The BMW E39 M5 is a crowd favorite wherever it goes. Its ageless design and brilliant engine make it one of the most desirable cars in BMW’s history and definitely a future classic. That’s probably why some of us don’t take kindly to people modifying them extensively. Yes, by today’s standards, the E39 M5 is no longer a dangerously fast car, but its character shouldn’t be diluted nonetheless.
Case in point the car shown below. The Supersprint Magnum exhaust fitted on it definitely upped the volume of the S62 4.9-liter V8, but the exhaust note is always subjective and a matter of taste.
What we do love about this car though is how it fared in the drag race that followed. Considering how wet the track was and the fact that the BMW is rear-wheel drive after all, the driver showed a lot of courage to go all out. On the other side of the track there’s an Audi R8 Spyder putting down all its power, but unlike the M5, it has all-wheel drive and is therefore a lot safer to push to the limit.
Judging by the race result though, it would appear like the Audi isn’t sporting the 5.2-liter V10 engine, but rather the less powerful 4.2-liter V8 good for some 430 HP and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque. That’s more of a match for BMW’s 400 HP mill than the top of the range mill with its 525 HP. And even so, we’re rather surprised by the end result nonetheless, showing that this old M5 still has plenty of punch packed under its hood, if it’s stock that is.
