BMW e61 M5 Touring
ABOUT THIS CAR
This car is one of those ultra rare opportunities. I remember owning an e60 M5 saloon back when they were released and to this day I still say to people that it is the best car I have ever owned. The howl from the F1 derived V10 is spine tingling all the way to 8,600rpm and the whack in the back from that incredible 7 speed sequential manual gearbox is something else.
It is a shame that engines like that will never see the light of day again. Too exotic, too excessive. But that is what makes the e60/61 so special and gives it ultra-cool cult status.
Here is something even more special though. The e61 M5 Touring is incredibly rare. So rare in fact there are only 144 in the country. Just take that in for a moment. One hundred and forty four. That gives this particular model more cult status and incredible investment potential.
This particular car has covered only 46,000 miles and has all the extras such as active hugging seats, head-up display, auto-closing boot, telephony and sat-nav.
We have checked the vehicle over with our BMW diagnostics machine and ensured everything is as it should be. We replaced a throttle valve actuator as a result and also restored the wheels, paintwork and interior to as high a standard as possible.
The previous owner, the actor Nick Frost, has looked after the car impeccably and I am certain he probably misses it!
ABOUT THE BMW E61 M5 TOURING
The E61 M5 Touring was introduced in 2007, only the second M version of the 5-Series Touring after the E34. It shares the same drivetrain with its saloon sibling, and serves as a rival to the Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate. The Touring was never offered for sale in North America. There are only 144 examples registered in the UK today.
The E60 M5 was introduced in 2005, with an uneven firing V10 engine and 7 speed sequential manual gearbox linking the car with the BMW Sauber Formula One program. The E60 M5 was the world's first production sedan to feature a V10 petrol engine. A 7 speed sequential manual gearbox (SMG III) was available, and a six-speed manual transmission gearbox was available for the US only. As with some of its predecessors, the E60 variant of the M5 was both the quickest and fastest 4-door sedan in the world at the time of its release.
Other unique M5 features include a wider track, unique body panels, 7-speed SMG III sequential manual gearbox, also known as a single-clutch automated manual transmission, a colour head-up display featuring navigation, control messages, speed, rpm and gear selection information, automated seat side bolsters, heated/ventilated seats and power rear curtain. The larger, flared front guards on either side also featured cooling vents, reminiscent of the 1970s BMW CSL. The wheels were of a standard 19" diameter with quad exhaust pipes to the rear.
The E60 M5 was the most successful M5, despite being on the market for one year less than the E39 M5. During its five-year run, 20,548 units were built composing of 19,523 saloons and 1,025 wagons. 8,800 were sold in the U.S., all of the sedan variety. Great Britain and Ireland claimed 1,776 examples, followed by BMW's home market of Germany with 1,647 units, and 1,357 were sold in Japan. Italian enthusiasts claimed 512 units, and 339 examples were sold in Australia.
Powertrain
The E60 uses an odd firing V10 which has won multiple World Engine of the Year awards, S85 engine produces 507 bhp and 520 N·m (380 lb·ft) of torque. The engine and transmission were designed from scratch for this particular model; they are not based on other models.
The BMW M5, along with the E63/64 BMW M6, were designed to use the new Getrag SMG III single-clutch seven-speed semi-automatic transmission, that performs gear shifts in 65 milliseconds. The SMG III sequential manual includes features like a hill holder, a designated drive program for steep climbs and descents, and a downshift assistant, which briefly dips the clutch to avoid destabilising wheel spin as well as a pseudo-automatic mode. However, many reviews have observed the automatic mode of the transmission at low or frequent stop start speeds as being less smooth than that of a conventional automatic transmission. This is easily forgiven for the performance of the gearbox in enthusiastic driving.
The M5 features several Formula One-inspired engine and transmission controls. There is launch control, which allows maximum performance standing starts automatically. The Getrag SMG III single-clutch semi-automatic transmission has the option of changing to either automated or manual, as well as the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programmes in total, forming what BMW calls Drivelogic). Manual shifting can be done with either a console shifter, or the steering wheel mounted shift paddles, both of which are fitted to all SMG M5s. The console shifter is the type used on manumatic transmissions; tipping it backward (toward the "+") shifts up, while a forward tip (toward the "-") shifts down. The shifter can be moved to the left to access neutral and reverse. The car also features a "power" button on the navigation panel (labeled "M") which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 bhp) for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 bhp), and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response, selectable only from the "M Drive Settings" in the iDrive menu). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using iDrive and then activated from P500 S using the "M" button.
Performance
BMW stated the car to reach 0-to-62-mph in a time of 4.2 seconds and an absolute (de-limited) top speed of 204 mph. Motor Trend's comparison test found that while the E55 AMG had recorded a faster 0–60 mph time of 4.2 seconds versus the (inhibited) US-launch control equipped M5's 4.5 seconds, the M5 had superior driving dynamics.
In the Australian publication Wheels magazine in July 2005 recorded a 0–60mph time of an early, 2004-built E60 M5 of 4.4 seconds.
The E60 M5 recorded an official lap time of 8:13 at the Nurburgring and recorded a Top Gear power lap of 1:26.2.
The E60 M5 consistently was regarded as the benchmark for super high performance sedans in its class. According to Jeremy Clarkson, former presenter of BBC's Top Gear, “It’s a world of motoring perfection. If you want to take it on...don’t bother. It doesn’t matter what you’ve got. It doesn’t matter what you’ve ever driven. This is quicker, it’s faster, it’s MORE astonishing. You just can’t believe you’re in a big 4-door saloon because it goes and it feels and it SOUNDS like a Ferrari 430, and that’s about the best car I’ve ever driven. The steering, the brakes, the power. And this noise… The driving experience just dominates everything…. It’s an epic car, just brilliant.”