMW E39 540i Sport
Discussion
Hello again!
Those of you who follow my Elise thread will know it's recently been victim to a Class 1 imbecile who has reversed into it causing the front clamshell to require replacement. Rather than build up ridiculous hire car costs for the third party to later reject I decided to buy my own, not least as I have some road trips planned for Europe over the summer.
Having owned an E46 330i Saloon with a manual box I've always had a hankering for an E39, to me it is the best looking normal car BMW have built in the last 20 years or so, it still looks modern and people still admire it on the road, well I think they do! The early E60s have dated quickly compared to this, it certainly doesn't look 13 years old! As it will be a commuter and road trip car it had to be auto. Man maths dictated it should be a 540i. I looked at 2 at the beginning of this week and on Tuesday picked this up having found it on the classifieds here, the seller was of course a proper PHer and a true gent and massive BMW/Alpina enthusiast, had a stunning F10 B5 BiTurbo in the garage. Most importantly he has taken great care of this 540i, most of the things listed to watch out on them have been replaced, the headlight units are new, the rocker cover gaskets are done, the hedgehog matrix thing is done, and so is the LCD display on the dash, it also has a Full BMW Service History, the last one being Inspection 2 done by a specialist. This car just felt right, not least because Simon from E-Maps has worked some magic on it and it is alleged to be putting out 310bhp now. Oh and it's not even down 80,000 miles yet, barely run in!
Without further ado photo time!
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on Flickr
As you can see it is pretty well specced with lashings of cow and tree. There is even some electricity inside it! Colour is BMW Individual Slate Green, so now I own two green cars. Yay!
Of all the cars I have owned this best demonstrates two personalities, it wafts around town and makes a breeze of any normal traffic situations, sits calmly and patiently in traffic no bother, breezes along the motorway too. Then when you pop the gearbox into sport mode, floor it and let it kick down it absolutely flies! I wouldn't so much call it acceleration so much as building momentum at an alarming rate. Some people I'm sure will bring up the M5 v 540i debate, well I test drove an M5 a few weeks back and considering it has been my realistic dream car for as long as I can remember it left me bitterly disappointed, it didn't feel that fast and didn't sound that good. The opposite of the 540i, I didn't expect it to feel so brisk, while being so quiet and comfortable, and the noise I expected to be quiet, you still know it's a V8 though, and of course it's a lot cheaper than the M5. Fuel consumptions seems good, being careful on my short morning commute where I don't get much above 30 I got 23.5 mpg, in heavy traffic this drops to around 19 though. In summary I love this thing! Bring on the road trips!!
Those of you who follow my Elise thread will know it's recently been victim to a Class 1 imbecile who has reversed into it causing the front clamshell to require replacement. Rather than build up ridiculous hire car costs for the third party to later reject I decided to buy my own, not least as I have some road trips planned for Europe over the summer.
Having owned an E46 330i Saloon with a manual box I've always had a hankering for an E39, to me it is the best looking normal car BMW have built in the last 20 years or so, it still looks modern and people still admire it on the road, well I think they do! The early E60s have dated quickly compared to this, it certainly doesn't look 13 years old! As it will be a commuter and road trip car it had to be auto. Man maths dictated it should be a 540i. I looked at 2 at the beginning of this week and on Tuesday picked this up having found it on the classifieds here, the seller was of course a proper PHer and a true gent and massive BMW/Alpina enthusiast, had a stunning F10 B5 BiTurbo in the garage. Most importantly he has taken great care of this 540i, most of the things listed to watch out on them have been replaced, the headlight units are new, the rocker cover gaskets are done, the hedgehog matrix thing is done, and so is the LCD display on the dash, it also has a Full BMW Service History, the last one being Inspection 2 done by a specialist. This car just felt right, not least because Simon from E-Maps has worked some magic on it and it is alleged to be putting out 310bhp now. Oh and it's not even down 80,000 miles yet, barely run in!
Without further ado photo time!
BMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrBMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrBMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrBMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrBMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrBMW E39 540i Sport by tlynchie, on FlickrAs you can see it is pretty well specced with lashings of cow and tree. There is even some electricity inside it! Colour is BMW Individual Slate Green, so now I own two green cars. Yay!
