Yknow, I clicked on this video expecting it to be the typical overnostalgic lamenting about environmental regulations and better modern safety gear you see a lot from enthusiasts, but no, I see a video talking about the things I genuinely find wrong with the current decade's car market with a well-tempered take. Thank you for surprising me.
I'm an engineering student, and I feel like I am increasingly more torn between being interested in new technologies and their possibilities, but on the other hand the direction of developing more and more soulless and uninspiring throwaway products using these technologies. I am very passionate about cars. I love classic cars and am very interested in their history and technology. I am a BMW enthusiast, but I respect all brands and like any car that has something interesting to me. When I compare my almost 30 year old daily car with new cars, the biggest difference seems to be that new cars, as with basically all tech products, you can feel that they were engineered with a target cost for every part as one of the key development goals. This combined with very strict rules regarding pedestrian impact safety, aerodynamics (especially for EVs), air quality laws and also the endless pit of SUVfication of everything with more and more screens as an add-on (every passenger NEEDS access to TikTok!) just brings in so many factors - of which some of them are understandable and in theory a good goal - that take engineering work away from previous main goals: Make a car drive as good as possible. Make it an involving experience. Make it feel like a high quality product, thought out to be orchestrated perfectly with everything. And this is definitely lost with new cars, and it will only get worse. Cars will not be as involving for the driver anymore, instead drivers are supposed to be a thing of the past in autonomous cars. High development cost for mandatory technologies are a quality killer - inevitably. Modern cars are already not very affordable anymore, and surely that will not get better. Everything will be more and more insulated, a driving capsule, taking away any excitement and fun. A driver, if there is one, already is constantly monitored with a mandatory black box (at least here in the EU) where even your fuel consumption is stored to be evaluated by governments (sounds sketchy/conspiratorial, but yes, this is actually a real thing called OBFCM...). My point of this all is this: The concept of a car is always irrational. It was made to be an experience. Even a basic economy car is still something very special, it is your own personal moving space, and you are the one controlling all this. Something almost luxurious if you will, accessible for basically everyone in most western countries at least. If all of this unique experience falls away, why use a car then? Where are the benefits of it over public transport? Rationally, they never were there. And if all irrational aspects are lost, then it is not worth the money anymore in my eyes. Cars were an extention of our body, the closest thing to a living object in most peoples lives. In the future, that won't be the case anymore. Edit: I want to clarify, I am not a general hater of modern tech. I love electronic comfort seats. I love manuals, but I don't hate automatics, in some cars it just makes sense. My point is the way modern tech is used and implemented to not enhance driver involvement and feedback and instead to take it away or just straight up fake it. With many common cars today, you get aggressive styling, artificially hard steering in sport mode (that adds NO real feedback), fake sounds etc. We could use our knowledge and ideas differently, but there is just no capacity left to engineer fun into most cars as focus has to be on other aspects. That is almost unavoidable, but takes away a lot of desirability.
I'm a 21yo mechanical engineer and car guy. I do it for work simply because it pays well and I'm good at it. I personally do not care less about new tech and advancements in cars. For these reasons I decided not to go in automotive even though I could, because I just hate the way we're going due to our governments forcing emissions etc and the fact that most cars are now applicances with all these screens and anti consumer practices. I went into aerospace, where there is real progress year by year, each new plane is objectively better than the previous as we keep progressing. Cars are regressing on the other hand. My dream cars don't include anything from the past 15 years
You have a bright future ahead, and there's always something you can do and offer in the aftermarket for the new generation of car enthusiasts: 1. Find a way to "tune" steering feel from newer racks and from EPS racks as a customization service. 2. Allow owner's of EVs to upgrade their battery packs with newer cells to increase their driving range.
@@akdomun This is a concept I have begun to find an interest in lately myself. Growing up, I was convinced I wanted to work at one of the major OEMs designing sports cars, but now I find myself more interested in what I could do as my own brand because frankly there are not really many OEMs today that are going in a direction I agree with.
This is a very well written take. As a 33 year old engineer, I completely agree and actually daily drive older analog cars because they are my preference.
@@elio-martinez5867 Also a fantastic car, the v10 sounds glorious. But i also prefer the e39, i think it aged better and i have an unhealthy obession with the v8. Also you don't have to worry about the engine nuking itself at any moment.
Mine was a 1997 I got new with 18 miles on the odometer, that I kept until 2008 and could no longer afford the infamous BMW maintenance as bits kept needing replaced. It was bought by my BMW service advisor upon trade-in. I assume he got a discount on service. It was the best car I ever drove and I still miss it.
This makes me miss my E39. Sadly at the end of my ownership the cost per mile was astronomical and I had to move on. 15 years later, I still miss that car every single time I drive.
I had the same experience with mine. Loved it but the cost per mile to keep it perfect was very high. Today I daily an e36 M3, it's brilliant without breaking the bank.
Easier to program a stuck on tablet screen, than to make it actually look nice and do all the development with modules and canbuses etc. Worst part is these new screens aren't even OLED, so black isn't actually black when driving at night....
There is something to be said about understated styling with tremendous power and performance, which is why BMWs of this vintage will always be so desirable. It’s also why Audi has taken a greater market share because they have adopted this practice.
Modern cars are so boring and most of them are ugly as well. They sound like vacuum cleaners, their steering has no feeling, and they fall apart in 5yrs or less.
@ exactly, their lifespan is their warranties lifespan, designs are so vague and general, there’s no real difference in terms of styling characteristics in most cars nowadays, electronic throttle body, electronic assisted power steering, even the manuals aren’t that great anymore with their electronic clutches.
Cars from this period were the pinnacle of driver involvement. Cars today are faster, but technology has done its best to remove the driver from the equation.
