In this new video I just added, you’ll learn how to eliminate the need (in most cases) of buying a new control arm, which bushing product is better to buy than the stock bushing that came from the factory on the E39 M5 and who makes it.

In addition, you’ll learn what symptoms present themselves when these bushings fail and how to easily tell when they need replacing. You’ll also learn which ball joint is more likely to fail in the front suspension and how the job should be done properly by a qualified technician.

To watch the video, login in here.

One of the best things I’ve seen from people I’ve met through this website is the incredible passion people have shared with me about the M5 through their stories and photos that regularly wind up in my inbox.

And I really thought it’s a shame that more people don’t get to read those stories and see those photos.

So I’ve decided to try something that’s never been done before with a contest so people can share their stories and photos through this website AND have a chance to win some money at the same time.

The contest is really simple. All you have to do is write a minimum of 100 words about why you think the E 39 M5 is a special car. You don’t have to be a customer of the M5 video guide and you don’t even have to own an E 39 M5… you just have to love this car.

If you don’t want to use your real name you can submit anonymously, your email will not be published, but I’ll need it to send you the prize if you win. You do need to create a unique title for your entry. I’ve put a word counter on the entry form so you can see if you’ve written at least one hundred words. And if you want to include your favorite E 39 m5 photo to increase your chances of winning, you can do that with the optional photo up-loader. Just make sure that you click the upload image button after you’ve selected a photo from your hard drive. Once that’s done, click the “submit contest entry” button and you’re finished.

Your entry will be reviewed and posted within 24 hours along with its photo on the contest category page which you can access from the Contest link on the navigation bar. The contest closes on the 15th of February 2011 at 12 noon Pacific time. I will be sending the winner with the most votes $100 U.S. dollars by PayPal. The top 3 entries will be shown in real time on the sidebar of this website. You can only cast one vote, which will be tracked by IP address and cookie and of course the sooner you make an entry, the longer you have to get votes.

The contest is closed. Check back again in the future for more contests.

There were two M5′s on our trip up: an E60 and and E39 M5, as well as couple of other great BMW M cars…you’ll have to check out the pics below to see if you can spot them!

It really was a perfect day. In all, there were about 10 of us who made the trip.

The Porsche Club Of America held this get together at Sun Peaks and it was awesome.  I’ve never seen so many Porsches in one place. Nobody was really sure, but the rumor was that there were over 250 Porsches there.

The new Porsche Cayenne and Panamera were on display.  I love the new Cayenne…but just can’t get excited about the Panamera.

I still love the first generation Cayenne.  The new president of Porsche Canada was there, although I didn’t meet him.  The event was killer and if you’re into Porsches… or just great cars in general, there was a LOT to feast your eyes on.

Enjoy the pics!

However if you are an owner of an M5 or thinking about buying one, I’m sure that you will find some enjoyment in reading about my most recent road trip in the beast.

This post is about a recent trip I took down to Spokane … I’m talking about a 6 hour trip here through what I think has to be some of the most beautiful scenery in the world… and some of the damn finest roads the beast could ever hope to devour.

On this trip I also had the chance to meet with one of the M5 Board’s most active members: Churious, who runs Brecus Motorsport. It was great to meet him, learn about his amazing Imola E39 M5, talk about these cars and listen in awe to the sound of his beast as he tore up the Spokane Raceway.

…every time I do one these long distance trips, I fall in love with the M5 all over again. It is just such a capable car in so many ways. And I’m once again humbled by how an average guy like me can own a car like this – EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE AN M5! Even though I’ve owned and driven some rock star cars… there’s just something so special about the E39 M5… and when I got back, I promised myself that I’d sit down and write a full, featured post about the experience.

Driving long distances on open roads in the M5 is such an departure from the usual stop and go traffic that I spend most of the time in. It doesn’t take long to realize and be reminded again how insanely powerful and agile this car is… at all speeds.

If you’ve never experienced what I’m talking about… then you just have to do it. Buy one of these cars.  Steal one… Borrow one… Rent one… just get behind the wheel of one and drive it for a weekend. Take the most obscure, twisty, deserted back roads and get intimate with one of the best cars on the planet.