Of all the cars I have owned this best demonstrates two personalities, it wafts around town and makes a breeze of any normal traffic situations, sits calmly and patiently in traffic no bother, breezes along the motorway too. Then when you pop the gearbox into sport mode, floor it and let it kick down it absolutely flies! I wouldn't so much call it acceleration so much as building momentum at an alarming rate. Some people I'm sure will bring up the M5 v 540i debate, well I test drove an M5 a few weeks back and considering it has been my realistic dream car for as long as I can remember it left me bitterly disappointed, it didn't feel that fast and didn't sound that good. The opposite of the 540i, I didn't expect it to feel so brisk, while being so quiet and comfortable, and the noise I expected to be quiet, you still know it's a V8 though, and of course it's a lot cheaper than the M5. Fuel consumptions seems good, being careful on my short morning commute where I don't get much above 30 I got 23.5 mpg, in heavy traffic this drops to around 19 though. In summary I love this thing! Bring on the road trips!!
Thanks for all the comments guys, and thanks Mods for correcting my terrible english from the thread title and the age comment that went down so well :P
As for the M5 I drove it was atually at a BMW Main Dealer, though I realise now I didn't have the sport button pressed and probably didn't drive it long enough. For the twisty roads I enjoy though it's quite a big car so given the choice I'd still take the 540i Auto and have something else for a B-Road thrash!
I still stand by my E60 comments though, I really think the pre-faclifts non Xenon cars are looking quite dated. The face-lift front and rear lights on the E39 to me still look perfect today. I also have to agree, though very biased, that the E39/E46/E38 later interiors are among some of the best. They look sharp and clean today and everything is easy to find. E60 interior is also a lovely place, my Dad has one. But I think the current BMW interiors are messy and will date quickly. Much prefer my E39 interior to the F10, but then I much prefer cars from the 00s to the modern day.
People have questioned whether the colour is actually individual or not, the last owner had the same thing, there are no 'Individual' sill plates, but under the bonnet the colour stamp is marked 'Individual' and it is also down on the build sheet as 'Individual' along with the headlining. It was also listed on the build sheet as having the model description badge removed, a previous owner has stuck it back on, with the single exhaust I am tempted to de-badge it again, but I rather enjoy the comments when I am with the car when people ask if it's a 4 litre and I tell them it isn't..... it's a 4.4
Suggestions are open for the Elise replacement too, top of my list is the E46 M3, but I'm yet to drive one.I was planning to keep the 540i only until I had replaced the Elise, but seeing how nice and example it is I'm rather tempted to keep it, not sure even man maths can justify an M3 and a 540i!
As for the M5 I drove it was atually at a BMW Main Dealer, though I realise now I didn't have the sport button pressed and probably didn't drive it long enough. For the twisty roads I enjoy though it's quite a big car so given the choice I'd still take the 540i Auto and have something else for a B-Road thrash!
I still stand by my E60 comments though, I really think the pre-faclifts non Xenon cars are looking quite dated. The face-lift front and rear lights on the E39 to me still look perfect today. I also have to agree, though very biased, that the E39/E46/E38 later interiors are among some of the best. They look sharp and clean today and everything is easy to find. E60 interior is also a lovely place, my Dad has one. But I think the current BMW interiors are messy and will date quickly. Much prefer my E39 interior to the F10, but then I much prefer cars from the 00s to the modern day.
People have questioned whether the colour is actually individual or not, the last owner had the same thing, there are no 'Individual' sill plates, but under the bonnet the colour stamp is marked 'Individual' and it is also down on the build sheet as 'Individual' along with the headlining. It was also listed on the build sheet as having the model description badge removed, a previous owner has stuck it back on, with the single exhaust I am tempted to de-badge it again, but I rather enjoy the comments when I am with the car when people ask if it's a 4 litre and I tell them it isn't..... it's a 4.4
Suggestions are open for the Elise replacement too, top of my list is the E46 M3, but I'm yet to drive one.I was planning to keep the 540i only until I had replaced the Elise, but seeing how nice and example it is I'm rather tempted to keep it, not sure even man maths can justify an M3 and a 540i!
hornetrider said:
petrolveins said:
I still stand by my E60 comments though, I really think the pre-faclifts non Xenon cars are looking quite dated. The face-lift front and rear lights on the E39 to me still look perfect today.