"Cars that feel like something" -- I love that sentiment. It's the pursuit that separates enthusiasts from those that see cars as a means to simply get from A to B. My current lineup is a '23 Civic Si, '99 Suburban K2500, and an '89 Volvo 245. Cars that feel like something, indeed. Always a pleasure watching your videos and listening to what you have to say, Tedward. Cheers!
I just had my first experience behind the wheel of an e39 m5 recently. I agree with everything you said in this video! New cars are awesome, but they don't offer the same flavor older cars do, and we have all been normalized to crazy fast and expensive super cars. Which ultimately detracts from some of the excitement. The e39 m5 isn't as fast as anything new. It never did anything special. It's just a combination of everything most car people want in a car, and it executed it perfectly. I hope you are right in the "return to tactility" theory. I'd rather feel like I am going fast than be a criminal.
Honestly if I could drive only ONE car, it would be this. The refined feeling of drive, a manual, an N/A engine and RWD, just what you could ask for. BMW really reminds us why their slogan is "Ultimate Driving Machine". Dear Tedward, I enjoyed your talk and agreed with certain points but me growing up between two eras and adapting to technology since my childhood, I'd like to say new technology showed us how life could be easier. I also enjoy doing things old school but I am sometimes reminded why we invented new tech for it. Still doesn't change the fact that life in 90's were soulful, which I'd love to experience. Much love, I love your videos, I actually feel like talking to you and feeling what you feel.
Exact reason after owning 500hp bmw's, and really fast n powerful cars, i settled on a fiesta st. It's a better driving experience than almost anything I've ever driven, regardless of hp.
Your M5 will always have a special place in my heart, I was absolutely adoring E39s and while searching for videos about them I found a Winding Road Magazine drive with your friends, back then you had a couple thousands subs. Cant wait till spring comes and we're able to enjoy our cars to the fullest.
BMW should just create a new category of retro series. They can seemingly have an infinite portfolio of models so there's no financial reason not to do it.
Hi, the E39 M5 is hands down the most legendary and coolest car BMW has ever built! IMO, the BMW M5 E39 Rocket Commercial is one of the best car ads ever made. Totally agree with you-needle tachometers are a true work of art! I just can’t get behind having a tablet in front of me while driving. Hopefully, car manufacturers will realize this and bring back the golden era of design!
A great way to protect your cars in Massachusetts, or anywhere that sees road salt is some sort of lanolin wax undercoating. Fluid film or Woolwax are some great DIY ways to protect your car from serious rust. Can also find plenty of local garages that apply New Hampshire oil too, if you don't want to ruin a set of clothes and your driveway, and for around $300+ I've done this to my 23 WRX that I bought after watching your video on it, and plan on touching up the undercoat this weekend. Bought the WRX for a lot of reasons you talked about here. It's the most analog enthusiast car you can buy new these days: manual parking brake, real gages, no auto rev matching, none of the tech nannies that they put on the 24+ models, mechanical diffs, feels like a very raw experience in a good way. Unfortunately can only afford 1 car, so it gets winter driven, hence the undercoat.
Man, as an owner of a 2003 E39 525d, I can't do much more than agreeing with you! It has an exquisite driveability and it's truly an amazing car. It feels like a classic although it's only 21 years old, but I think that happens because every car that launches feels like a computer, thanks to Tesla's approach to modern "luxury". I value that car as more luxurious because I get to 'taste' the buttons, it's a car you don't drive, you feel it beneath your seat, it's under your command. When you floor it, it's a different feeling than what most modern cars give you. It's not because the engine sound isn't much there, it's not the torque, it's because you feel like you are in control, the manual transmission also adds that neat touch, of course, but it's a car I feel like you can really connect with, it feels like everything is within reach and it makes you feel powerful. Truly one of the cars of all time. And I couldn't help to bother to compare my 5 series with the M5's interior. The M5 really makes a difference when you compare both of them. The steering wheel is a lot different than what the main 5 series offers, (it's of course the newer model, but mine has that wood finish). The seats also add that luxurious touch that I think it's also what makes the M5 different, not just what's under the engine. In my opinion, once again, it's a great car that will soon enough make a mark in automotive timeline. That car stands out from the rest of sedans of that era, in my opinion.
Two weeks ago I bough 2003 m5, that turn out to be the only piece on the world with light grey full nappa leather individual interior and one on 6 pcs sapphire black paint. The car is great.
Also for the shifter, you could change it out for e60 shifter and update the bushings. I did this and highly recommend since it keeps some of the feel while It gives a shorter arm and will tighten up some of the sloppiness. I changed my shift handle to a ZHP as well which is shorter and adds some weight.
Your E39 was a true "driver's" car, not like what passes for a lot of cars today. I just recently acquired a 2005 Audi A4 Quattro 3.0 Cabriolet with 47K miles, and a 1999 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas with 50K miles. The Jag's definitely a keeper, the Audi not so much (already spent $4K to replace the Tiptronic trans). Something about that generation of cars just checks all the boxes for me. There's a guy that works in my building, and drives a new 740i. I was walking past him one day and he pressed a button and the driver's door opened. Seriously, are you too freaking lazy to open your own car door?! What button do you press to have it wipe your a$$?! I bet that car has so many safety nanny features (adaptive cruise, lane departure, brake assist, self-parking, etc), you don't "drive" it, you just sit in it. Someone mentioned it in another comment, a lot of today's cars are "soulless".
I recently bought a 2000 Volvo v70 after selling my 2013 Honda civic, and I've got to say, the best cars are behind us, that car is so smooth so perfect and yet it's 25 years old.