That’s what I did on this trip with my wife.

Sure…there are more direct routes that we could have taken… but since I make my living online…it’s important for my mental health to disconnect… unplug… whatever you wanna call it… and just get out there with mother nature… and my weapon of choice for doing so is the M5. With the moon roof open… and my iPod stuffed with some of my favorite music… there’s very few things that compare to piloting the E39 M5 around picture perfect roads at high velocity…

It doesn’t take me more than about 30 minutes to get in the ‘zone’.  I’m talking about moving past the conscious awareness of “clutch in…shift gear…cut the corner’s apex…accelerate…harder… sport mode on….dsc off….mini drift….downshift…brake….upshift….accelerate”.

Those are all the conscious mechanical elements I’m talking about leaving behind. I’m talking about the M5′s ability to join minds with you, so to speak, with me as its commander in chief ensuring the beast does as it’s told. I’m talking about becoming one with this thing… so that I’m not thinking about what I’m doing from a tactical, mechanical perspective, but rather from a visceral, ‘feeling’ perspective.

It about following a rhythm.

Driving this car hard requires you get in the zone. It’s less about focus and more about being in the moment. I’m fortunate to have some performance driver training in my background, plus a healthy dose of road experience in other ‘better than average’ cars… so I’m probably more aware of my limits (and the M5′s limits) than the 16 year old down the street whose daddy just bought him a E93 M3.

Yeah…good luck with that pal.

Anyway, it’s hard to believe that the E39 M5 is over 10 years old… but even today it just feels SO good. I get it.   I know how to playfully kick the rear out a bit when I want, without scaring my wife half to death…or putting ourselves in harms way. Temperature, angle of the sun, tire tread quality and remaining depth, throttle, lateral g’s….they are all factors I’m considering at once.

If these things are foreign concepts to you – I strongly suggest getting some performance driving experience – like that from the Andretti Racing School next time you’re in Vegas… or Skip Barber’s BMW driver training… I’ve heard the Ferrari Experience here in Canada is great too.

Somehow the E39 M5 doesn’t let me down in any way …. I’m hard pressed to find ANYTHING this car can’t do well… and I’m still shaking my head that it’s nearly five thousand pounds and has four doors. Really? Damn Germans are so good at building cars… its amazing they lost the war!

The beast has pure, brute force right out of the box… and I just can’t get enough of the sounds coming out of the S62 engine at any speed.

I don’t care about my carbon foot print right now. The green mafia probably has me as public enemy number one… but you know what? I LOVE this gas guzzling, mean, fast, high powered V-8. It obeys and is rewarding to drive.

Let’s not forget this engine is married to a past of winning, proven race-bred technology. Most people don’t understand how important the E39 M5 is in performance automotive history….where do I begin? Double VANOS… Alusil coated cylinder walls, 32 independently controlled induction valves… and still one of the BEST naturally aspirated V-8 Engines out there… wondering what the new F-10 will be like with forced induction…cheap way to make horsepower…

…turning the music up a little louder… getting further into the Zone. Athletes call it “flow”. Time stops moving… my watch is just jewelery now. I don’t want this moment to end. The seat needs a little adjusting… filling up the lower lumbar…ahhh, that’s better…damn rugby injuries.

No throttle lag now…seems that an hour of hard driving is waking the engine up…she seems more responsive… oh…the temperature is ten degrees cooler. That makes a difference… I think about my aviation training and the impact “density altitude” makes on performance, take off distances and time to climb… must have mod: Cold Air Intake for even better temperature management and fuel to air ratios!

Damn…there’s a lot of bugs accumulating on the windshield… I like that… a sign of velocity (mass x speed= velocity…which the beast has plenty of on tap). Is this guy in front of me serious? Where did he come from? Ok… down into third…. four grand… stand on it…. bam… how’d that feel pal? Like you just pulled into a parking space? HaHa! Yeah… it’s ok… they’re called M5′s… you should get one… now…back to business and the open road again…

… oh I should check on the wife! I’ve been having a little affair of my own over here with the M5… Seems she’s loving the iPad… thank God for Angry Birds!!! (if you don’t have it, you wouldn’t understand)… I’m thankful that she tolerates my driving and automotive pursuits…and most important doesn’t get sick with this type of driving.

