The Official Bring A Trailer (BaT) Thread

[BlueBimmers]

If only it had the M sport package !

Funny, I pretty much said exactly that in a comment. We'll see if the posters who love to say something like "the 540 is 90% of the M5 for much less" end up up bidding here. The M5 actually has a number of improved systems - cooling, clutch, guide rails - that makes it a safer purchase IMHO. But as maw1124says at a totally different price point today. If M5 this car would go for $80K, here maybe $30K. We'll see.

[maw1124]

^^^ The crowd that SHOULD be bidding are the folks who faun over the 740i Sport (“Shorty Sporty”) and wish it was a manual. For that one there’s no M variant to distract them.

maw

EDIT... feel free to disregard... George Hill captured everything I was ever trying to say much better in the following post.

[George Hill]

^^^ The crowd that SHOULD be bidding are the folks who faun over the 740i Sport (“Shorty Sporty”) and wish it was a manual. For that one there’s no M variant to distract them.

maw

A true 740i sport is not anywhere similar to a 540i or an M5, that's a silly comparison IMO.

A client of mine has a VERY heavily modified 540/6MT and its a fabulous car, so are the stock ones for that matter BUT they are not in the same category as an M5 IMO. That's like comparing a ZHP to an M3. The cars stand on their own but one is not a replacement for the other. With that said my clients 540 will likely do everything (and better) that a stock M5 will do (other than the S62 experience itself). Am I saying one is better than the other? No, but the 540s are nice cars in their own right.

[01SG]

The normal car and M have different purposes.

I had a 2003 540i6. Those ones had the M5 sway bars and shocks. It was an amazing car except for the open differential. I always thought one with an LSD would be phenomenal. Several hundred pounds lighter than the M5 and lower running costs. Still a pain in the ass to work on though.

[Maxima SE]

Still a pain in the ass to work on though.

Right? Gotta love how easy it is to work on an Inline 6 or 4. I hate working on V6/V8s. A simple valve cover gasket becomes a PITA.

[George Hill]

Add a blower and that valve cover gasket becomes really fun, lol

[BlueBimmers]

and lower running costs.

This is the piece I don't follow, though never owned a 540. Weaker cooling system, higher temp running, single chain guides, weaker clutch. Other than the premium for M parts, what makes a 540 cheaper to maintain?

[01SG]

Everything is a bit cheaper. Parts, tires, fuel, insurance. All little things alone but add up together.

The cooling system is moot, it will last 100,000 miles fine. I believe it is the same clutch as the M5 too. I know it's the same Getrag 420g. The timing chain guides didn't let go on mine until 212k miles. And even then, the guy I sold it to fixed it and none of the valves were bent.

The biggest difference is the cost of purchase.

[George Hill]

The biggest difference is the cost of purchase.

Bingo, my client originally bought the car new in 2000 (maybe that's all his budget could afford?) and then he liked the platform so he stayed with it.

Seems like you can pick up a decent M5 with 120k +/- for around $40k, that same car in a 540 is gonna be $10 or less.

[maw1124]

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEPwJZ8P/2003-bmw-m3-convertible

Seems well bought to me. Lots of car enjoyment for that money.

maw

[nineelevensouthATL]

BAT has now sold 243 E46 M3s on their site. Updated the spreadsheet with the latest data.

This spreadsheet is super impressive!

[PSUEng]

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rEP...m3-convertible

Seems well bought to me. Lots of car enjoyment for that money.

maw

That is a clean example. Cruising the CaBs closed auctions, looks like a dumping ground for verts/SMG.

[maw1124]

That is a clean example. Cruising the CaBs closed auctions, looks like a dumping ground for verts/SMG.

I've been telling people E46M Verts are the best car deals in the world right now, SMG or Manual. And if you can get a low enough mileage SMG, it's an even better deal.

maw

[repoman89]

Seems like you can pick up a decent M5 with 120k +/- for around $40k, that same car in a 540 is gonna be $10 or less.

Lot cheaper than that now — I’d feel lucky to get $40k for my clean <70k mile M5. Prices are finally starting to come back to reality, which is a good thing as an owner who just wants to drive. Cheaper to insure, cheaper to replace, easier to not feel like I’m driving an investment.

As we all know BaT is top of the market and many of the E39 M5 auctions are pretty decent deals or not hitting reserve compared to this time last year at least. Same with E46s.

https://bringatrailer.com/bmw/e39-m5/

[maw1124]

That is a clean example. Cruising the CaBs closed auctions, looks like a dumping ground for verts/SMG.

There's ratted out crashed trash for sure... and then there's stuff like that Oxford Green and this ... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...nvertible-113/ ... shame about the Grey interiors but it's hard to argue these aren't worth what people are paying for them.

maw

SOLD for $30,500... don't love the low miles but 1,000 miles a year isn't horrible... oil seems to have been changed every couple years on time not mileage since 10k miles.