The thing to me is that while I'm getting older I'm focusing more and more on experience than numbers, I just care for how it drives and not on how fast it goes anymore, and you know what? I'm loving it, it's the deal for me and there is so much more attainable cars that can give you this. It's like a whole new world on opportunities to have fun.
Cars made between 1985 and 2015 are probably peak automobile. Depending on preferences and personal taste. But certainly cars took a noise dive in quality after the Great Recession and again after the Corona Virus Pandemic.
This is so refreshing after the AMG GT vid, not that it was a bad video, i just hate cars like that and love cars like this. Having speakers in your car because the fart can under the hood doesn't sound good is insane. Personally i'll always preffer older cars , everything came down since 2010-2015
i know i have a crazy passion for cars but i never drove a manual since i feel intimidated and scared shitless if i grind gears, burn the clutch, stalling the car and so on. i prefer automatics to alleviate the stress and glad i saw this video cuz i needed it tbh. i understand the mechanics of driving a manual but never owning one is different. i sat in a wrx sti and a brz with manuals at a local dealership in my hometown when i had no license and felt like a kid at the candy shop. i had the biggest smile but i hop 1 day i can learn to drive a manual
We’re about the same age and not too far away (down in RI). Everything you say about modern cars is spot on. And the N64 on Christmas morning analogy is spot on. I’ve never wanted a modern car the same way I’ve wanted say an e39 M5 manual. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it was the phenomenal writing in the old print car magazines? But modern German cars especially BMWs. I just don’t know who they’re built for anymore. Obviously not for me.
Random, and perhaps not appropriate, but when I was 15 I somehow talked my Dad into his first BMW, a ‘79 528i, which I bought from 6 years later. I totally loved it. Sold it cuz I found a ‘71 911s I could afford( and still have). Anyway, Ive been looking for a nice 528i off and on for 25 years, and I am planning to pick one up this weekend, and im MORE excited than I can even begin to explain….
This video is like the perfect essay of why I think I will forever stick with cars from before probably around 2008. Because there are certainly still cool cars after that, but I feel like that's when cars started becoming more corporate if that makes sense. Also, this might be the first time I've seen Dadward : D
Man, I should move to America. Here in Europe very few people can afford to have more than one car and if they can, they don't have much space to store it.
I so understand what you’re saying about not being as excited about new cars as you used to be. I was the same way. Always excited about the next new car or new version of what I had. Now I couldn’t care less. I love older cars and I especially love resto mods like the Karmin Ghia that you drove.
I’m so worried that by the time I can afford cool cars like E39 M5s they will have appreciated through the roof I still love my N54 though, I feel spoiled every time I drive it even though I paid for it lmao
Same. Although my cars are bit more niche (Jaguars like XJR, STR, XKR) so I hope the youtube hype etc wont beat me to the race. I wish you the best with the M5, just gotta work hard and she'll be on the driveway in no time
the most reliable, long lasting cars are certainly behind us. really ironic that emissions regulations have a big part to do with this because simply not buying something 'again' because the thing you currently have still works fine is the best thing you can do for the environment
I feel like most manufacturers are chasing numbers instead of feelings with enthusiast models. Sure it has 0-60 in 2 seconds, but is it fun to drive? Do you feel a connection with your car?
You had me at the first sentence. I have a Telsa Model 3 and the screen is sometimes annoying, mostly ok. But other car companies followed the trend and COMPLETELY WENT NUTS with that glossy bulls1t.
I agree, the best cars are behind us. I have owned an e39 M5, and today own as daily transportation the following, an e36 M3, 09 Civic Si, Jeep Comanche Eliminator, and a 62 Austin Healey Sprite. The M3 and Civic Si are the winter beaters. The Comanche doesn't get to see salt. The M5 was also a daily at the time and got beat on in the winter. Analog gauges, stick shifts, and no screens in the interior are my preference. The one automatic car I would own in an X308 generation Jag XJR or similar vintage XKR.
I think it is mainly the fact that so many cars are attainable nowadays that causes the lack of excitement as well. Think about how many generations of each car there are now. So many of them are at a price range normal people can obtain if they work for it. Although cars are more expensive, gone are the days of thinking that you could never own certain cars or brands because there are so many choices for a lot of models.🤷🏼
I had the most devastating day today. A friend of mine was selling his imola red E39 M5 privately and I expressed interest in buying it. His ask-- get this-- 7 grand. Running and driving car, clean title. It was definitely a 'project' though. I got up first thing to be the first one to lay eyes on it. Someone had already beaten me to it. Traded sight unseen. My dream will have to wait! Some day
I'm about in the same boat. I have a 2016 with screens for gauges and I was always wanting to put more tech in it, as I did over time lol. And I also have a 2000 with no tech at all and for some reason I love to drive that car more lol.
When talking about the nomenclature of the 540 I thought that was a Kia Optima in front of you. It wasnt until you pointed at the car infront of you and got closer that I realized it was the new 5 series.
This is absolutely one of my favorite cars, would love to get the chance to drive one some day. I do hope youre right about the industry shifting towards more tactile cars. As an engineering student, it is somewhat disillusioning to see the direction of the industry at the moment and wondering if Ill ever have the chance to work on creating fun toys similar to this or my miata, or if the industry fully shifts to appliances (crossover EVs or otherwise cars with no spirit)
Salt on the roads? What? Snow? What is 'snow'? Come to Arizona.. This is prime-time open convertible weather for the next 6 months (also prime Mountain Bike weather.. yay!). Your Bimmer is awesome, btw. Cheers!
Thank you so much for your video.. I want your advice since you own an E39 M5! I am looking at E39 M5 2001 vs 2016 F10 M5 manual, I haven't test drive either one since both are far away. I owned both models but not the M5, but based on youtubers, I am getting the sense that E39 is more fun and nimble to drive.
omg! everything you have said is so spot on! cars have become so tech laden, fat as hell, all about straight line acceleration, and not much else. i long for the days of cars just like your m5. while i am glad the cheap tablet glued to the dash look is out of style now, the whole dash being a screen i not at all a giant distraction and cheap looking.
