The V10-powered M cars occupy a special place in most enthusiasts’ hearts. But none more so than the elusive US-only, manual-equipped versions. The E60 M5 and E63/E64 M6 Coupe/Convertible came, in very limited quantities, with a six-speed manual transmission option until 2010. Unfortunately, thanks to that same glorious powerplant under the hood that makes them so desirable, these cars are also known to be a bit more maintenance intensive than, say, a Toyota Corolla. Or at least more demanding than a run-of-the-mill 3 Series. Or a hangar of airplanes. Or a vintage Lamborghini.
Kidding – mostly – aside, one of the best ways to get around the high shop bills is to simply work on the vehicle yourself. While parts can still be a bit pricy, you’ll significantly reduce the cost-to-own in the long run. And that’s exactly what Sreten – better known, perhaps, as M539 Restorations on YouTube – did with his latest refurbishment, “Project Fresno.”
The Car
Sreten picked up this manual-equipped E60 M5 – one of 1,364 – with an engine that was kaput, a salvage title, and lots of little problems that needed fixing. Sreten, who’s quite knowledgeable in all things BMW and most things automotive, it seems, picked the car up knowing the airbags deployed – which also implied the car’s engine never ran without oil. So, ‘minimal’ damage, minus the massive hole in the bottom end.
He ended up taking the car to Car Week, and later splashing a shockingly well-done wrap on the car honoring the late legend of the Nürburgring, Sabine Schmitz. The wrap was doubly cool, since it resembled the Safety Car livery you see above. Of course, none of it could’ve happened without the help of Sreten’s friend, Jason Cammisa, who happened to have many of the tools, a lift, and lots of unhelpful one-liners to contribute.
The Drive
Car nut and general lunatic Jason Cammisa straps in behind the wheel around 1:01 in the latest YouTube entry, and after expressing his disbelief at the lack of warning lights illuminating the dash, expresses his disbelief that Sreten managed to completely restore the car to its current condition in just five days. Cammisa gets on the car in a few minutes, and you can hear the glorious V10 engine (amplified by a Dinan exhaust system that was previously installed on the car) revving out – punctuated, of course, by laughter from both front-seat occupants.
Even driving in Comfort mode, Cammisa admires the lack of body roll and responsiveness. He then goes on to discuss the engineering behind the SMG and some other interesting notes in the ensuing 15-minute drive. Check out the video and skip 1:01 for Jason’s impressions; or, watch the whole thing and see an immensely capable wrench bring a neglected BMW V10 back to life.