So, what was it? A 5 with only a "//M"

[Bryan330i]

I saw a very interesting BMW 5 series parked in front of a restaurant last night. There were 6 cars in the front valet section when we walked out to go home, two of which were mine and an Imola Red 5 series.

The 5 was not an M5, it just had an “//M” on the back right trunk lid and nothing else. So while I was looking at the car the valet commented on what a nice car it is. I asked if he knew who it belonged to and he said an older couple perhaps 60’s that visit the restaurant every couple of weeks.

I can tell you this was not a fake car. I am sure the paint was original and it looked original in every aspect. It did have a different front bumper that had black trim just around the corners but not across the entire front like is more common. Also, it had very uncommon but authentic BMW rims. So, what was it?

 

[Dinan55]

Fake. When you see an M car, you know it's an M car.

 

[Bryan330i]

So they don't make this type of car anywhere? For any market anywhere in the world? I thought that someone posted a pic of a new 3 with the same "//M" that was a similar sport package to the U.S. ZHP but for somewhere in the international market so I was thinking this may have been the case with this 5. It was a fairly standard bumber but was not what you would see on the U.S. model for sure. Also not the U.S. M5 either.

 

[adrean8j]

Bryan go to my page and look at my car...if it looked like that it is authentic. There was a M Sport package offered on the 5 series that was offered in Europe and possibly Canada also. It included a different M-style front bumper(has a "T" shape in the middle versus the M5 opening)
M style rims AND if you wanted it a M symbol on the trunk lid......THIS PROVES EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR MONTHS.....AN "M" SYMBOL IS NOT POSING IF THE MANUFACTURER PUTS IT ON. oh yeah the suspension is slightly firmer and lower also. Look for my question about a 523i in the next issue of European Car magazine. They sent me an email saying that it would get published!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!

 

[Tom]

Another good way you can tell is if it had quad exhaust in the back. Its pretty expensive to have this pipe customized so that it comes out both ends.

 

[adrean8j]

Another good way you can tell is if it had quad exhaust in the back. Its pretty expensive to have this pipe customized so that it comes out both ends.

Rounded Sport Mirrors and side trim with a M5 emblem instead of just a M emblem. Front spoiler is open without a T shape in it and of course the obvious M5 emblem on trunk lid instead of just a M emblem.

 

[SoonerE39]

I saw a fake M5 a few weeks ago

 

[adrean8j]

I saw a fake M5 a few weeks ago

So you mean you saw a car with an M5 badge that wasnt a M5 right?

 

[Bryan330i]

From the back the car looked like this (closest I could find on the Internet). From the front it looked like adrean8j's. It sat lower than the normal 5 and had different bumpers. Much lower body elements in the back like the one in the picture below.

It looked like a real production car to me. I see many fakes around but this was sure worth a second look because it does not look like a fake.

 

[SoonerE39]

So you mean you saw a car with an M5 badge that wasnt a M5 right?

It was clearly a 528i Sport package. Had the same wheels I have, single exhaust tip (that turned down before the bumper with no cut out for pass through), Regular 5 series front end and rear bumper. They just stuck an M5 badge on the trunk.

 

[adrean8j]

Now THAT is posing!!!!!!! Would piss me off too, even though my car looks like a wannabe M5(minus the M5 badge though!!). Some people JEEZ!!!!

 

[adrean8j]

From the back the car looked like this (closest I could find on the Internet). From the front it looked like adrean8j's. It sat lower than the normal 5 and had different bumpers. Much lower body elements in the back like the one in the picture below.

It looked like a real production car to me. I see many fakes around but this was sure worth a second look because it does not look like a fake.

Did it have the M spoiler lip??? You could order the Msport package in Europe and exclude some parts of it....like the spoiler lip but keep the Mstyle front bumper, keep the hood with the recessed kidneys and the such. But if it is red I think that is or...was a special edition of the 5er sport package because you could not get that color without the motorsport package....although I could be wrong but I have never seen another 5er Bmw the color of my car ANYWHERE.

 

[Bryan330i]

No question, the car was Imola Red, the same as mine.

 

[adrean8j]

Maybe I should go to the parking lot and make sure my car is still there.........wait a minute I am in Germany and you are in the states......whew!! I guess I am good then, was worried there for a split second!

 

[brahtw8]

M badges on US cars are only legitimate if placed by the factory (or a replacement for a factory badge).

At present there are no US models that have a full M-badge on the rear outside of the full-fledged M-cars.

The debate on this site over the validity of M badges on non-M-cars is primarily a failure to communicate. The M-Technik cars in Europe are a different world and don't exist in the US save for a few folks that import them. When you see a US car with an M-badge that is not a real M-car, the chances of it being an M-Technik Euro spec car are 10000:1 or more.

 

[adrean8j]

What about Canadian....yes I know they are not american but cant they bring their cars over with no problems???

 

[brahtw8]

You don't see that many Canadian cars in the US. If you live in the Northeast or in the Pacific Northwest you see a few, Michigan as well.

 

[adrean8j]

Man I hope I dont get blasted when I come back to the states(if I get my car converted that is)
for the way my car looks.....

 

[Bryan330i]

One thing I would say about the car is it was hot.....the nicest 5 that was not an M5 that I have seen in town, or anywhere for that matter. I would drive it in a second. Based upon the looks of the car and the age of the owner I would say that it must have been imported from somewhere which is possible because for reasons I still cant understand there are a lot of people here from a wide variety of places.

PS-My family has purchased a number of cars in Germany and had them sent to the US. One time they sent back 3 cars in the same trip but they still LOOKED the same as the US cars. It would be cool to get something like this that was more unique.

 

[adrean8j]

Oh so it looked liked my car!!!! Yeah it is hot!!! hehehe