AH! I love these, can't wait to watch! To answer shortly... the cars kids dream about haven't kept up with our increasing ages... They sure don't make em like they used to ):
My favourite era of cars was the 50´s 60´s and 70´s, but also from mid 2000´s till mid 2010´s. I think those cars had the right amount of technologie, comfort and infotainment. I don´t like most newer car´s with all those big sreens and overifilled with technologie. Not to mention all the SUV hype around the world. I´m a fan of big sedans and it´s very sad that everyone is buying SUV´s which are all look the same rather than a nice looking sedan. And it´s even harder to get nice engines because most manifactures are going with the downsizing trend. I currently drive a 2009 Chrysler 300C and I always appreciating the 5.7 Hemi. Of course I know that there are many 2.0 Turbos with 8 speed transmissions which will be faster and a lot more efficient than my car, but I´m not want to trade it in because driving the V8 is so much fun.
The way I look at it, there will always be vintage cars I want to own and I'm crazy enough to daily drive them. This is because they are just as good as being transportation as something uninspiring and newer.
Yes, the best cars are behind us -BMW lost its way the last 10 years, which is why I keep and maintain a 21 year old e46; it remains tight, solid, quick, and analogue! Also just bought a ten year old MB GLK - another great SUV for the same reasons.
Cars are my special interest, which I'd now preface with "unfortunately". I've gotten so tired of them now. I just don't care at all about whatever new SUV/truck/crossover. I'm pissed at what Mercedes has become. I'm exhausted by it all and it's entirely because of what the current collection of them are. I totally understood what you meant about being excited to see what new things were coming out, but I just don't give a shit anymore. Took seeing a W204 C63 AMG earlier this year, possibly my favorite car ever and turned me into a kid to see/hear one for the first time, to realize what I've been missing. With that experience, with how giddy I got and sent pics and infodumped to my friends, I clearly still love cars deep down but no new car could ever do that to me. It sucks that I see like the new AMG GT and just roll my eyes at the boring soulless SL hardtop.
My hope is that the new cars we see today will someday be considered easy to work on. I hope that they will be maintainable long term. My concern is that the new cars are not nearly as accessible to work on and maintain in our driveways as they used to be. That removes the chance for people to form a true sense of ownership/responsibility with their vehicle. If we’re forced to not be able to work on our cars ourselves then the car hobby will not evolve. I hope there will be another Derek Bieri (VGG) in 30+ years that can save old cars from the brink.
Great cars these M5's. Would like to drive one to see how they compare to my manual E92 M3 as seems the engine in your M5 is very different to the V8 in the E90 series M cars. I'm with you on modern supercars which don't really excite me in the way that they did years ago though the 992 GT3 is still very desirable with a fantastic high revving normally aspirated engine and the option of a manual gearbox (though the PDK is brilliant). Really miss my mildly modified 996 GT3 with no driving aids other than ABS. I think supercars peaked about 20 years ago, the era of the Porsche Carerra GT, Pagani Zonda & Ford GT.
Yknow, I clicked on this video expecting it to be the typical overnostalgic lamenting about environmental regulations and better modern safety gear you see a lot from enthusiasts, but no, I see a video talking about the things I genuinely find wrong with the current decade's car market with a well-tempered take. Thank you for surprising me.
With cars getting bigger each year. Can u even return to era of sports cars in the 2000s
The new m4 is same size as the m6 a GT car!
@@bonda_racing3579Yes, the ND Miata proved you can. Nobody else just bothers to do it and blames regulations and enthusiasts believe it.
@@TT92348 And not many people want it though.
On the third day of Christmas, my Tedward gave to me
3 M5’s
2 Karmann Ghias
And a 250 in a pear tree
The best cars and best engines were already built
for the consumer market maybe. but there will surely always be someone using the pinnacle of science to make insane performance combustion engines.
like the Concorde
E39 + E46 + E38
I'm an engineering student, and I feel like I am increasingly more torn between being interested in new technologies and their possibilities, but on the other hand the direction of developing more and more soulless and uninspiring throwaway products using these technologies. I am very passionate about cars. I love classic cars and am very interested in their history and technology. I am a BMW enthusiast, but I respect all brands and like any car that has something interesting to me.
When I compare my almost 30 year old daily car with new cars, the biggest difference seems to be that new cars, as with basically all tech products, you can feel that they were engineered with a target cost for every part as one of the key development goals. This combined with very strict rules regarding pedestrian impact safety, aerodynamics (especially for EVs), air quality laws and also the endless pit of SUVfication of everything with more and more screens as an add-on (every passenger NEEDS access to TikTok!) just brings in so many factors - of which some of them are understandable and in theory a good goal - that take engineering work away from previous main goals: Make a car drive as good as possible. Make it an involving experience. Make it feel like a high quality product, thought out to be orchestrated perfectly with everything.
And this is definitely lost with new cars, and it will only get worse. Cars will not be as involving for the driver anymore, instead drivers are supposed to be a thing of the past in autonomous cars. High development cost for mandatory technologies are a quality killer - inevitably. Modern cars are already not very affordable anymore, and surely that will not get better. Everything will be more and more insulated, a driving capsule, taking away any excitement and fun. A driver, if there is one, already is constantly monitored with a mandatory black box (at least here in the EU) where even your fuel consumption is stored to be evaluated by governments (sounds sketchy/conspiratorial, but yes, this is actually a real thing called OBFCM...).
