A life less Audinary. A4 gone; low-cost, big liability cometh (E39 content)

[RoadworkUK]

7 hours ago, mercedade said:

That 540 is lovely. Never really floated my boat before, but that's a proper car.

Thank you. Yeah, E39s have always been good, but now that BMW has gone so far off the rails, I think they're all the more worthy of celebration.

[Schaefft]

A very late E39 540i Sport is a desirable car now, and depending on the mileage, will always keep it's value. This should definitely be a keeper!

[RoadworkUK]

9 hours ago, Schaefft said:

A very late E39 540i Sport is a desirable car now, and depending on the mileage, will always keep it's value. This should definitely be a keeper!

Cheers! Yeah, I can see them becoming more desirable as M5 prices go bananas and folk look for a "this'll have to do" alternative. This one's on 106k now, so not super low but way below average. And it's staying here forever and ever. Or until its value becomes impossible to ignore.

[Ohdearme]

I used to love my 540i. A fine motorway car and back road bruiser.

The sound when they rev is incredible.

I found on the motorway it was best to flip into semi- auto mode as it stopped it changing down to overtake things, there’s so much well in 5th that a kick down was totally unnecessary. You still waltzed past traffic in fifth versus launching for the horizon in kick down.

Keep an eye on the radiator top hose connection, it is a weak point on them as its plastic and they are prone to go brittle and shear, pissing associated fluid everywhere and sending your temp gauge to extreme red instantly.

I was told bmw sent it to the top red warning to make you stop as opposed to driving it whilst too warm but not danger-danger and goosing the head gasket.

[RoadworkUK]

18 minutes ago, Ohdearme said:

Keep an eye on the radiator top hose connection, it is a weak point on them.

Good intel, thank you.

[Schaefft]

45 minutes ago, Ohdearme said:

I used to love my 540i. A fine motorway car and back road bruiser.

The sound when they rev is incredible.

I found on the motorway it was best to flip into semi- auto mode as it stopped it changing down to overtake things, there’s so much well in 5th that a kick down was totally unnecessary. You still waltzed past traffic in fifth versus launching for the horizon in kick down.

Keep an eye on the radiator top hose connection, it is a weak point on them as its plastic and they are prone to go brittle and shear, pissing associated fluid everywhere and sending your temp gauge to extreme red instantly.

I was told bmw sent it to the top red warning to make you stop as opposed to driving it whilst too warm but not danger-danger and goosing the head gasket.

Even in 6th my manual is still pulling incredibly well, it's really the perfect Autobahn car, all the torque you'll ever need at any reasonable speed.

And naturally it was the top radiator hose that immediately started developing a pin hole after I bought it.

[Ohdearme]

12 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Even in 6th my manual is still pulling incredibly well, it's really the perfect Autobahn car, all the torque you'll ever need at any reasonable speed.

And naturally it was the top radiator hose that immediately started developing a pin hole after I bought it.

Mine did the same after purchase but sheared off in two days.

It couldn’t possibly be associated with a new 540 owner constantly holding the gears to hear the revs roar through the NASCAR soundtrack of the rev range could it? 😇

[RoadworkUK]

2 hours ago, Schaefft said:

Even in 6th my manual is still pulling incredibly well, it's really the perfect Autobahn car, all the torque you'll ever need at any reasonable speed.

This is the truth.  The auto's gearing is such that it can't really breathe or get into its stride on a country road (although it still demolishes them point-to-point). It basically feels cooped up in Britain.