More than 15 years after its introduction, the E39 M5 has reached legendary status for BMW. It's widely regarded as one of the best all-around driver's cars ever made and for good reason. It paired a 400-horsepower, naturally aspirated V8 engine with incredibly agile handling and enough space to comfortably fit five passengers.

But surely after all this time, the E39's blend of luxury, practicality, power, performance, and handling isn't nearly as special as we remember, right? Are we looking back on the E39 M5 through rose-colored glasses?

Actually, no. Reliability issues aside, this is the kind of car that still impresses people who drive all the best modern performance cars available. It's a car that was much better than it needed to be at the time and one that's still a delight to drive in a way few modern cars are.

Oh, and it sounds really good too, especially with a muffler delete.

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