My point of this all is this: The concept of a car is always irrational. It was made to be an experience. Even a basic economy car is still something very special, it is your own personal moving space, and you are the one controlling all this. Something almost luxurious if you will, accessible for basically everyone in most western countries at least.
If all of this unique experience falls away, why use a car then? Where are the benefits of it over public transport? Rationally, they never were there. And if all irrational aspects are lost, then it is not worth the money anymore in my eyes. Cars were an extention of our body, the closest thing to a living object in most peoples lives. In the future, that won't be the case anymore.
Edit: I want to clarify, I am not a general hater of modern tech. I love electronic comfort seats. I love manuals, but I don't hate automatics, in some cars it just makes sense. My point is the way modern tech is used and implemented to not enhance driver involvement and feedback and instead to take it away or just straight up fake it. With many common cars today, you get aggressive styling, artificially hard steering in sport mode (that adds NO real feedback), fake sounds etc. We could use our knowledge and ideas differently, but there is just no capacity left to engineer fun into most cars as focus has to be on other aspects. That is almost unavoidable, but takes away a lot of desirability.
I'm a 21yo mechanical engineer and car guy. I do it for work simply because it pays well and I'm good at it. I personally do not care less about new tech and advancements in cars. For these reasons I decided not to go in automotive even though I could, because I just hate the way we're going due to our governments forcing emissions etc and the fact that most cars are now applicances with all these screens and anti consumer practices. I went into aerospace, where there is real progress year by year, each new plane is objectively better than the previous as we keep progressing. Cars are regressing on the other hand. My dream cars don't include anything from the past 15 years
You have a bright future ahead, and there's always something you can do and offer in the aftermarket for the new generation of car enthusiasts:
1. Find a way to "tune" steering feel from newer racks and from EPS racks as a customization service.
2. Allow owner's of EVs to upgrade their battery packs with newer cells to increase their driving range.
@@akdomun This is a concept I have begun to find an interest in lately myself. Growing up, I was convinced I wanted to work at one of the major OEMs designing sports cars, but now I find myself more interested in what I could do as my own brand because frankly there are not really many OEMs today that are going in a direction I agree with.
This is a very well written take. As a 33 year old engineer, I completely agree and actually daily drive older analog cars because they are my preference.
Very well written. But there's always going to be a market for enthusiast cars in my opinion.
The E39 M5 is a work of art. My favorite BMW of all time
What about the v10
@@elio-martinez5867 Also a fantastic car, the v10 sounds glorious. But i also prefer the e39, i think it aged better and i have an unhealthy obession with the v8. Also you don't have to worry about the engine nuking itself at any moment.
I owned an e39 540i 6 speed 14 years ago and it was a superb car to drive,one of the best car Ive ever owned and I owned about 30 different cars.
Mine was a 1997 I got new with 18 miles on the odometer, that I kept until 2008 and could no longer afford the infamous BMW maintenance as bits kept needing replaced. It was bought by my BMW service advisor upon trade-in. I assume he got a discount on service.
It was the best car I ever drove and I still miss it.
This makes me miss my E39. Sadly at the end of my ownership the cost per mile was astronomical and I had to move on. 15 years later, I still miss that car every single time I drive.
I had the same experience with mine. Loved it but the cost per mile to keep it perfect was very high. Today I daily an e36 M3, it's brilliant without breaking the bank.
Add my name to the list. E 39 540 6 speed. Sold after 11 years because I could no longer afford the upkeep. I still miss it.
23-years later, still an absolute dream car. Thanks for letting me hear that glorious soundtrack.
Opening your video to the REALEST THING ever. Away with the damn screens!
Easier to program a stuck on tablet screen, than to make it actually look nice and do all the development with modules and canbuses etc. Worst part is these new screens aren't even OLED, so black isn't actually black when driving at night....
is anyone going to comment how these screens are going to survive the grueling summers? I wonder how long the screens will last
I remember my dad used to pick me up in one of these when I was in school. Best days of my life. It felt like a rocket ship.
There is something to be said about understated styling with tremendous power and performance, which is why BMWs of this vintage will always be so desirable. It’s also why Audi has taken a greater market share because they have adopted this practice.
THIS, is a real car and a genuine BMW
That storage garage would be a dream job of mine. I love cars and would love to be around them all day.
with all the emission and regulations and modern safety whatever “creature” comforts, the best cars ever built have already been built.
Modern cars are so boring and most of them are ugly as well. They sound like vacuum cleaners, their steering has no feeling, and they fall apart in 5yrs or less.
@ exactly, their lifespan is their warranties lifespan, designs are so vague and general, there’s no real difference in terms of styling characteristics in most cars nowadays, electronic throttle body, electronic assisted power steering, even the manuals aren’t that great anymore with their electronic clutches.
@@adhamghaly7256the best feeling manual cars are from the 90s
Cars from this period were the pinnacle of driver involvement. Cars today are faster, but technology has done its best to remove the driver from the equation.
"Cars that feel like something" -- I love that sentiment. It's the pursuit that separates enthusiasts from those that see cars as a means to simply get from A to B.
My current lineup is a '23 Civic Si, '99 Suburban K2500, and an '89 Volvo 245. Cars that feel like something, indeed.
Always a pleasure watching your videos and listening to what you have to say, Tedward. Cheers!
When we’re all constantly in front of screens all day its so nice to sit behind an analog display. Love my e46
I just had my first experience behind the wheel of an e39 m5 recently. I agree with everything you said in this video! New cars are awesome, but they don't offer the same flavor older cars do, and we have all been normalized to crazy fast and expensive super cars. Which ultimately detracts from some of the excitement.
The e39 m5 isn't as fast as anything new. It never did anything special. It's just a combination of everything most car people want in a car, and it executed it perfectly. I hope you are right in the "return to tactility" theory. I'd rather feel like I am going fast than be a criminal.
