It’s a known fact that Chris Harris has a soft spot for BMWs. He has owned many cars with the famous roundel over the years, including an M5 E28, an M2 CS, and an unofficial M5 Touring E34 built from a 525i SE. His latest purchase also comes from Munich, and yes, it’s another wagon. A couple of months ago, he bought a relatively rare M5 Touring E61 – one of the only 1,009 units made.
Painted in Indianapolis Red and with around 128,000 miles (about 206,000 kilometers) on the clock, the long-roof M5 was never involved in a crash and looks more than decent given its venerable age. Chris Harris spent £24,750 on his V10 performance estate. The electric seats and tailgate still work as advertised but the sporty E61 needs a fresh set of tires, brakes, and possibly a clutch replacement. What matters more is that the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine with its mighty 500 horsepower has been properly serviced.
We’re not surprised this M5 Touring is lavishly equipped since it was originally a press car. In fact, Chris Harris drove this very same car back in the day when it came out. He learned about the vehicle’s history after buying it, when someone from BMW’s press office told him why the car looked familiar. Automakers usually supply high-end versions of a car to journalists for test drives and this E61 was no exception back in the 2000s. It has all the bells and whistles, including a sunroof.
While manual gearbox swaps do exist, he intends to keep the original seven-speed Sequential M Gearbox (SMG). He might get rid of the shift paddles behind the steering wheel since he’s not a big fan of how they look and their placement. Shortly after shooting the video, Chris Harris had the car serviced and overhauled the suspension, only for his beloved M5 Touring to break down on the side of the road due to a faulty gearbox.
After fixing the dreaded SMG, he intends to do “something historical” with his M E61, so we’ll definitely keep a close eye on what will become of this already special car.
Source: Collecting Cars / YouTube
