Maybe I'm odd...

"Makoyouidiot" (makaan12) 06/28/2014 at 21:01 • Filed to: car design

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but while watching an old Top Gear today, they were heaping scorn on the design of the E60 5-Series...frankly I think it looks miles better than the E39, and better than a 3-Series from the same time as well.

Brian Silvestro > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:02

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Duh. It looks amazing.

KirkyV > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:07

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Aesthetics are, of course, entirely subjective, but... Yeah, I'm really not with you on that. To my eye, the E60 looks utterly awful, while the E39 is an incredibly well-proportioned and tasteful piece of design—bested only by the E46, as BMW saloons go.

Vicente Esteve > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:07

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It looks like a body builder under such tight suit you can see the veins. I think it looks very good.

phenotyp > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:12

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Certainly better than the contemporary 3-series. The E39 was the ultimate evolution of the old-school bmw, while the 60 is the real start of the new (7-series notwithstanding).

I just took some decent pictures of mine, planning on posting em up soon. It's a fine-lookin car, if you ask me, and I defy anyone to name a more-influential design of the last decade.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:14

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It's no Aston in terms of timeless design, though. It looks a bit outrageous for its own good where the E39 looks conservative. Heck, couple the E39 with the E60 M5's engine and you really have a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I still want to own an M5 when I hit a $100,000 jackpot but I don't know where to start. :(

AM3R > phenotyp 06/28/2014 at 21:14

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Post them!!!!

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:16

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They look amazing with some slight modification like wheels, M-sport package, and the facelift really made it look great and all it really did was LED rear lights and clear corners up front.

Makoyouidiot > Brian Silvestro 06/28/2014 at 21:20

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Dat wagon...hnnnng

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/28/2014 at 21:22

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Could definitely use some different wheels...I just found a lovely dark green 525i w/tan interior one on Autotrader, manual, and idrive for just shy of 7 grand...I didn't know they had gotten that low yet.

Makoyouidiot > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura 06/28/2014 at 21:23

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V10 all the way, in that instance. For me, anyway

Brian Silvestro > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:24

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Exactly.

Makoyouidiot > phenotyp 06/28/2014 at 21:24

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Post dem pics!

Makoyouidiot > Vicente Esteve 06/28/2014 at 21:24

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It's like, "yes, I am a sedan. But try me. I dare you."

Makoyouidiot > KirkyV 06/28/2014 at 21:25

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See, to me, the E39 looks good, but dated, while the E60 looks modern. But then again I'm 25, so maybe that's why.

GhostZ > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:26

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I think it's the best looking 5 series since the E28.

Makoyouidiot > Brian Silvestro 06/28/2014 at 21:26

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So sad we didn't get the M5 wagon here, V10 wagons make me jizz my pants.

Makoyouidiot > GhostZ 06/28/2014 at 21:28

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I actually like it more than any other 5er...and almost as much as I like the old 635csi.

Vicente Esteve > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:30

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Try me. I dare you, I DOUBLE DARE YOU

KimJongIl > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:30

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You're not odd, you're correct.

Makoyouidiot > Vicente Esteve 06/28/2014 at 21:32

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Then you pop the hood and this thing is hiding in there:

Makoyouidiot > KimJongIl 06/28/2014 at 21:32

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Many thanks for your support, Glorious Leader!

Vicente Esteve > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:34

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THE PECS

Brian Silvestro > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:37

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Seriously though.

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:41

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I like them. Still find the bangle butt a bit polarizing, but the front and side profiles look fine.

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:42

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it's downright scary how fast they depreciated! I'm looking at 545i's right now because I just heard one with an eisenman exhaust.... Dear god it was sweet!

Scorpio GTX1 > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:42

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Not a fan. Looks like a Camry with eyelashes.

KirkyV > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 21:45

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I'm only 19. ;-) I just like a lot of nineties car-design—Peugeot, in particular.

To my eye, the E60 actually looks a good deal more dated than the E39. The E39 just has a certain timelessness to it, owed largely to the conservative simplicity of the design.

