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Ron Stygar Carl Buckland Dale Beuning Forums Help
From digest.v7.n1222 Mon Mar 2 12:59:04 1998 From: GFOConnor <GFOConnor_at_aol.com> Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 02:01:48 EST Subject: The E39 ///M5 Lives! OK...somebody pinch me. I just saw an ///M5. The new one. The E39 400 HP US version. For real. I spotted a silver unbadged E39 with manufacturer's plates, four tailpipes (each with its own muffler), and super w-i-d-e tires in Hermosa Beach, CA just now (10 pm Sunday night), so I followed it. Eventually it parked, and the two German-looking (whatever that means) guys hopped out. I pulled up and asked them what that car they were driving was, and they first looked at each other, as if to say 'what the hell', and subtly announced it to be a new ///M5. I said "The 400 HP one?" and they said "Ahhh...you've heard." I asked if they were from BMW AG, and they proudly said "No...BMW M Gmbh." Turns out they were indeed two test engineers from Munich. They kindly opened the hood for me, but the prototype underhood conditions and lack of light didn't allow me to see much. They also seemed a bit anxious to get to the watering hole they were headed for, and I knew better than to be much of an interruption there. Those rear meats turned out to be 275/35-18 Michelin Pilots; I didn't inspect the fronts. Apparently there is a BMW NA office in nearby Marina Del Rey (a surprise to me ... anybody know specifically what is there?!?) out of which they are working for a week or two, after which they and the ///M5 are headed to Alaska for a few weeks of cold testing. They said I should buy one...in September '99, when it will be available as a MY2000 vehicle. I didn't argue. Yeow...wonder if I'll sleep tonight.
Gerry O'Connor |
