2006 BMW M5

Still in the hands of its first registered UK keeper, ‘CF56 FVB’ started its life in Japan, a country we have nothing but respect for after seeing how well they engineer, build, and curate their cars.

Part of that is a lack of road salt in the winter, of course, but mostly it is due to an almost fanatical dedication to servicing and maintaining their cars exactly in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations; we doubt there’s a Japanese expression for: “Yeah, that’ll do”.

Except, apparently, for the person charged with removing the car’s paperwork when it was exported. Clearly having an off day, they decided to ignore the country’s strict adherence to GDPR and leave everything with it, which is great news for us because it means the car has a meticulous and complete paper trail of the work it’s had done over the years. 

Finished in Silverstone II Metallic with a black hide interior, this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a Japan-market car with a proven provenance.

Growing up in the seventies and eighties meant cars from the fifties and sixties seemed ancient: As a kid, every 20-year-old car was a classic. 

So, it came as a bit of a shock to realise that this M5 is almost there, a conundrum made no easier by its condition.

Because 20-year-old cars used to mean filler (both P38 and P40 generally) plus the odd mismatched panel and plenty of grey primer. Cars of that age generally limped from one MoT to another, growing, like some members of our team, more disreputable by the year.

This M5 still looks factory fresh though thanks to the winning combination of German engineering and Japanese curation. With mm-perfect shutlines still, no visible rust, and a level of fit ‘n’ finish that wouldn’t be out of place on a car a quarter of its age, this is a classic sportscar you can buy with your head and your heart.

The Silverstone II Metallic/Titansilber paintwork is excellent too, and the four corners and the mirror caps, the places that betray a careless driver, are virtually unmarked.

The good news continues because the lamp lenses are free of chips, cracks, and sun damage, what little chromework it has is shiny, the glazing is unblemished, the badges are in good order, and the factory-fitted smoked glass sunroof fits well and opens and closes as it should.

It really is remarkable how much car quality has improved in our lifetimes.

The 19-inch alloy wheels, massive by the standards of sportscars of only a couple of decades earlier, do have a few light kerbing marks but by way of compensation all four tyres are Continental Extreme Contact, with 285/35ZR19 being fitted to the rear axle and 255/40ZR19 on the front. 

All date from 2019, and all have decent tread although we note some perishing between the tyre tread.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for flaws, the trailing edge of the nearside sill has two raised dinks and the nearside rear window sealing rubber has perished.

The interior has fared every bit as well as the coachwork – and what an interior it is.

Despite featuring Old School staples such as wood and leather, the result couldn’t be further from the somewhat stuffy cabins of yesteryear, and it remains bang-up-to-date, even now, almost 20 years since it rolled off the production line.

In condition as well as design, because the worst of the wear – and we use that word loosely – is slight creasing and colour loss to the outer edges of the front seats and a little rubbing to the hide covering the steering wheel.

The front seats are as supportively shaped as you’d hope given the M5’s predilection for going very fast, even around corners. Electrically adjustable, they’re comfortable too; leave before dawn and you could be enjoying dinner on the shores of Lake Como with nary a twinge of either backache or regret…

Should you want to take a couple of friends along then they’ll enjoy the journey too; while the rear seats might not be as extravagantly shaped as those in the front, we can’t imagine many folk climbing out and complaining about either comfort or legroom. 

The driver gets to steer using a classically fat-rimmed steering wheel, and to change gears using the flappy paddles that lie on either side. 

The infotainment system incorporates front and rear parking sensors , while an aftermarket Super Cat A30 sat-nav would do a fine job of navigating you around Japan should your itchy feet take you beyond Europe. 

The carpets throughout are in good shape with no holes or other signs of heavy wear, including the driver’s heel protector, and the sweeping veneer trim is shiny and free of cracks, chips, and other damage.

The elasticated pockets in the front footwells, boot, and on the back of the front seats are all still taut, and all four puddle lights work. 

Further evidence of the care with which the M5 has been looked after comes in the boot, whose lid contains the tool kit, warning triangle, and first aid kit. Lifting the false floor reveals the battery and tyre inflation kit.

Nevertheless, there are a few minor cosmetic issues to mention: The rear headlining is loose; the driver’s sill plate and rubber door seal are worn along their outer edge; and the front passenger seat has marks to the leather covering its base. 

If you speak Japanese then you can hopefully confirm that the seller’s claim that the paperwork on file translates to services at services at 2,000kms, 11,000kms, 24,000kms, 37,000kms, 56,000kms, 73,000kms, 82,000kms, and 94,000kms. 

If it’s any help, the video shows the V10 engine starts immediately, idles almost imperceptibly, and raises its aural game when you prod the throttle. 

The engine bay is very clean too, and we can’t see anyone feeling the need to do anything more strenuous than give it a wipe over occasionally before standing back to admire the fruits of their labour. 

As for the underside, you could write this bit yourself because dedicated curation + no road salt = a ridiculously clean bottom. 

In fact, the only things of note are a few scuffs to the edge of the front spoiler and undertray, something that’s inevitable in these days of draconian traffic-calming measures, and a slightly damaged jacking point. 

The BMW’s first MoT, which is valid until August 2026, was issued with no advisories, thereby setting a high bar for future owners. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported vehicle, and it comes with three key fobs.

The history file also includes the BMW ‘M’ wallet and book pack, the Export Certificate, and a thick wad of servicing paperwork from Japan, which regular followers will know is worth its weight in gold.*

Almost certainly the fastest, meanest, and most bad-ass supercar-saloon of them all, the E60 BMW M5’s 500bhp V10 engine made it an anachronism when it was new – and it’ll be the stuff of folklore within a decade while we’re all whispering around in electric vehicles, admiring folk who’re driving something that needs no fewer four exhaust silencers to tame it.

Its sure-footed and entertaining chassis also help make it a supercar in all but name – and yet it’s capable of wafting you and four friends across an entire continent in complete comfort and with total reliability.

Despite ball this, we estimate this slice of Germanic heavy metal will probably only set you back somewhere between £15,000 and £18,000, which is frankly ridiculous. 

As is the fact the seller is offering it with no reserve.

Yup, it’ll be going to a new home once the first bid has been placed. 

Buy it and drive it hard. Service it religiously. And then drive it some more – and, when the time comes to let it go, sit back and watch a queue develop, all of whom will pay good money to take it off your hands.

* For the geeks among you, assuming a sheet of A4 paper weighs 5gms, as the service history runs to 22 pages the total weight of the paperwork is 110gms – and that much gold would be worth around £12,210 at today’s rate of £111 per gram. 

So, maybe not exactly its weight in gold. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET, HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.