Makoyouidiot > KirkyV 06/28/2014 at 21:49

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Doh.

Makoyouidiot > Scorpio GTX1 06/28/2014 at 21:49

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Eye of the beholder, I suppose

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/28/2014 at 21:50

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I was planning to buy a cash car next tax return for about 5...I may have to reevaluate and save a bit, cause an E60 is better than anything else I've been looking at.

Makoyouidiot > Somethingwittyer likes noisy 06/28/2014 at 21:51

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I may just have to buy one when I get rid of my wife's Mazda3

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 22:24

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The E60 looks great to me with the M wheels and aero kit, any other way it just looks kinda... meh.

But that's always been the case for the 5-series.

Makoyouidiot > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 06/28/2014 at 22:45

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Conservative styling...it works as long as it's not really boring. Like a Camry.

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 22:47

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if you're willing to save a little more, $15k is a GREAT budget for an E60. You can get a V8 with not so low (but not dangerously high) miles or a really low mileage I6. You might even be able to get a 535i for around 16, that twin turbo I6 is amazing!

M54B30 > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 22:55

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I didn't care for the E60 before, but the last year or two I've started liking them. Maybe it's feeling my E39 slowly drift away that they intrigue me now.

Owners have horror stories of computer-related problems though.

Makoyouidiot > M54B30 06/28/2014 at 23:04

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I've heard a few of those myself

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/28/2014 at 23:04

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35i would be my preferred choice, because straight six noise plus dat BOOOOST

Also I feel like the 6 would be more reliable than the 8, even with turbos.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 23:18

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I thought it was an fine looker. Edgier than the E39 perhaps, but by no means a bad thing. The E90 on the other hand…

The E92 M3 was acceptable, but a normal one? I'd prefer the design of the F30 any day.

Makoyouidiot > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 06/28/2014 at 23:40

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I agree that the E92 M3 is good looking (it's the hood, I think) but for the 3er I really think that the E46 is at least as good looking as the F30, if not slightly better. Although I really like the F30 headlights. The E90 just has a wierd look to me, especially the headlights and the back end, which looks bloated and odd, although it's better on the coupe.

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 23:46

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I already told all my local BMW dealers to immediately call me if they get a manual E61 535xi. AWD 6 speed turbo inline 6 wagon? Does it get any better?

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/28/2014 at 23:51

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Probably not, although I'd prefer straight RWD, but I don't believe the wagon was sold here without AWD. :(

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/28/2014 at 23:59

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Yeah I'd even settle for a naturally aspirated I6 wagon 6MT RWD :(

I guess they wanted to be more of a threat to Audi with this.

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/29/2014 at 00:01

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More sales that way, folks still see a wagon as a family car and AWD is considered "safer" especially in northern climes.

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/29/2014 at 00:04

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Yeah, most of these were sold up north too.

Closest one is 260 miles away from me:

http://m.autotrader.com/vdp.html?id=37…

It's perfect, tastefully modded, AND M-sport!

Makoyouidiot > AM3R 06/29/2014 at 00:21

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And it's not black or silver! Lovely

AM3R > Makoyouidiot 06/29/2014 at 00:46

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it's a NP too! If you don't like the mods you can sell the coilovers and wheels for ~$5k, so for $19k you get a sporty wagon that's economical and very roomy.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Makoyouidiot 06/29/2014 at 12:37

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To be honest, personally I don't rate either of them.

They don't look bad at all, but they don't exactly look fantastic either. They just look like, well, a car.

I'm fairly certain that if you averaged out every styling feature from every 4-door saloon on sale in the mid-'00s, you'd get the E60 5-series.

Admittedly, I'm far from a BMW fan so my opinion might be slightly biased, and I'll repeat that they don't look bad in any way. They just don't stir anything in me at all.

Makoyouidiot > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 06/29/2014 at 14:25

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It's a car!

phenotyp > Makoyouidiot 07/01/2014 at 19:58

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Done!

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Makoyouidiot 07/03/2014 at 04:37

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And I remember that upon its release all those years ago, the E90's rear was criticised for looking like a Mitsubishi Carisma's…