Forget nearly everything you know about the BMW M535i from the E28 generation because this sports sedan has been radically modified. Few things have remained stock as the owner went to town transforming his 1987 5 Series into a one-of-a-kind build. He picked the color – Amethyst Metallic – even before buying the second-generation 5 Series, but the special paint is merely a bullet point on a long list of aftermarket upgrades.

While the original M535i packed 182 horsepower from its straight-six 3.4-liter engine, the M30 has been extensively modified and it now pushes out a massive 500 hp after gaining a turbocharger, nitrous, and a plethora pf other mods. Colin, the man behind this wild project, has rebuilt the engine twice and swapped out the original automatic for a manual transmission. A second turbo is on the “to do” list, which will up the power ante furthermore.

Of course, it’s the gold plating that stands out the most. No fewer than 16 years in the making, the glitzy M535i has the precious metal adorning the front grille, headlight, and taillight bezels, not to mention the badges and even the engine bay. We could go on forever, mentioning the gold-plated oil cap and that rather scary “melting” skull.

While the roll cage is currently wrapped in Alcantara, Colin is already planning to cover that in gold as well. All in, the M535i has about $8,000 worth of gold plating as it stands. The closer you’ll look at the car, the more tweaks you will notice, including the BBS wheels, side exhaust, and an air suspension. Those side mirrors are borrowed from an older E12 while the hood has been cut out to make room for the turbocharger.

Speaking of hardware taken from other BMWs, the steering wheel originally belonged to an M3 E30 Evolution and has been covered in Alcantara like most of the interior. The mirrors and steering wheel didn’t originally fit, but Colin made the necessary adjustments. As for the roll cage, it was sourced from an E12 stunt car and had to be adjusted to fit inside the E28 while retaining the rear bench.

The project took a lot of time, passion, money, and an understanding wife… The video is half an hour long, but we’d argue it’s worth every single minute.

[Source: Hand Built Cars / YouTube]