THE Sport Luxury Sedan: The 2000 BMW M5

There are very few cars out there that are as good on the commute home as they are on the track, and the 2000 BMW M5 is one such car. New, it cost just under seventy thousand dollars; quite the chunk of change for the likes of me. Now, you can find an unabused example for well under fifteen, which means that I may actually be able to afford it in the next decade or so. When the car was released, it wasn't the most eye-catching sport sedan, but that's not to say those with a keen eye didn't notice the half inch drop in ride height, the cross-hatched front grille, and in my opinion, the best looking wheels BMW has ever produced. I'm thinking those Germans were anticipating not a lot of competition in the way of performance sedans, so the slightly understated looks of the car are absolutely forgivable. Imagine someone in the same model year Camaro Z28 pulling up at a stoplight lookin for a fight, and proceed to be annihilated by the soccer-mom-style sedan. Humiliation at its finest, to say the least.

What with a solid 395 horses, the car has some serious oomph to get it out of its own way, along with big ol' brakes up front, an excellent suspension system, and some super sticky shoes to keep it planted around the bends. The paint schemes on most M5's are typical BMW faire, with silver leading the pack. Again, there is little room to complain, as BMW's tend to wear the color best.

The interior of the car certainly doesn't disappoint either, equipped standard with power heated seats that are ultra-supportive, and optional equipment such as navigation make for easy, stress-free road tripping. And if you're easy on the go-pedal, you can probably get an easy 22mpg on the freeway, which isn't too shabby for a heavy sport sedan.

Would ya just look at that which is machine turned art? I don't know about you, but the layout of the engine aesthetics is just as important to me as the exterior of the car. The engine is the heart and soul of your ride, and form follows function most of the time, so this bay (naturally) looks great. I dunno how most of you feel about your whips, but I know I keep mine as simple and clean as possible. You can come check it out at our lot in Santa Clara and take it for a spin. Have a Happy New Year!