E39 Question

"Carbon Fiber Sasquatch" (turbopumpkin)
10/30/2015 at 01:45 • Filed to: None

Does a BMW E39 540i have to be a manual to be any fun? Obviously it would help but it’s hard to find a post 2000 M-sport 540i with a manual, if it’s a huge game changer in the car I’ll just stay patient and wait for my unicorn.

I know 530i manuals are easier to find but I really want a V8 lol

DISCUSSION (24)

PyramidHat > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:16

I’d say it has s lot t do with the kind of driving you typically do. Rowing your own is fun on backroads, but it sucks cubic balls dick in traffic. I’d reckon the V8 has enough power to make up for any losses incurred with the slushbox.

Sam > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:18

The auto makes it a much more cushy cruiser than the manual.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:20

No experience with a 540i but the 530i is sublime. Even with an automatic it’s a great car. Handling and steering are amazing. The brakes are superb and the induction sound is brilliant.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:21

I’ve driven both the 530i and the 540i, and I actually prefer the smaller-engined car. I may be a little biased as I would prefer to have an I6 over a V8 almost any day. I just found the 530i to be a little more tossable, whereas the 540i was more of a straight line bruiser, and I’m more of a canyon carver than drag racer.

I think it was Bimmer magazine that summed up the 530i as being the most BMW-est of all BMWs (or something equally awkwardly worded like that). That being said, my next BMW will probably be an E39 530i 5MT. It’s about as perfect as the 5-series has ever been.

911e46z06 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:31

They’re great either way. I’ve driven every US e39 you can think of, and haven’t found a bad one yet.

Sure, the manual is nice, but they’re tough to find, and if you’re sitting in traffic frequently, the shiftable automatic (I forget what BMW calls it) is an awesome compromise.

Matt Nichelson > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 02:51

Sigh... That picture brings back some memories I wish I could forget. I owned a 2003 540i M Sport. Same color. Same wheels. I will admit mine was an auto, but as you said, sticks can be hard to find. I absolutely loved that car. I loved the V8. I loved the noise it made. I loved the ride. I loved all of it.... for the whole month I had it. I bought mine on Black Friday two years ago. I had an absolute blast up until the Friday after Christmas. I was driving home late that night when a 9 point buck ran out in front of me. I can’t tell you the pain you suffer when you find a car you’ve always wanted only to total it just a short time later. Anyway, sorry for the sob story. I would say if you find a good one with low mileage, jump on it regardless. That’s just my opinion though.

Too many M's > 911e46z06
10/30/2015 at 03:59

*Steptronic

In all my Roundrl experience I haven’t done nearly enough E39 study.

Decay buys too many beaters > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 04:12

I own a 2000 with a manual but have driven one with an auto. Both are a great driving experience, but no way I’d give up my manual for an auto. The BMW manual is so perfectly refined that its the only clutched car I’ve driven that doesn’t get tiring in bumper to bumper traffic, just throw it in first and use it like a crawler gear. Wait for your unicorn...

j.davism5 > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 04:26

save more pennies, buy the m5. The ultimate expression of E39 greatness. I’ve bought mine twice. I wont sell it again.

Tripper > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 08:27

I’ve not driven an automatic E39, but V8 fo sho on this one. The E39 M5 is the most fun “big” car that I have ever had the pleasure of driving.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 08:40

The V8 throws off the weight distribution, so the 540i has a different character than the 6 cylinder cars to begin with. More of a comfy autobahn carver than a tossable sedan. I’m sure the auto further exaggerates this.

Justin Hughes > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
10/30/2015 at 09:49

Kinja'd!!!

An E39 540i with a stick is on my list of future cars to play with. In my book it’s one of the best looking cars BMW ever made this side of an E24.

gas head > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
10/30/2015 at 11:28

I regret selling my nice 03 530i auto. Great car.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > gas head
10/30/2015 at 12:24

Out of curiosity did your e39’s rear visibility get impacted by the rear headrests? I’ve only ever driven my friend’s e39 and it seems as if they take up a good chunk of the view in the rear view mirror.

finn's arm > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
10/30/2015 at 12:32

This. I’d totes take a 530i 5 spd over the 540i. The front end suspension components are different between the I6 & V8. That along with the distribution changes the drive.

The 530iT wasn’t brought over to the states, if my memory serves me correctly. 528iT and then the subsequent 525iT were the end of the line for tourings for the US.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > finn's arm
10/30/2015 at 12:48

It sucks that there was never a 530iT in the states. But it should be relatively easy to build one with a little parts swappage. I remember an interesting conversion on an early E39 where the engine from an E36 M3 was bolted in. As I recall, all of the connectors and computers and such worked with little or no changes, and gave an instant 50 HP boost over the stock 2.8.

With the creation of the 530i there was only a 10 HP gap between it and the E36 M3, so that conversion was rendered moot. However, the idea of a later 333HP S54B32 in an E39 chassis seems to good not to build.

finn's arm > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
10/30/2015 at 13:14

I’ve had that exact thought process for my 528iT (&323is):D

I think I’d rather have a little more torque from the S52 over the HP in the E39.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > finn's arm
10/30/2015 at 13:24

I’ll agree with you there. The first time I experienced the M20 engine was in my boss’s E30 325i that I would occasionally get to use. A little while later my dad bought a 525i with the same M20 engine. That motor felt great in the 3, but a bit challenged in the 5.

Torque down lower in the RPM range, as in the S52, might be a better fit for the larger E39 chassis. The S54 does produce more torque than the S52, but at 1,600 RPM in the rev range. I’m used to zipping the M20 above 4,000 RPM to get some power, but hardly a day goes by that I didn’t wish that the torque peak was much lower.

911e46z06 > Too many M's
10/30/2015 at 14:42

That’s it. Ive owned 4. They were all a joy.

Too many M's > 911e46z06
10/30/2015 at 15:16

There’s an 03 540i M-sport auto with what the owner describes as a “slipping transmission". @ $1500 think it's worth a look?

911e46z06 > Too many M's
10/30/2015 at 19:20

Worth a look, but usually when the transmission starts to go, you’re going to need a new one. But if everything else is in good shape, you’re getting the (IMHO) best sports sedan ever made for the price of a new transmission. You could even use it as an excuse for a manual swap.

gas head > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
10/31/2015 at 11:45

Honestly, I never gave it a thought. I am small and always thought the seats were challenging to get comfortable in-they are low to the floor. As for the rear head rests, can they be removed? Many can. Still a great car.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > gas head
10/31/2015 at 18:12

That’s interesting. I completely agree, it’s still a brilliant car and I’d buy one if I had the cash now regardless of the headrests. I found the seat perfect in my opinion. I like sitting super low. Although my head was almost touching the roof (I’m not tall in the slightest) which was a weird (in a good way) feeling I had never experienced before. Loved the driving experience.

gas head > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
11/01/2015 at 12:14

Keep buying lottery tix!