5 Series (E39) All about the BMW 5-Series E39

[Rainer271]

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[hovabongZA]

The " go to " 5 series when discussing 5 series's. Brilliant to drive , to sit in and to look at. The iconic BMW signature lights began on this car . Already a legend.

 

[WAND]

My favourite Bimmer OAT.
Friend has 540i in perfect condition with just 50k miles on board.

 

[Rolf]

This is a brilliant add with the E39 M5 and Clive Owen and Madonna

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[CrunchSlaughtered]

This is a brilliant add with the E39 M5 and Clive Owen and Madonna

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It's not an add, it's art

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

All those BMW Drive films were great

 

[slicknick]

My best friend's father bought an E39 in late 1996, and I was always looking forward to his dad giving him and me a ride to the waterpolo practice, back when we were 13... I had simply adored that car, and looked for the same BMW magic in the models that subsequently followed, but the E38 and the E39 had set the bar so high at the time that none of the following models quite had the same magic for me, that majestic feel

 

[Rolf]

At first glance I remember when I first saw the E39 in 1996 at one BMW dealer at the VA Waterfront in Cape Town I was memorized by its appearance cause it looked so elegant and totally different to the squared off previous E34. The front especially drew my attention as it had the 4 spots totally covered by the clear lense. The interior was exceptional as it looked suitably luxurious with the soft pleated leather seats and also futuristic with the small navigation screen and plenty of buttons even on the steering wheel. This is definitely the best 5 series of all time. Now 20 years later it looks timeless.

 

[slicknick]

The interior was exceptional as it looked suitably luxurious with the soft pleated leather seats and also futuristic with the small navigation screen and plenty of buttons even on the steering wheel. This is definitely the best 5 series of all time. Now 20 years later it looks timeless.

True, it just never aged, and somehow the BMW's of that time were doing the whole interior thing better

 

[hovabongZA]

This was one of the most extensive BMW facelifts, it totally transformed the car and made it more modern. Still looks great even by today's standards. I always turn an stare at one when they pass.

I also believe that this was also the first car to have day time running lights, it began the revolution with BMW iconic lights.

 

[martinbo]

I've driven an E39 M5. It was magical.

 

[klier]

One of the most loved BMW models of all time by every BMW fan.

Notice how this beloved car DOESN't have L shaped backlights.

Take notice BMW. You don't have to put them on every damn car all the time.

 

[slicknick]

Notice how this beloved car DOESN't have L shaped backlights.

Take notice BMW. You don't have to put them on every damn car all the time.

Good point actually, never understood why BMW were so damn insistent on the L-shaped rear lights

 

[Rainer271]

I also believe that this was also the first car to have day time running lights, it began the revolution with BMW iconic lights.

That's correct. BMW introduced the corona lights with the E39 LCI.

 

[Kowalski]

It was and still is a good looking car.

 

[Kowalski]

In October of 1997 year, the E39 5er and E38 7er were the first cars in the world ever to offer side head protecting airbags. They were called HPS - Head Protection System.

IIHS News | October 29, 1997

New airbag system to protect occupants' heads in side impacts makes impressive crash test showing

ARLINGTON, Va. — A new airbag system designed to protect people's heads in serious side impacts made an impressive showing in a crash test yesterday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

"This new BMW head protection system is a clear advancement. It will save lives by preventing head injuries in crashes that, without this system, would be fatal," Institute President Brian O'Neill points out.

To demonstrate this, the Institute, working with BMW, conducted two crash tests of BMW 5-series cars, a 1998 model in which the new Head Protection System (HPS) is standard equipment and a 1997 model without HPS. In each test, the car was propelled sideways at 20 mph into a rigid pole. The pole is relatively narrow, so there was major penetration into the side of each car. In the impact without HPS, the crash dummy's thorax was protected but its head hit the pole with more than enough force to cause death in a real-world impact. The head injury criterion was 4720, or more than four times the reference value (1000) used to indicate the likelihood of a serious head injury like a skull fracture.

Head injury measures much lower with new head protection system

In contrast, the head injury criterion in the same crash test with HPS was 620. "It was a survivable impact despite the major intrusion," O'Neill says. "This kind of airbag restraint system will protect people in many serious side impacts including two-vehicle crashes in which there's intrusion in the area near occupants' heads. Vehicle side structures cannot provide much crush space, so door and restraint system designs must be the keys to preventing serious occupant injuries in side impacts."

BMWs are the first production cars with airbags to protect people's heads in side impacts, and other manufacturers are developing similar systems. For example, Volvo has announced it will offer "air curtains" to provide head protection in side impacts. The federal government estimates systems like these in all cars could prevent about 600 deaths from head injuries in crashes each year.

Federal standard needs amending to allow new head protection systems

One reason for yesterday's crash test was to demonstrate the superiority of an inflatable head protection system while the federal government is considering changes to relevant safety requirements to facilitate the introduction of this type of technology. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 201, which requires interior padding, has been amended to include padding or other energy-absorbing designs in areas where people's heads are likely to hit in crashes. But FMVSS 201's new test requirements, which all new cars must meet by the 2003 model year, were developed before side airbags and other crash deployable systems became available. If this standard isn't amended, it could prevent the use of inflatable head protection systems in the future because the deployment of such systems would prevent manufacturers from using padding that's thick enough to comply with FMVSS 201.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering amendments to the federal standard to incorporate an optional 18 mph pole impact to assess compliance of vehicles with inflatable head protection systems. The Institute has told the agency it "strongly supports" such amendments, "which would provide necessary relief from specific test requirements for manufacturers who demonstrate that their deployable systems provide superior protection."

Source: New side airbag system performs well in crash test

 

[Rolf]

Now this is not your ordinary E39 M5 but one fitted with an unusual VW W10 engine that didn't make production.

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[SCOTT27]

Ah the fabled VW M5. For a while it was up there with Aliens, more Aliens, even more Aliens and The Loch Ness monster. Slowly all are becoming true.

 

[Giannis]

I recently had a very short drive in an E39 535i. The V8 ones had a steering box instead of rack and pinion steering, and the feeling is very different. The steering of the 6 cylinder models is vastly superior!

 

[Rolf]

I recently had a very short drive in an E39 535i. The V8 ones had a steering box instead of rack and pinion steering, and the feeling is very different. The steering of the 6 cylinder models is vastly superior!

I remember reading the Autocar road test of the 535i and they said the V8 provided good performance but overall they thought it was not as well rounded as the 528i, which was nearly as quick and had better steering.