Ah, I see. You are subjectively comparing apples with eggs. 5potTurbo said:
Great car, and very clean. An left-field choice for a 21 y.o., but a very good one.
How's the insurance premium for you?
I ran an E39 530dA Touring for a couple of years, but €385 road tax, €1,700p.a. insurance, and service bills totalling €2,400 meant it had to go. I still see it around and it's still very clean. Mine was metallic black with a yellow/cream hide interior.
Forgot to answer earlier, I took a separate policy from the Lotus and am paying £1k for the year and that's with 0 Years NCB as they are tied up in the Lotus. Pretty darn good if you ask me.How's the insurance premium for you?
I ran an E39 530dA Touring for a couple of years, but €385 road tax, €1,700p.a. insurance, and service bills totalling €2,400 meant it had to go. I still see it around and it's still very clean. Mine was metallic black with a yellow/cream hide interior.
I think that's 5 people now on the reserve list wanting to buy it when I sell. I'd like to try tidy it up a little before I sell, needs wheels refurbing, and a few parking sinks and scrapes sorted out. As much as I adore it, I feel I'll either try keep it forever or sell it at the end of the summer. Once the Lotus has gone, I'm sure I'll perform some more man maths and figure I need something different. Current musings include a sorted 130i (suspension and LSD done) and a 635CSi, that would be a pretty ideal 2 car garage. Will see how I go.
Afromonk said:
Currently have an E46 330i and these 540i's are also on the list to own so two thumbs up from me.
I would honestly still have my E46 330i if the subframe hadn't cracked and I had next to no money to fix it. Best enjoyed car I've owned, especially once I had the suspension sorted with upgraded stuff. Did need an LSD though.RenesisEvo said:
I think you might be disappointed with a 130i. The interior quality is nowhere near that of the E39 (certainly in the pre-facelift I tried anyway), and whilst the engine is a peach, I found the rest of the car didn't really live up to it, although suspension and LSD mods might solve that.
This does worry me a bit, so much positive stuff on this forum about them though. I actually think I won't even try an E46 M3, I really don't fancy the servicing costs and constant worry of a big bill. But then modding a 130i with diff and suspension would probably cost the same.Way I see it I need the following things.... a manual RWD car with a good soundtrack that can be hooned down a bumpy B-Road and do the odd track day, a car comfortable enough to cover great distance across Europe and something achingly cool (read 80s) for the odd weekend cruise.
Little update on the 540i....
I'm totally smitten with it. Best car I've owned I reckon. It has introduced me to a new type of motoring.... the spirited waft. This is defined as a blat down a good road gliding over bumps and ridges keeping momentum and relying on the low down torque to keep you hauling along, to pass slower moving objects you can of course select sport mode and let the V8 sing up the rev range and seamlessly slide into the next gear and continue to waft along at a fair lick.
I am also surprised to find how much this car likes to power oversteer! It's an absolute hoot, especially in the wet, whatever gear it's in just prod the throttle, the torque lets the back slide and it's so easy to catch the slide and hold it there. Epic!!
I was even more surprised on a recent airport run to average 32.8 mpg. Yes over 30mpg from a 4.4 V8, and that wasn't doing 50 in the slow lane, that was passing most other stuff on the motorway with the cruise control on, aircon on and the sweet sounds of the Simple Minds blasting out the speakers.
Day to day I am averaging 19-21 mpg over my short commute same as my 330i and my 9-5 Aero. Just gotta love this thing.
I love the way it looks, I love driving in the evening with the sidelights on and catching the reflection of the corona rings off other cars and windows, I love the understated looks on the 17 inch wheels. I love the seats and comfort and way it wafts along, I love the gearbox, even from stationary just prod the throttle and the car just leaps off the mark like a scalded cat (albeit a lardy arsed one). Most of all I like the discreet noise the V8 makes, it never shouts, it just works effortlessly in the background, but let the revs climb above 4k and it livens up and just hauls itself up the rev range with a muted V8 bellow. Superb stuff. The E39 truly is the best BMW they made, it feels like a car made to last, from the end of an era where cars were just built as solid as they could make em by engineers and not like today's cars built by accountants.