…ok back to the mission at hand… been a few hours now I think… hard to believe… I can spent all day in this car doing this… when I get out… and still feel fresh I’m so happy for those seats. The E39 M5 is great that way – so accommodating.  And so practical.

Really into the mountains now. Scenery is incredible, air is so fresh and this car is so rewarding… who invented the M5 anyway? I better call that guy before I die and just say… “hey dude… thanks… a LOT!”

If you’re read this far… you’ve either experienced what I’m trying to put into words… or you’re entertained by my inability to communicate an experience that is actually very hard to put into words for an amateur automotive writer. I don’t know how else to express it… it’s kinda like one of those things… when you understand; no explanation is necessary – when you don’t; no explanation is possible.

Let’s just leave it at that.

Driving at the level of intensity I’m talking about requires responsibility, awareness and forethought. You’ve got to know the terrain a bit. And if you’re driving with pack of pals doing the same thing, my experience is that it’s easier if you’re NOT the lead car – but car #2. You can watch how the lead car is behaving and use it to help you understand how to navigate the road. Rookie race car drivers are taught to do this all the time early in their careers – and not worry too much about winning, but instead focus on developing WINNING driving habits.

And you can’t be hungover or preoccupied with some emotional baggage when you’re driving like this either. A clear mind is paramount. Too much caffeine isn’t good either… I always worry about the racing teams sponsored by Rockstar energy drinks. LOL!

You also can’t drive flat out like an idiot. I take it in cycles… spurts… it’s a rythym… I like sneaking up on someone… or a group of “someones”… then dropping the hammer. EVERY single time I do that I get chills as I blast past them. You’ve got to have radar… and you’ve got to have a laser jammer. I know from my RCMP friends here in Canada (and having tested laser jammers) that the second you’re tagged… you’re dead… you simply don’t have time to scrub of 50 or 60 and get back to a ‘reasonable’ speed.

…further, the punishment for excessive speeding in BC is getting more severe later this year – higher fines and the officer’s perogative to impound your vehicle on the spot. That would REALLY suck.

Countermeasures (both technical and operational) really are a necessity at this level of driving. Proceed without them and you deserve what you get.

…other times… it’s just nice to cruise and enjoy the amenities in the car. This thing has just the right amount of technology for my liking. And I LOVE technology. Sometimes when I’m in the E60 M5 I’m distracted and impressed at the same time by all its wizardry… makes me wonder how far away we’re going to get from the raw, pure, visceral driving experience with gizmos before we come back to reality and remember that it’s just about three things: you, the car and road.

Everything else is just a distraction in that moment.

Speaking of distractions… I think to myself of the three things that I’m always mildly worried about… and highly alert for: wet pavement, gravel and wildlife… the first two can be managed with experience and vigilance: break that contact patch with enough lateral force and DSC won’t save you… the most dangerous is wet road, but no rainfall – that gets rookie drivers every time.

Wildlife… yeah… Canadian roads have more shoulder and greater foliage distance from the edge of the road that do American secondaries. This means you have less time to stand on the brakes when Bambi pops out without notice. While I’m worried, I’m not paralyzed by fear…. a little fear is actually good - it keeps the mind very alert and the senses, especially the sense of vision in this endeavor highly engaged.

Speaking of vision, I remind myself that as speed increases, peripheral vision narrows, which means the faster I go on a narrow road, the less chance I have of seeing Bambi or anything else that might jump out of the forest onto the road in front… so I have to make the decision as to how to best balance speed, stopping safety and my own selfish desires to enjoy the M5.

Sure enough on the way back to Canada… it happened on a STRAIGHT road… Bambi and two of her gal-pals seemed to out galavanting in search of some studs for a little romp on the forest. Apparently the route to the best place to pick up single guys crossed Highway 21, which my wife and I were traveling on briskly… all three deer hopped out onto the road with no warning… instantly I stood on the brakes as hard as I possibly could.