Honestly if I could drive only ONE car, it would be this. The refined feeling of drive, a manual, an N/A engine and RWD, just what you could ask for. BMW really reminds us why their slogan is "Ultimate Driving Machine". Dear Tedward, I enjoyed your talk and agreed with certain points but me growing up between two eras and adapting to technology since my childhood, I'd like to say new technology showed us how life could be easier. I also enjoy doing things old school but I am sometimes reminded why we invented new tech for it.
Still doesn't change the fact that life in 90's were soulful, which I'd love to experience. Much love, I love your videos, I actually feel like talking to you and feeling what you feel.
Exact reason after owning 500hp bmw's, and really fast n powerful cars, i settled on a fiesta st. It's a better driving experience than almost anything I've ever driven, regardless of hp.
Your M5 will always have a special place in my heart, I was absolutely adoring E39s and while searching for videos about them I found a Winding Road Magazine drive with your friends, back then you had a couple thousands subs. Cant wait till spring comes and we're able to enjoy our cars to the fullest.
BMW should just create a new category of retro series. They can seemingly have an infinite portfolio of models so there's no financial reason not to do it.
I bet they would out-sell any of their current line-up.
Hi, the E39 M5 is hands down the most legendary and coolest car BMW has ever built! IMO, the BMW M5 E39 Rocket Commercial is one of the best car ads ever made. Totally agree with you-needle tachometers are a true work of art! I just can’t get behind having a tablet in front of me while driving. Hopefully, car manufacturers will realize this and bring back the golden era of design!
A great way to protect your cars in Massachusetts, or anywhere that sees road salt is some sort of lanolin wax undercoating. Fluid film or Woolwax are some great DIY ways to protect your car from serious rust.
Can also find plenty of local garages that apply New Hampshire oil too, if you don't want to ruin a set of clothes and your driveway, and for around $300+
I've done this to my 23 WRX that I bought after watching your video on it, and plan on touching up the undercoat this weekend. Bought the WRX for a lot of reasons you talked about here. It's the most analog enthusiast car you can buy new these days: manual parking brake, real gages, no auto rev matching, none of the tech nannies that they put on the 24+ models, mechanical diffs, feels like a very raw experience in a good way. Unfortunately can only afford 1 car, so it gets winter driven, hence the undercoat.
Yes, more analog gauges and tactile switches!
Man, as an owner of a 2003 E39 525d, I can't do much more than agreeing with you! It has an exquisite driveability and it's truly an amazing car. It feels like a classic although it's only 21 years old, but I think that happens because every car that launches feels like a computer, thanks to Tesla's approach to modern "luxury". I value that car as more luxurious because I get to 'taste' the buttons, it's a car you don't drive, you feel it beneath your seat, it's under your command. When you floor it, it's a different feeling than what most modern cars give you. It's not because the engine sound isn't much there, it's not the torque, it's because you feel like you are in control, the manual transmission also adds that neat touch, of course, but it's a car I feel like you can really connect with, it feels like everything is within reach and it makes you feel powerful. Truly one of the cars of all time.
And I couldn't help to bother to compare my 5 series with the M5's interior. The M5 really makes a difference when you compare both of them. The steering wheel is a lot different than what the main 5 series offers, (it's of course the newer model, but mine has that wood finish). The seats also add that luxurious touch that I think it's also what makes the M5 different, not just what's under the engine. In my opinion, once again, it's a great car that will soon enough make a mark in automotive timeline. That car stands out from the rest of sedans of that era, in my opinion.
The new car are nice but this aged very well and tickles all the right spots. Looks great, sounds amazing, drives incredibly.
Two weeks ago I bough 2003 m5, that turn out to be the only piece on the world with light grey full nappa leather individual interior and one on 6 pcs sapphire black paint. The car is great.
Also for the shifter, you could change it out for e60 shifter and update the bushings. I did this and highly recommend since it keeps some of the feel while It gives a shorter arm and will tighten up some of the sloppiness. I changed my shift handle to a ZHP as well which is shorter and adds some weight.
Your E39 was a true "driver's" car, not like what passes for a lot of cars today. I just recently acquired a 2005 Audi A4 Quattro 3.0 Cabriolet with 47K miles, and a 1999 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas with 50K miles. The Jag's definitely a keeper, the Audi not so much (already spent $4K to replace the Tiptronic trans). Something about that generation of cars just checks all the boxes for me. There's a guy that works in my building, and drives a new 740i. I was walking past him one day and he pressed a button and the driver's door opened. Seriously, are you too freaking lazy to open your own car door?! What button do you press to have it wipe your a$$?! I bet that car has so many safety nanny features (adaptive cruise, lane departure, brake assist, self-parking, etc), you don't "drive" it, you just sit in it. Someone mentioned it in another comment, a lot of today's cars are "soulless".
Nothing quite like a 90's/2000's Jag!
I recently bought a 2000 Volvo v70 after selling my 2013 Honda civic, and I've got to say, the best cars are behind us, that car is so smooth so perfect and yet it's 25 years old.
Gawd that interior is perfection. E39 and E38 interiors must be the most appealing modern mass production car interiors ever.
Yes, another e39 Tedward video. LETS GOOO
Thanks for reminding us how good we had it !
2:49 Cochituate Natick trail bridge !
I bought my Emira because it still feels like an early 200’s car- hydraulic sterling and all. Hate the digital dash, but otherwise it has actual feel.
The thing to me is that while I'm getting older I'm focusing more and more on experience than numbers, I just care for how it drives and not on how fast it goes anymore, and you know what? I'm loving it, it's the deal for me and there is so much more attainable cars that can give you this. It's like a whole new world on opportunities to have fun.