Sadly I know I need to sell it at the end of the summer and replace it and the Elise with one all rounder car, but not before I drive it all the way to the South of France via the Alps next month.
I'm totally smitten with it. Best car I've owned I reckon. It has introduced me to a new type of motoring.... the spirited waft. This is defined as a blat down a good road gliding over bumps and ridges keeping momentum and relying on the low down torque to keep you hauling along, to pass slower moving objects you can of course select sport mode and let the V8 sing up the rev range and seamlessly slide into the next gear and continue to waft along at a fair lick.
I am also surprised to find how much this car likes to power oversteer! It's an absolute hoot, especially in the wet, whatever gear it's in just prod the throttle, the torque lets the back slide and it's so easy to catch the slide and hold it there. Epic!!
I was even more surprised on a recent airport run to average 32.8 mpg. Yes over 30mpg from a 4.4 V8, and that wasn't doing 50 in the slow lane, that was passing most other stuff on the motorway with the cruise control on, aircon on and the sweet sounds of the Simple Minds blasting out the speakers.
Day to day I am averaging 19-21 mpg over my short commute same as my 330i and my 9-5 Aero. Just gotta love this thing.
I love the way it looks, I love driving in the evening with the sidelights on and catching the reflection of the corona rings off other cars and windows, I love the understated looks on the 17 inch wheels. I love the seats and comfort and way it wafts along, I love the gearbox, even from stationary just prod the throttle and the car just leaps off the mark like a scalded cat (albeit a lardy arsed one). Most of all I like the discreet noise the V8 makes, it never shouts, it just works effortlessly in the background, but let the revs climb above 4k and it livens up and just hauls itself up the rev range with a muted V8 bellow. Superb stuff. The E39 truly is the best BMW they made, it feels like a car made to last, from the end of an era where cars were just built as solid as they could make em by engineers and not like today's cars built by accountants.
Sadly I know I need to sell it at the end of the summer and replace it and the Elise with one all rounder car, but not before I drive it all the way to the South of France via the Alps next month.
Also... a few iPhone photos from last week of the 540i and some stunning sunsets, not bad for a camera phone and no editing.
E39 Sunset by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 Sunset by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 Sunset by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 Sunset by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 Sunset by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 Sunset by tlynchie, on Flickr
Little update for you all, had all the family in the car and a bootful of s
t last weekend on the M25 when all of sudden I lost all pressure in one rear tyre, in the outside lane doing 70, not ideal when there's 4 lanes of motorway and 2 lanes of slip-road between you and the hard shoulder! Back on the road in 20 minutes, having had to empty the whole boot, full size spare was a god-send (actually a front wheel from the staggered setup, but far better than a space-saver!) continued on our way no trouble at all. I decided to go for a set of Vredstetin Ultrac Sessanta I had on my E46 previously and impressed me, had them fitted yesterday.
I've also noticed the 50mph wobble when the car is cold, weird as it seems to stop once I've been driving the car a while, decided to buy the bushes anyway and waiting for them to get fitted.
I'm driving down to the South of France next month so want everything perfect. I will take in the Route Napoleon on my way down to so looking forward to that.
On another note, I'm slowly making progress with my next car. If I replace the 540i and Elise with one sole car I'm thinking 996 Carrera 2, Cayman S or Z4M. Trouble is I do like the idea of 2 cars still, less compromise that way, a comfy cruiser and a loud b-road/track day hero. Current thoughts are along the line of a R129 500 SL and and E36 M3. But I think 1 car is more sensible, the 911 would be a dream come true too.
t last weekend on the M25 when all of sudden I lost all pressure in one rear tyre, in the outside lane doing 70, not ideal when there's 4 lanes of motorway and 2 lanes of slip-road between you and the hard shoulder! Back on the road in 20 minutes, having had to empty the whole boot, full size spare was a god-send (actually a front wheel from the staggered setup, but far better than a space-saver!) continued on our way no trouble at all. I decided to go for a set of Vredstetin Ultrac Sessanta I had on my E46 previously and impressed me, had them fitted yesterday.I've also noticed the 50mph wobble when the car is cold, weird as it seems to stop once I've been driving the car a while, decided to buy the bushes anyway and waiting for them to get fitted.
