Today, the fast, family-friendly BMW comes in the form of a crossover like the X5 M, or its lamer, uglier coupe-over sibling, the X6 M. But there was a time when the practical M car took the form of a sleek, speedy station wagon, the likes of which are now the stuff of legend, and the subject of high-dollar tribute builds. One of the cars that garnered BMW such a following was the M5 Touring, a hand-built super-wagon that so finely balanced luxury, performance and practicality that it would top every Bimmerist’s wishlist had BMW built more than 891 examples. Given its rarity, it’s always newsworthy when an M5 Touring comes up for sale—which is why we’re shouting from the rooftops than an example will be sold on Bring A Trailer in a couple hours’ time.
The example in question, a 1992 model, was originally a Euro-spec car, meaning it has a later, 3.8-liter version of BMW’s naturally aspirated S38 inline-six. Its 335 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque travel through a five-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels and can fling the bulky M5 Touring from a stop to 60 miles per hour in under six seconds. Like most high-performance German cars, it’s electronically limited to 155 mph, though those who have de-limited their E34 M5s claim to have seen speeds as high as 170.
Originally sold in Germany, this M5 Touring was imported to California in 2007 and under new ownership, had its interior reupholstered, and exterior repainted its factory Diamontschwarz (Diamond Black) Metallic. It migrated to New York in 2014 and has continued to receive the maintenance of which it is worthy, which is why its odometer reads around 239,000 miles. Given that level of care, it would come as no surprise if the built-in car phone can still send and receive calls.
Bid to $45,000 with just a couple hours to go, this M5 Touring may already be at its final sale price, as the high bid is already $500 above what the last M5 Touring sold for on Bring A Trailer. Then again, given the site’s propensity for extracting shocking sums of money for otherwise pedestrian cars, this well-traveled M5 Touring’s price may yet climb by thousands before the hammer falls this afternoon. Better make a quick call about a second mortgage if you want to help its valuation soar… Or find its new home in your garage.
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h/t Carscoops