Many new cars are fast, few are fun
Cars made between 1985 and 2015 are probably peak automobile. Depending on preferences and personal taste. But certainly cars took a noise dive in quality after the Great Recession and again after the Corona Virus Pandemic.
Drivers delight is an awesome way of putting it!
Love all M5’s, and can’t stand the endless “but this one was the best” vs others, but it truly was the OG “so good” old legend.
This is so refreshing after the AMG GT vid, not that it was a bad video, i just hate cars like that and love cars like this. Having speakers in your car because the fart can under the hood doesn't sound good is insane. Personally i'll always preffer older cars , everything came down since 2010-2015
Yeah, 100%! Analog dashboard, with a screen where the radio is. Period! My 2021 330i has a freakin digital video game dash board, and no sole!
i know i have a crazy passion for cars but i never drove a manual since i feel intimidated and scared shitless if i grind gears, burn the clutch, stalling the car and so on. i prefer automatics to alleviate the stress and glad i saw this video cuz i needed it tbh. i understand the mechanics of driving a manual but never owning one is different. i sat in a wrx sti and a brz with manuals at a local dealership in my hometown when i had no license and felt like a kid at the candy shop. i had the biggest smile but i hop 1 day i can learn to drive a manual
We’re about the same age and not too far away (down in RI). Everything you say about modern cars is spot on. And the N64 on Christmas morning analogy is spot on. I’ve never wanted a modern car the same way I’ve wanted say an e39 M5 manual. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it was the phenomenal writing in the old print car magazines? But modern German cars especially BMWs. I just don’t know who they’re built for anymore. Obviously not for me.
Random, and perhaps not appropriate, but when I was 15 I somehow talked my Dad into his first BMW, a ‘79 528i, which I bought from 6 years later. I totally loved it. Sold it cuz I found a ‘71 911s I could afford( and still have). Anyway, Ive been looking for a nice 528i off and on for 25 years, and I am planning to pick one up this weekend, and im MORE excited than I can even begin to explain….
This video is like the perfect essay of why I think I will forever stick with cars from before probably around 2008. Because there are certainly still cool cars after that, but I feel like that's when cars started becoming more corporate if that makes sense. Also, this might be the first time I've seen Dadward : D
Man, I should move to America. Here in Europe very few people can afford to have more than one car and if they can, they don't have much space to store it.
I so understand what you’re saying about not being as excited about new cars as you used to be. I was the same way. Always excited about the next new car or new version of what I had. Now I couldn’t care less. I love older cars and I especially love resto mods like the Karmin Ghia that you drove.
Great vid! Nice cameo by my Cayman S at the end!
I think the e39 was a pinnacle of the 5-series. If i were you, never, ever, let go of your M5.
Love the e39 M5!!
This guy knows cars
Nice vid ! Enjoy it as much as possible. Those analog cars from 90'2000 are pinnacle products. Greeting from a " car rival" in Jaguar XJR100
I am so glad I am not the only one who feels like the state of new cars has become just a sad former shell of what used to be.
I’m so worried that by the time I can afford cool cars like E39 M5s they will have appreciated through the roof
I still love my N54 though, I feel spoiled every time I drive it even though I paid for it lmao
Same. Although my cars are bit more niche (Jaguars like XJR, STR, XKR) so I hope the youtube hype etc wont beat me to the race. I wish you the best with the M5, just gotta work hard and she'll be on the driveway in no time
They already are. One with 35k miles is listed for $99,000. 100K miles for $35,000..
Best car ever 🤩👌
Always love a Tedward E39 video
the most reliable, long lasting cars are certainly behind us. really ironic that emissions regulations have a big part to do with this because simply not buying something 'again' because the thing you currently have still works fine is the best thing you can do for the environment
Yesss M5 Therapy! Would love to own one, one day.
Maybe the greatest car ever made
Salt +Gravel +Clay will destroy all comers, Like you Luv that classic Gauge cluster! Some things just work.
Classic always number 1!
I feel like most manufacturers are chasing numbers instead of feelings with enthusiast models. Sure it has 0-60 in 2 seconds, but is it fun to drive? Do you feel a connection with your car?
You had me at the first sentence. I have a Telsa Model 3 and the screen is sometimes annoying, mostly ok. But other car companies followed the trend and COMPLETELY WENT NUTS with that glossy bulls1t.
I agree, the best cars are behind us. I have owned an e39 M5, and today own as daily transportation the following, an e36 M3, 09 Civic Si, Jeep Comanche Eliminator, and a 62 Austin Healey Sprite. The M3 and Civic Si are the winter beaters. The Comanche doesn't get to see salt. The M5 was also a daily at the time and got beat on in the winter.
Analog gauges, stick shifts, and no screens in the interior are my preference. The one automatic car I would own in an X308 generation Jag XJR or similar vintage XKR.
An XJR with a manual would be a truely fantastic car, and a real E39 competitor. Still great, but just that little thing....
@AmosDohms I couldn't agree more, I'd own one if they had offered the XJR or XKR with a stick.
It's a good idea to fill your tank to the top before storing. Thank you for your videos
Man that Beetle an the end is way more interesting than that supercar monster...
I think it is mainly the fact that so many cars are attainable nowadays that causes the lack of excitement as well. Think about how many generations of each car there are now. So many of them are at a price range normal people can obtain if they work for it. Although cars are more expensive, gone are the days of thinking that you could never own certain cars or brands because there are so many choices for a lot of models.🤷🏼
I’ve had my 2003 540 M-sport since 2008 and been through 8 other cars in the meantime but never seemed like anything could replace it.
If the future is electric, then yes. I love the E39. It's everything that's right with cars.
I love the stock exhaust.
