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2005 BMW M5 E60 Proves It Can Still Throw a Punch, Chugs Gas Like an Animal

BMW stopped building the E60 M5 twelve years ago, and the oldest examples are 17 years old. With that being written, that generation of the M5 was the last to come with a naturally aspirated motor, as well as the first and last to come with a V10 motor. That makes it both a rare car and one that’s difficult to maintain.
2005 BMW M5 E60 7 photos
Photo: Screenshots from YouTube video by Auto Top NL
2005 BMW M5 E602005 BMW M5 E602005 BMW M5 E602005 BMW M5 E602005 BMW M5 E602005 BMW M5 E60
The German manufacturer built just over 20,500 units of the M5 E60, out of which 1,025 were wagons. Most of the E60 BMW M5 vehicles sold came with the company’s automated manual transmission, dubbed SMG, which was in its third generation (and last) at that time. It is a single-clutch automated manual, and it does bring a few extra elements of risk in the mix once the warranty is gone.

The folks over at AutoTOP NL have been offered an E60 M5 to test drive, and the German performance sedan still looks fresh to this day. The sound that the V10 motor generates is still unmistakable, while the S85's power does not look diminished after all those years.

As you will observe, it takes the E60 M5 just 9.28 seconds to accelerate from 100 to 200 kph (62 to 124 mph). That is just 0.05 seconds of the time it takes a 2021 BMW M5 G80 with a manual transmission to do the same thing, if we look at the figures posted by the Dutch publication.

If we were to compare it to something that is just as old, say a 2004 Mercedes E55 AMG in an Estate version, the M5 is 0.11 seconds faster than its rival from Stuttgart. We are using figures presented in a test that was done under the same criteria and probably with the same device as the one used in the video below. So yes, both models are still quick today, even after 18 years.

While the versions with the six-speed manual transmission of the M5 E60 are more sought after today, the SMG models still cost a hefty amount to buy.

A brief look through the owner forums and you will understand that keeping a car like this in running order does take a bit more bucks than a regular E60. Those who can afford them and love their Bangle-era styling claim that it is worth it.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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