Anyone who has seen Ronin knows how badass the BMW e34 M5 is. But even though lots of ‘affordable’ M5’s are showing up on eBay and Roadfly for under $15k, I wouldn’t touch one with a ten foot pole. The M5 motor is very sophisticated and maintenance intensive. Properly maintained cars trade hands for more like $18-25k and up.
Which is what makes the 540i M Sport so attractive. It’s practically an M5 with a more simple V8 engine under the hood. And while the V8 won’t spin and sound like the inline 6 in the M5, the power isn’t off by much. Considering the very low production numbers, I’ve seen at least 6 for sale in the last 6 months. Here’s a nice looking one in Vail for $9500(!) :
1995 BMW 540i Sport 6 speed on Craigslist
[…]Nearly fully refurbished ’95 BMW 540i Sport 6 Speed manual, Calypso Red Metallic (burgundy) over Natural (tan) leather interior in excellent shape (built 9/95), with BMW updated Alusil engine block at 60k. Sport package & cold weather package: traction control, heated leather sport seats (driver and passenger), M Sport suspension, body trim, sunroof, am/fm/cass/cd changer, with 282 HP and 295 Ft-Lbs of torque (stock). Garaged, non-smoker, cruise, pw, pdl, pm, BMW alarm w/remotes, memory seats/mirrors, and climate control w/ice cold a/c. No accidents or leaks, with 122k of mostly hwy mlg, & no tears/cracking in interior (only minor wear).[…]
The biggest issue of concern has already been addressed with the replacement of the long block. Read more about this unique model at the 540i Sport FAQ.
For such a low entry price, this looks like great fun and easy cruising!
dc
Update: This listing has long since expired. Check out these other e34’s for sale right now:
[AffomaticEbay]bmw e34[/AffomaticEbay]
One reply on “1995 BMW e34 540i M Sport: A Completely Legitimate Alternative to the M5”
The car pictured and described in the post isn’t actually an M-sport, just a regular E34 540i/6 with the Sport package (the distinction is explained here http://www.kindel.com/bmw/m540_info.htm) and upgraded M-parallel wheels. Sport seats and a slightly lowered M-teknik suspension were included in this sport package, but this does not include the changes to the fascia and the M-adaptive suspension among a lot of other small M5 sourced upgrades.
Still, even the “regular” 95 540i/6 Sport is a pretty incredible bargain these days.