I had the most devastating day today. A friend of mine was selling his imola red E39 M5 privately and I expressed interest in buying it. His ask-- get this-- 7 grand. Running and driving car, clean title. It was definitely a 'project' though. I got up first thing to be the first one to lay eyes on it. Someone had already beaten me to it. Traded sight unseen. My dream will have to wait! Some day
That doesn’t sound like a real friend, frankly.
Tedward when are you going to drive 18 wheeler again?
Next season when GridLife starts back up
Water row! That was my route to high school every day.
Best car truly
I mean, this was the golden age, let's enjoy it.
tedward is preaching gospel again
Tedward and Kennan colab needed
I'm about in the same boat. I have a 2016 with screens for gauges and I was always wanting to put more tech in it, as I did over time lol. And I also have a 2000 with no tech at all and for some reason I love to drive that car more lol.
my e90 is parked too...can't wait til spring.
my dream car!
When talking about the nomenclature of the 540 I thought that was a Kia Optima in front of you. It wasnt until you pointed at the car infront of you and got closer that I realized it was the new 5 series.
Like me, you're just getting older. The new stuff just doesn't scratch the itch anymore.
These POVs are perfect. Do you have any no commentary e39 povs?
more garage 42 content please!!!
Stay tuned! G42 video going live tomorrow morning
This is absolutely one of my favorite cars, would love to get the chance to drive one some day. I do hope youre right about the industry shifting towards more tactile cars. As an engineering student, it is somewhat disillusioning to see the direction of the industry at the moment and wondering if Ill ever have the chance to work on creating fun toys similar to this or my miata, or if the industry fully shifts to appliances (crossover EVs or otherwise cars with no spirit)
Salt on the roads? What? Snow? What is 'snow'? Come to Arizona.. This is prime-time open convertible weather for the next 6 months (also prime Mountain Bike weather.. yay!). Your Bimmer is awesome, btw. Cheers!
Thank you so much for your video.. I want your advice since you own an E39 M5! I am looking at E39 M5 2001 vs 2016 F10 M5 manual, I haven't test drive either one since both are far away. I owned both models but not the M5, but based on youtubers, I am getting the sense that E39 is more fun and nimble to drive.
omg! everything you have said is so spot on! cars have become so tech laden, fat as hell, all about straight line acceleration, and not much else. i long for the days of cars just like your m5. while i am glad the cheap tablet glued to the dash look is out of style now, the whole dash being a screen i not at all a giant distraction and cheap looking.
AH! I love these, can't wait to watch! To answer shortly... the cars kids dream about haven't kept up with our increasing ages... They sure don't make em like they used to ):
My favourite era of cars was the 50´s 60´s and 70´s, but also from mid 2000´s till mid 2010´s. I think those cars had the right amount of technologie, comfort and infotainment. I don´t like most newer car´s with all those big sreens and overifilled with technologie. Not to mention all the SUV hype around the world. I´m a fan of big sedans and it´s very sad that everyone is buying SUV´s which are all look the same rather than a nice looking sedan. And it´s even harder to get nice engines because most manifactures are going with the downsizing trend. I currently drive a 2009 Chrysler 300C and I always appreciating the 5.7 Hemi. Of course I know that there are many 2.0 Turbos with 8 speed transmissions which will be faster and a lot more efficient than my car, but I´m not want to trade it in because driving the V8 is so much fun.
There will always be great cars being made. At which price point will be debatable
This! The gt3 msrp just went up 50 grand. My hopes of a new one are pretty much over now.
The way I look at it, there will always be vintage cars I want to own and I'm crazy enough to daily drive them. This is because they are just as good as being transportation as something uninspiring and newer.
You should buy like a e39 528i or something as snow drive video car
Hopefully picking up an e39 530i next weekend.
Yes, the best cars are behind us -BMW lost its way the last 10 years, which is why I keep and maintain a 21 year old e46; it remains tight, solid, quick, and analogue! Also just bought a ten year old MB GLK - another great SUV for the same reasons.
My buddy has a 2004 BMW 545 manual.
Cars are my special interest, which I'd now preface with "unfortunately". I've gotten so tired of them now. I just don't care at all about whatever new SUV/truck/crossover. I'm pissed at what Mercedes has become. I'm exhausted by it all and it's entirely because of what the current collection of them are. I totally understood what you meant about being excited to see what new things were coming out, but I just don't give a shit anymore. Took seeing a W204 C63 AMG earlier this year, possibly my favorite car ever and turned me into a kid to see/hear one for the first time, to realize what I've been missing. With that experience, with how giddy I got and sent pics and infodumped to my friends, I clearly still love cars deep down but no new car could ever do that to me. It sucks that I see like the new AMG GT and just roll my eyes at the boring soulless SL hardtop.
My hope is that the new cars we see today will someday be considered easy to work on. I hope that they will be maintainable long term.
My concern is that the new cars are not nearly as accessible to work on and maintain in our driveways as they used to be. That removes the chance for people to form a true sense of ownership/responsibility with their vehicle. If we’re forced to not be able to work on our cars ourselves then the car hobby will not evolve.
I hope there will be another Derek Bieri (VGG) in 30+ years that can save old cars from the brink.
Great cars these M5's. Would like to drive one to see how they compare to my manual E92 M3 as seems the engine in your M5 is very different to the V8 in the E90 series M cars. I'm with you on modern supercars which don't really excite me in the way that they did years ago though the 992 GT3 is still very desirable with a fantastic high revving normally aspirated engine and the option of a manual gearbox (though the PDK is brilliant). Really miss my mildly modified 996 GT3 with no driving aids other than ABS. I think supercars peaked about 20 years ago, the era of the Porsche Carerra GT, Pagani Zonda & Ford GT.