1. 1995 108K mile 540i/6spd manual, great shape, no mods, no alusil change but good leakdown numbers, reasonable maintenance history, recent history good.

2. 221K 1991 M5, chipped, bilsteins, great shape, service history great since 45K at same well respected independent BMW shop, new clutch at 150K.

Given these two choices - would you expect a price differential (if so how much).

I guess the big question is, would you get in a 236K M5 and drive it 15-20 miles to work everyday?

I can drive the M5, the 540i/6 is too far away. Is the driving difference between the two a marked difference? Given the M5 no longer has the active suspension, I wonder if drivability is similar (less the 60HP difference to the chipped M5).

daily...540i6, lower miles, less maint

Deja Vu? Didn't we just answer this question?

I'd upgrade my 912 with suspension and a new motor

Deja Vu? Didn't we just answer this question?
+1000000000000000000




OP, go back in the post pages about 1 or 2 pages. Theres like a four or five page thread on this. <cliffs: 540i6=DD, M5=weekend fun>

236K miles that M5 is about to blow it's motor up. $11K for rebuild--please keep that in mind. I drive mine daily and love it, but that motor ain't cheap to rebuild when it goes boom. If you can get the car for around $3-4,000 and have the other $11K ready to spend and have another car to drive for the month it will take to rebuild, go for it

assuming the 221k (or is it 236k, you say both) mile m5 has not had an engine overhaul, i'd go with the 540.
Unless the m5 is a giveaway.

There's a guy on the M5board with an 89 E34M5 with 280k miles(not kilometers). He claims to have never had a rebuild, only regular maintenance.
I've got over 100k on a stroked 3.9(very high strung) that's driven pretty hard, and my comp.#'s are stock.
If the M5 has a proper service history and the comp. #'s are good DO IT.

Yes it will be expensive to rebuild. So will the V8. So what.
I think if you do a little research you will find that the S38 is a rock solid motor and will last forever WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE.

get the 540 but not without making the trip down to see it and getting it checked. Lot of things can go wrong as 540's if it hasn't been maintained well.

There's a guy on the M5board with an 89 E34M5 with 280k miles(not kilometers). He claims to have never had a rebuild, only regular maintenance.
I've got over 100k on a stroked 3.9(very high strung) that's driven pretty hard, and my comp.#'s are stock.
If the M5 has a proper service history and the comp. #'s are good DO IT.

Yes it will be expensive to rebuild. So will the V8. So what.
I think if you do a little research you will find that the S38 is a rock solid motor and will last forever WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE.

It's almost never the bottom end, but the head. Specifically, the valve seals.