Thank god for those big, heavy rotors and one of the best (albeit very expensive to maintain) braking systems on the road today. No ABS skipping, no shimmy, no pull to either side… just the sounds of brakes doing their job (can’t quite find the words to describe that sound at this moment) and the sensation of your eye balls being sucked out of your skull… iPad flies of my wifes lap while she lets out a little yelp as we quickly come to a very dramatic stop…

…sadly there’s really nothing you can do at this moment but hope that either A: Bambi and pals keep moving or B: that you had enough distance, no one with lesser stopping ability too close behind you and stopping physics to make the cut. I our case, option “A” didn’t happen, so fortunately, option “B” worked in our favor.

Silence… just the idling engine and a knowing glance into my wife’s eyes… it’s all good… all three deer are looking at us… not sure quite what to do… then… as fast as they appeared, with a few flicks of their fluffy white tails, they were gone into that dense, green Pacific Northwest scrub brush and forest.

That feeling in my veins is an increase in adrenalin. Clearly my adrenals are still working. That thumping? My heart. I’m glad it’s still working too.

… the next hour or so is much more mellow… in fact the rest of the trip home was more about relaxing and taking it easy. I personally can’t spend all day at nine tenths…not only is it too draining at the end of the drive for me, but I’m sure that I lose the “edge” at some point and I’m just not safe any more.

My final thoughts as I pull into the garage are how I can’t wait to do the wash and detail I put together as one of the Bonuses inside the M5 Video Guide… and how I’m looking forward to doing a trip like this all over again in the spring.

In the meantime, I have my memories to relive from yet another incredible E39 M5 experience.

…and by the way…if anyone reading this know the number for the guy who invented the M5, please let me know, I’m gonna call him and say “thanks”.

Here are a few of the pics from various points in the trip there and back

(click any of them for a full screen slide show):

The drive was about 3 hours in length and took us down to Penticton from the West Side, over to Keremeos, then Princeton then up highway 3b to the Coquihalla connector.

If you are reading this post and don’t live in Western Canada – don’t worry about all that – just know that it was an amazing drive – typical of the breathtaking scenery that we are so lucky to enjoy here out west.

Add in some insane German hardware (*more on that in a minute), some new friends and perfect weather – you’ve all the ingredients for a performance car enthusiasts dream.

Ironically – my E39 m5 was the ONLY beast which came out – despite there being a number of others in my home town who couldn’t make it for one reason or another.

The pics below will tell the who story, but the contingent of brands was almost evenly split between Porsche, BMW and a very spiffy Mini that was very adept in the corners – but less so on the straightaways… given that some of these cars have 700, 800 and 900 horsepower *(yes you read those numbers correctly), the Mini was in a different league.

Anyway, we are looking forward to getting out again in July for another run and I’ll probably take some more pics then.

You will notice below that we are being briefed by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer – he happened to be in the parking lot where we met in Penticton and took an interest in our little get together.

Despite LOTS of full throttle runs – I can say that all the drivers behaved and did not take any chances or sped excessively… at least the ones I can remember.

It’s experiences like this which are the reason why I own an M5.

I did shoot some hi-definition video which will take me few weeks to edit, but for now…

Here’s the pics – enjoy.

* Front and back cameras you can watch on the nav screen
* Removable subwoofer
* Stop Tech Big Brake Kit (and opened brake ducts)
* Upgraded sway bar mounts
* Satellite Radio
* Custom, illuminated short-shifter

In addition, there’s a great DIY section for replacing something we all break sooner or later … and that’s the lower air dam, black plastic cover underneath the fog lights.

All in, it’s a fun video and I really enjoyed collaborating with the owner of this wonderful car to produce this special video – exclusively for the members.

I hope you enjoy watching this new video.  It can be found on the “Home” tab of the Private Members area.

You can log in here:

http://www.m5videoguide.com/amember/login.php

The text below is a transcript of the interview which took place over the Christmas holidays when Chris was kind enough to share some of his time to speak with me.

Brooks: Hey Chris – thanks for taking the time to do this interview! Very much appreciated!

• Chris: No sweat Brooks, my pleasure!

Brooks: So you are the new owner of a 2002 E39 M5 with Oxford Green and Caramel interior – how are you liking the car so far?

