Simple? Yes. Common? No. But nearly 20 years ago, BMW nailed the formula with their E39 M5 (1998-2003), the reigning king of all M5s. It is a car praised for its power, performance, balance, ...

When it was unleashed upon the world, the $73,874 V-8–powered 2000 BMW M5 was immediately and universally hailed as the apex of the 1997–2003 E39 BMW 5-series. This M5 instantly won our ...

BMW fitted the E39 M5 with it mighty S62 5.0-liter V-8 engine, which made 394 horsepower. To this day, it's a car that commands respect, and back when it was new it launched a revolution.

We’re quite fond of the E39-generation BMW M5 here at CarScoops, and there are quite a few pristine examples hitting the used car market and fetching nice prices. So what makes the E39 M5 so ...