Few things are more enjoyable in life for an enthusiast than driving a naturally aspirated sports car. Add into the mix a big ol’ V10, rear-wheel drive, and an Autobahn section with no limits, and it is basically heaven on earth. YouTuber AutoTopNL had the privilege of enjoying all of that by getting behind the wheel of the BMW M5 E60.
Yes, the one equipped with a 5.0-liter engine sans any sort of forced induction. After all these years, the soundtrack delivered by its glorious S85 unit is amazing, bar none. The first and only BMW V10 makes this M5 E60 still properly fast despite its venerable age. It’s a large and luxurious sedan at the end of the day, but it’ll still effortlessly do 162 mph (261 km/h).
It’s higher than the 155 mph (250 km/h) quoted by BMW back in the day when the car came out. Getting there is equally enjoyable since the performance sedan needs nine seconds from 62 to 124 mph (100 to 200 km/h). Of course, the ten-cylinder engine is a bit thirsty since you can see the range quickly dropping during the full-throttle run.
The M5 E60 Is Still Going Strong After All These Years
Having been sold between 2004-2010, the M5 E60 comes from a time when emissions regulations were more relaxed. This particular example is a European model with the seven-speed SMG as only the US-spec car got the six-speed manual. It has covered more than 150,000 kilometers (93,000 miles) and has seemingly been taken care of all these years.
It’s an engine BMW won’t ever make, not because it doesn’t want to, but because of tougher legislation. For the very same reason, the M760i with its majestic V12 is bowing out, and Rolls-Royce will lose the twelve-cylinder as well by 2030. Seeing the glass half full, M cars with inline-six and V8 engines will still be around until at least the end of the decade.
The M5 E60 is certainly among the best-sounding production cars ever, right up there with the Porsche Carrera GT and Lexus LFA. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), those two supercars also had NA V10 engines.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