• Chris: Absolutely hate it – wish I’d bought that mint ’87′ Geo Metro I had my eyes on, but plans change (what with the economy and all) – Kidding of course! Love the car – it’s as close to perfect as any I’ve ever owned.

Brooks: Tell us the story about where you found the car!

• Chris: Fairly straightforward – did a web search and looked at quite a few online as well as at a couple local dealers. I was looking for about 5 months before I came across this particular one – I believe I found it at AutoTrader.com.

Brooks: Was this a color combo that “found you”, or is this a color that you’ve wanted for a while?

• Chris: Actually had the LeMans Blue/Caramel combo in mind as I was looking but am very glad that I stumbled across the Oxford Green – it doesn’t “jump” out at you as much – little more low-key than the Blue – I’m not big on standin out – would rather ease up on folks than having them see me coming. Gotta confess though that I am somewhat partial to this color – I have a ’71′ Vette Roadster in this combo (Chevy calls it Brands Hatch Green/Dark Saddle) that I’ve owned for over 27 years.

Brooks: What is the story behind your new car? How many owners/ mileage, etc.?

• Chris: I’m the third owner – the original owner is a doctor in Bronxville, NY – he ordered it new as a lease – he kept it for the term of the lease and then decided to down-grade to a Porche – I’m guessin the M5 was too much muscle? Anyhow, he mentioned to his neighbor (who had always liked the car) that he was trading it back in to the dealer and so the three of them made a deal ahead of time to turn it in, run it through the BMW CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) program and then sell it back to the neighbor. He then owned it for about three years only driving it weekends back and forth to his vacation home on Long Island shore.
  
• When I purchased it in October of this year it had just over 50,000 miles on it. I got kinda lucky getting it actually – it had been advertised for about a week before I saw it but the weather had been lousy and only one guy had actually seen the car in person, but he didn’t have the cash so it was still available BUT the weather had now cleared and the seller had a couple local guys coming over shortly to see it, so I immediately made reservations (one-way) on Amtrak from DC to NY and had a bank check cut for the seller’s bottom line and then fired off an email letting him know I was on my way with the dough and could he give me directions to his house? – I guess he realized I was serious so he met me at the train station and gave me a ride to his house to check out the car.
  
• I couldn’t believe how pristine it was and further that no-one had snagged it yet – so I bought it and then stuck a temp tag on it and drove back to DC that night – opened up the sunroof and blasted my IPOD (via “IceLink”) the whole way down the Jersey Pike – occasionaly hitting 120 or so – and was hooked from that point. Only complaint I had was that the female GPS voice kept telling me how far I had to go/when to turn/when I was allowed to hit the rest-room, etc., etc. Bad enough she sounded just like an ex-girlfriend, but even worse she kept interupting the tunes each time she felt the need to….”emote.” (I eventually figured out how to shut her up…..err, “disable,” that particular function.

Brooks: Have you ever owned BMW before? Any reservations owning the BMW brand?

• Chris: Yes, I owned a 2001 540i for a couple years – only reservations were octane and fuel prices! Really liked the 540 – it was dark blue w/tan interior and a 6-speed as well. Only thing I didn’t appreciate was having to put a new clutch in after only owning it for 3,000 miles – I’m thinking one of the prior owners was a hack with a stick – or had a thing for pulling holeshots – which is actually very tempting with these cars!

Brooks: Had you ever driven an M5 before and what were your impressions of the car once you had a chance to REALLY drive it?

• Chris: Never even heard of an M5 let alone own one until recently. Just knew that I really liked the 540 and that adding steroids might be fun. But as I mentioned previously, absolutely love this car – it is just a lot of fun to be able to cruise in complete comfort all the while knowing that you can blow away more or less anything else on the highway. And the best part is that most folks have no idea what the car is – it looks just like a “pedestrian” albeit very classy European sedan – especially in a low-key color like this AND with the rear-spoiler “delete” option. I guess it’s analogous to the old “speak softly and carry a big stick” schtick? (no pun intended)

Brooks: Do you have any plans for modifications? Is there anything that you’d like to change on the car?

