Mark Blundell-owned BMW M5 | PH Auction Block

You don't need a former Le Mans winner on the logbook to make this E60 look good - but it certainly doesn't hurt

By PH Staff / Thursday, 23 July 2026 / Loading comments

Forgive us if you’ve recently taken the plunge on a G90 BMW M5, but it doesn’t feel like there’s much kudos to owning one. Sure, it outputs 727hp. It shrinks distances, too. You’d need a G-five to do that better. And no one is questioning the legacy of the badge. But remember when M5 meant ten cylinders? Remember when it was as imperfect as a Picasso self portrait? Yet positively vibrated with the kind of inherent menace you’d usually associate with a Soviet-era nuclear power station…

The E60 is from 20 years ago, but its mentality is all 20th century. The preceding model, the God-like E39, had a 4.9-litre V8, so its successor had to go one better. Or indeed two better. The S85 itself, capable of revving to 8,250rpm, is like a man out of time. BMW had not previously attempted a V10, and nor would it again. The engine’s reputation is not fault-free, and we’ve been arguing about the seven-speed SMG since forever - but it was (and is) a multiple award-winning, 5.0-litre monster.

Of course, back in its day, BMW was leaning into its former F1 glory like Del Boy leaning into a bar. But the V10’s presence struck all the right chords: so much so that the first name in the logbook of this 2005 example up for auction this week is none other than Mark Blundell, presumably flush at the time with ITV commentary money. Or flush enough at any rate to utilise BMW Park Lane’s VIP service, and spec virtually every cost option available to the M5 buyer.

As ever, such provenance is the icing on the cake - but it would be of precious little interest if the sponge beneath had the consistency of loft insulation. Happily, what separates this E60 is not just Blundell’s preference for costly box ticking, nor even his taste for questionable Birchwood trim, but conscientiousness when it comes to servicing and a reluctance to pile on miles needlessly. The subsequent owners, the most recent since 2012, have duly followed suit.

The expensive E60 jobs have not been left to hope. The VANOS gear mechanisms, seals and oil delivery line were replaced under warranty in 2013. Both throttle actuators were replaced under warranty in 2017. Then in 2018 it had a clutch and flywheel, a front and rear suspension refresh with track rods and tie rods, wheel alignment, and front and rear discs and pads. The history also documents repeated BMW servicing for the SMG gearbox and final drive.

This does mean there are no areas that require TLC - but a relaxed attitude to further investment ought to be a prerequisite of E60 M5 ownership, given the implicit thirst and complexity of its engine. This is not merely a chance to mash the nostalgia button either; it is appealing because BMW only did this once, and the prospect of owning a singular V10 is as enthralling in 2026 as it was when Blundell signed for it in 2005. Probably more so. Bidding kicks off today. Not a moment to lose, eh?

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