1993 BMW M5

I love the E34. And what better E34 than the veritable M5.

The E34 is one of the greatest BMW so far and really one of the best cars of all time. It's spacious but not too big, extremely well-built, safe, aesthetically sharp, fun to drive, and very reliable. The only thing they aren't is fuel efficient and immune to rust. But those are small nits to pick when you consider the overall greatness that is the E34. Subsequent generations have only gotten larger and less attractive, too.

The M5 version was produced during the model's entire run of 1988-1995 with slight changes over time. In the US, it received a special 3.6-liter 6-cylinder engine that produced a very healthy 311 horsepower. Combined with special tweaking and a 5-speed (and later 6-speed) manual transmission, it was a standout sport sedan of the era and can easily provide thrills today. It was somewhat undermined by the later 540i, but it's still the star of the two.

This one looks pitch-perfect in black over black. Note the later cosmetic details such as the "throwing star" wheels, which, while preferred by some, did not ventilate the brakes as well as the more conservative initial pieces (which I liked better anyways), and the teardrop side mirrors shared with the E36 M3 but really don't jive with the rest of the car's hard angles. Again, that's probably a minority opinion but worth noting nonetheless.

The seller says this car has 132k miles (normal and even desirable), no accidents and original paint. They say it will need new tires (predictable and no big deal) and the electric rear windows move slowly, a weak point on many older German cars, but certainly not a deal breaker.

With no accident history, this is certainly a nice find that seems to have also been mercifully left unmodified. The seller also says they are becoming hard to find - and that is a true statement. While the succeeding E38 generation M5 introduced a roaring V8 in the game, BMW's classic inline 6-cylinder philosophy makes this E34 truer to the soul of the brand while also marking the end of an era.

Available here on ebay for $16,995 or the Make Offer option.