• Chris: Being a former musclecar junkie (and current bike racer (Ducati)) I’ll be honest, it would be very tempting to upgrade/improve the exhaust, add Stage 1 software and possibly a short throw shift-kit – BUT having bought and sold classic cars over the years I know that I very much appreciate finding a totally original car on the market, so I think I am going to resist the temptation and keep it as close to stock as possible – and honestly, the car performs magnificently as-is from the factory so I don’t really have any complaints. May upgrade the speakers though.

Brooks: I know that recently you took a trip up from Washington, DC where you live, to Boston, MA for Thanksgiving, how was that?

• Chris: Well, I improved my best trip time of 7 hours 10 minutes by almost an hour so I think that is pretty much the bottom line. Of course having an EZ-Pass helps and traffic was fairly light – but it really is the consumate highway car – the Jersey Pike is dull enough without having to drive a Ford Taurus!

Brooks: You are also a Veteran of Iraq – can you share with us what you did over there?

• Chris: Sure, I was the military chief for a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kirkuk (about 150 miles due north of Baghdad) These have been described as being like the “the Peace Corps with guns” which actually isn’t all that far off the mark. But what we really did was teach/train/mentor/assist the Iraqis in rebuilding/developing: Governance; Rule of Law; Security/; Reconstruction; and Economic Development. I had served in Baghdad as well but had the very good fortune to be sent north to Kirkuk (Ah-Tamin province) where it was permissive enough to get off the FOB (Forward Operating Base) pretty much every day and work with the Iraquis outside the wire.
  
• The Kurdish people were great – very pragmatic yet optimistic about acheiving a better life – the Arabs (Sunni) were a bit more reticent – a lot of them still pissed off having been knocked out of the drivers seat when Sadaam was deposed – the Turkmen were pretty much bottom-line orientated and comprised a large percentage of the business community – the Assaryian (Christian) folks were a small minority and just wanted a fair shake. Very interesting year and a half – and I can honestly say that they were/are well on the way to squaring their country away (at least in the North) after many years of less than benign neglect under Sadaam.

Brooks: And today you work at the Pentagon, can you tell us what you do there?

• Chris: Work on the Army Staff for the G-8 currently focused on the QDR (Quadrennial Defense Review (a 20-year strategic outlook that Congress has mandated DoD (Dept of Defense) conduct every 4 years)) I know, I know, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Brooks: Do people ever ask you about that unique license plate you’re sporting on your Beast? What’s the story behind the word “Flitzr”?

• Chris: German friend of mine suggested it – it means “fast car” in German (“Schnell” was taken)

Brooks: The east coast of the USA has so many beautiful places to see by road – are there any road trips planned?

• Chris: Nothing really specific yet – I bought the car mainly for the trip between DC and Boston which I do fairly often (have family in Massachusetts) but I’m game for anything longer – maybe Arizona to visit cousins next – especially in light of recent events though (i.e. the “CrotchBomber”), I have absolutely NO desire to stand in airport security lines for hours waitin on a flight!

Brooks: Do you plan to take your m5 to the dealer or to an independent shop? What’s your philosophy on that point?

• Chris: I’m actually pretty anal about doing as much maintenance as I can myself – BUT as far as anything involving more than I can handle, I plan on taking it to my local independent guy – Bill Shook, owner of “Kraftwagen” in Arlington, VA – Bill has been racing/instructing/workin on BMWs for over 30 years and he is absolutey outstanding. My philosophy is pretty much in line with Bill’s – that is: “Preventative” maintenance is the key.
  
• And having flown helicopters fifteen years for the Army, I can attest to its importance – the idea is to get out in front of as many issues as you can BEFORE they become a must-repair. Case in point is the “new?” BMW policy of “lifetime” fill on the tranny, differential, etc., I think this is ludicrous – you gotta flush and change at some point (admittedly BMW recommends a flush/change after initial break-in) if you expect to get any kind of extended service life from your vehicle. Bill recommends every 50,000 miles for these components – as well as the occasional engine coolant flush/change. Could not agree more.

Brooks: Of all the cars out there, can you share how you came to decide upon the E39 M5?

• Chris: Just my opinion, but I think it’s one of the classiest looking sedan’s on the market – bar none – and to para-phrase one of the articles on your video-guide website, the “Dame Edna” styling of the new E60 series does absolutely nothing for me.