I'm driving down to the South of France next month so want everything perfect. I will take in the Route Napoleon on my way down to so looking forward to that.
On another note, I'm slowly making progress with my next car. If I replace the 540i and Elise with one sole car I'm thinking 996 Carrera 2, Cayman S or Z4M. Trouble is I do like the idea of 2 cars still, less compromise that way, a comfy cruiser and a loud b-road/track day hero. Current thoughts are along the line of a R129 500 SL and and E36 M3. But I think 1 car is more sensible, the 911 would be a dream come true too.
Jonny P said:
Great looking E39, I had the modest but lovely 528i. I am interested to see which car(s) you go for next as I have similar thoughts for later this year. One car or two, Porsche, BMW Lotus etc.
I love your idea of a classy Merc SL for pottering and a naughty e36 M3 in the garage.
Drove a Z4M at the weekend, and it wasn't special enough. Lotus has rather skewed my idea of what a fun car is and set the bar very high, noise mostly. Z4M was too quiet. It just felt too safe and modern, and well.... dull. Went to a local Porsche specialist and wasn't that impressed either, didn't drive anything, but the sales guy wasn't much older than me, knew full well I'm not buying car imminently and just proceeded to tell me the 996 wasn't a good daily as its too old, a Z4M is sI love your idea of a classy Merc SL for pottering and a naughty e36 M3 in the garage.
t and a Cayman S is what I want because "it's so balanced you can slide it about". I explained I actually really liked the 996, and suddenly it was a great daily and you can get the back-end out on T-Junctions. Didn't like him one bit.I think the two car garage is where it's at. E36 M3 with a naughty Eisenmann Race exhaust on it and then something 80s and achingly cool for the weekend.... a 635CSi. Could get both for the same money as the Elise and then sell the 540i and have some money to run them both. I want something that I enjoy, isn't an obvious choice and is something I want for me, not impress others.
kiethton said:
and mine is dead again!
I dont even have the time to sort it for the next few weeks
Tracking down an electrical drain is a nightmare! Had the alternator done as that's what it was traced to and its returned (although with a longer period to drain) of just 10 days!
Don't say this when I'm about to embark on a 2,000 mile road trip!!!I dont even have the time to sort it for the next few weeks
Tracking down an electrical drain is a nightmare! Had the alternator done as that's what it was traced to and its returned (although with a longer period to drain) of just 10 days!
Wow I've been terrible at updating this thread.
Nothing really to report except it's been utterly wonderful in the several thousand miles I've done in it. Not a single issue has become apparent. Highlight was my trip to Monaco during the late Summer. 2,000 miles covered without fault, effortlessly quick and comfortable.
The only other thing to report is the time has come to sell it, so if you were one of those people who expressed an interest back in July please do make yourselves known if you are still interested. I'll get a humorous advert up soon.
In the meantime enjoy these photos from the truly stunning road trip down France to Grenoble, over the Route Napoleon to Monaco and back again. I will eventually cobble together some Go Pro footage from the Route Napoleon, but here are some photos from the other parts of the trip...
E39 540i en Reims by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 540i en France by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 540i en Monaco by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 540i en Monaco by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 540i en France by tlynchie, on Flickr
E39 540i en France by tlynchie, on Flickr
Nothing really to report except it's been utterly wonderful in the several thousand miles I've done in it. Not a single issue has become apparent. Highlight was my trip to Monaco during the late Summer. 2,000 miles covered without fault, effortlessly quick and comfortable.
The only other thing to report is the time has come to sell it, so if you were one of those people who expressed an interest back in July please do make yourselves known if you are still interested. I'll get a humorous advert up soon.
In the meantime enjoy these photos from the truly stunning road trip down France to Grenoble, over the Route Napoleon to Monaco and back again. I will eventually cobble together some Go Pro footage from the Route Napoleon, but here are some photos from the other parts of the trip...
E39 540i en Reims by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 540i en France by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 540i en Monaco by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 540i en Monaco by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 540i en France by tlynchie, on FlickrE39 540i en France by tlynchie, on FlickrGassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff