Something magical happened in the German sport sedan world in the first ten years of this millennium. For a few glorious years, when it came to engines, more was better. More cylinders, more revs, more power. BMW’s M3, which began with 4 cylinders and had grown to 6, became 8 cylinders. Mercedes’ hot C class went through the same progression, while Audi’s S4 went from 5 to 6 to 8 cylinders. Medium and large size performance variants followed a similar path, and by 2007, it was possible to buy 10-cylinder mid-sized performance sedans from both Audi and BMW. BMW’s entry, the E60 M5, was initially available exclusively with a sequential manual gearbox, but the cries of American enthusiasts eventually led to the installation of a 6-speed manual, creating what is the only 10 cylinder manual sedan ever made. And it’s quite an exciting one: the 7,750 RPM power peak of the S85 gives the manual E60 M5 a thrilling character that reminds the driver of exactly what enthusiasts lost in the transition to two-pedal turbocharged performance cars.
The manual E60 M5 was available exclusively in the North American market and just 1364 were sold. This particular car is an exceptional example. One of 109 Alpine White manual E60 M5s built, it was retained by its original owner and always dealer maintained, until he struck an object on the road that punctured the oil pan. The impact activated the pyrotechnic battery disconnect, which immediately shut down the engine, preventing any damage to its core mechanical components from being run without oil. This saved the engine from serious damage and was sold via auction to the well-known YouTube DIYer Sreten Milisavljevic, who documented his meticulous rebuild of the car on his channel M539 Restorations.
In his own words, he described the car as follows:
"2010 BMW E60 M5 6-speed manual
Alpine White over black leather interior
1 of 1364 M5 manuals in total
1 of 109 Alpine White examples
1 previous owner
Garage kept
Original paint (minus the front bumper which is plastic)
113k miles
Original window sticker and all manuals and books present in the glove box
VIN: WBSNB9C51AC043234
A full breakdown of the VIN and equipment at the end.
I've put about $15k just in parts in this M5 to perfect it mechanically and make it drive as good as new.
The following work was completed. Only original, OE, and/or OEM+ parts were used:
- BE rod bearings and BE ARP rod bolts (these provide extra oil clearance and are a permanent solution to the rod bearing issue)
- Main oil pump inspected, in great condition
- Vanos oil pump inspected and the inner bearing replaced with an upgraded, stronger one (original ones can snap)
- Vanos internal high-pressure line
- Oil pan gasket
- Engine mounts
- Double power steering line going from the PS reservoir, fresh Pentosin CHF 11 PS fluid
- All of the coolant lines in front of the engine
- Water pump & thermostat, fresh coolant
- Valve cover gaskets
- Used, low mileage Vanos gears and new Vanos unit gasket
- Spark plugs
- Fuel injectors
- Complete front suspension replaced; lower control arms, thrust arms, inner & tie rods, steering rack boots, sway bar links, and bushings
- Bilstein B6 EDC front & rear shocks
- Eventuri carbon fiber plenum (also Eventuri air intakes with filters, they are in the trunk and come with the car. I had to put stock airbox in to pass SMOG)
- 2 new front Continental tires and both front wheels straightened out
- Used good condition steering wheel airbag and seat belt buckle
- New lower steering wheel plastic trim
- ZHP weighted & illuminated shift knob
- Intake air filters, fresh LM 10W60 oil & filter
- New M5 rear trunk badge and hood emblem
- New engine undertray
- New both front fender liners
- New wiper blades
- Wheel spacers: front 12 mm, rear 15 mm, the stance is perfect.
The previous owner installed Eibach lowering springs and a DINAN rear muffler. Other than that and the stuff above, the car is stock.
The car passed CA SMOG on 8/18/2024. No lights on the dash. The car is turn-key ready to be driven cross country. The transmission, clutch, engine, suspension, and the whole drivetrain are in great condition. The car is mechanically sound. I've put around 900 miles on the car without a single issue.
The M5 had one previous owner, and it was in Sacramento since new. Given the condition of the exterior, it was garage-kept and well-taken care of.
The car, obviously, holds a salvage title due to the accident. I, personally, don't have an issue with that because the car didn't suffer any structural or body damage. Everything has been documented, and the fact it still wears its original paint says it all. Only bolt-on bolt-off parts were damaged and all of them, I replaced.
Exterior:
As mentioned, it still has its factory original paint. But, it is a 14-year-old, and naturally, it has some wear. The front bumper was repainted, which is not a biggie as it's a plastic part. It does have some minor scuffs, and scrapes on the bottom.
There are 3 small dents on the right side which can be easily pulled out with PDR. Other than that, I didn't find any damage or bigger scratches in the paint. With proper paint correction, paint can be brought close to perfect.
The windshield has a minor chip in the lower left corner. Doesn't obstruct the view.
I've put Ring Taxi livery on it which, in my opinion, makes it look even better and cooler, but it can also be easily removed. If the future owner decides to keep it, the letter R on the left side needs to be redone as it has a slight wrinkle. A replacement one can be supplied with the car at no cost.
Interior:
Very well equipped and in lovely condition. It has soft-close doors, all fully functional. Comfort climatized seats, the leather is in great condition, and these are the best, most comfortable BMW seats you'll try. Cooled and heated.
Full leather door panels, Alcantara headliner. Complete leather dash which sadly started to shrink a bit in the mid-left corner. A common issue with all leather dashes.
The button to open the trunk was taken apart by someone, probably at the auction when they tried to pop the trunk. I didn't have time to put it back together, but all of the parts are there and in the car.
There are some smaller things that should be addressed, which don't affect driveability. I can have this taken care of before the sale depending on what we agree.
- Wheels need to be redone. 3 wheels are showing some wear and tear, but are in decent shape for the mileage except for the 4th rear right one which has chipping paint.
- Front and rear windshield rubber trim; the rubber is disintegrating due to age and weather. These are super easy to replace, does not require the removal of the windshield. New parts will be supplied with the car or sorted prior.
- The rear emblem fell off on the day I left. A new emblem will be supplied with the car or sorted prior.
- The thin silver ring around the I-drive knob has started to lift a bit.
- The clutch pedal bushings. All E60 M5s and E9x M3s came with a dumb coil spring that sits behind the pedal and it totally ruins the clutch pedal feel. I always remove them as the pedal then becomes liner and easier to use. The downside is when you remove it, you get some side-to-side play in the pedal. On project Raleigh that play was minimal, but on this car, it has a bit more play. I believe the pedal bushings are worn which is a simple fix. I'll supply (or fix prior) new brass bushings (stock ones are plastic), and a clutch stop which is a must, otherwise, the pedal travel is too long. This will create a perfect pedal that's easy to use and control.
That's about everything I can remember. If I remember something, I'll add it later. The car is in overall great condition for its age. It looks and drives beautifully, and I have to say I'm reluctant to sell it. It's an LCI 2010 Alpine white 6-speed manual with the best interior... I don't think I'll ever find another one in this spec and this nice. If I weren't so emotionally attached to project Raleigh, I'd be definitely replacing it with this."