Brooks: You recently purchased the M5 Video Guide, what value did you gain from it?

• Chris: Excellent investment! To be honest, I initially thought the price was a bit high – but have absolutely no qualms now that I purchased it. Found a bunch of stuff in it about the car that I didn’t know – and things that the owner’s manual really doesn’t lay out too well. And the detailing tips were great – I love the way you dry the car off! That should actually go a long way toward preventing rust in those parts the car is prone toward as well.
  
• I also like the fact that you have updated it – at least since I purchased it, and that you are considering adding an additional “official” monthly update feature – I for one would be interested in that.
  Overall I’d say if any E39 M5 owners, or potential owners, are interested in learning more about the car, and its capabilities, they would be well served to purchase the video – and the “resource” section is great – I have checked out a few of the links and they’ve got some great products and accessories for the car.

Brooks: Thanks for your time Chris and congratulations on your beautiful M5!

• Chris: My pleasure Brooks – hopefully see you on the road one of these days!

There is no question in mind of 99% of owners that they won’t sell it. 1% get bored and decide they want something else – only to learn how much they missed the car. I happen to be a member of the former group – never planning to sell the Beast.

My experience in helping people buy the E39 m5 through the M5 Video Guide has taught me with great consistency the following:

1. Most owners who keep the car do a great job of keeping it up to date.
2. Those who sell it, often have deferred much of the key maintenance items. Unless you’re buying a BMW CPO car (which is increasing rare with the E39 M5), you’ve got to do your due diligence.
3. This car DOES have special needs and IS more expensive to own that any other non-”m” 5 series sedan.
4. Too many owners get into this car without a full understanding of its needs.

You should pay close attention to the following details during your evaluation and selection of an E39 M5.

• Rust.  There are a few key areas where rust accumulates for cars living in wetter climates.  One of them is underneath the side marker lights.
  
• Suspension.  Both the front and rear suspension have to do an incredible job on this car and there are key components in both areas that wear out with almost perfect consistency.  Bushings are cheap – labour is not.
  
• Seats. The front seats are made from beautiful Nappa leather.  Although they are extremely tasteful – some segments aren’t as durable as others.  Check your prospective car closely.
  
• Brakes.  This car requires special rotors that are expensive – there’s just no way around it and if you plan on going fast and driving hard – be prepared to buy rotors at ever brake re & re.
  
• Clutch.  It is self modulating and hates hard standing starts.

Sounds like everything that you would want to check on ANY car you buy – right? Yes.  Inside the M5 Video Guide I’ve outlined how to tell EXACTLY where these items are in their lifecycle and a lot more stuff you’d be wise to investigate fully.

Trust me – I learned the hard way with my first M5 (and have all the bills to prove it! ).

My advice (and that of experienced others) is that no matter how “clean” the car you find (and fall in love with) is, that you should be prepared to spend a little bit more once she’s under your care.
Whether it’s for modifications, upgrades or inevitable repairs – not having at least an extra few thousand per year to keep your E39 M5 up to spec is an ownership requirement in my books.
Good luck!

~Brooks.

EBay Motors (http://www.motors.ebay.com/) .
EBay has a nice selection of stores that offer angel eye eye kits. I’d look here first for two reasons. First, there’s a nice selection of angel eye light and mounts at many price ranges. This gives people a chance to compare prices to see which people are giving out the best deals. Another reason shopping on E-Bay for these lights is a good idea is because you get to see pictures of what you’re buying. This should help you find what you need without having to second-guess yourself about your choices.

Another good choice is Bavarian Autosport (http://www.bavauto.com/). They have a great selection of angel lights at very reasonable prices. They sell these lights on their own and in kits. They also sell the accessories that go along with the lights. As a result, I’d look here next for angel light upgrades.

Finally, don’t forget to look at http://www.bmwpartswheels.com and http://www.umnitza.com. These sites are crammed with more choices than you’ll know what to do with. The E39 m5 expert expert will have lots of fun comparing kits, mounts and single lights. They have a neat sites that are well-organized and most of the merchandise is shipped within 48 hours after your payment has cleared.

Umnitza.com also has some great stuff and good customer service too.