2003 Bmw 540i Base Sedan 4-door 4.4l on 2040-cars

For Sale:

2003 BMW 540i M-Sport

Clean CarFax included

Prologue:

As I sit here wondering how to begin an internet advertisement for my beloved Bavarian beast of a car, it dawns on me that as a fellow petrol-head (who should probably be working right now, much like myself), you already probably have some inclination of what a truly special car this is. I know you know, because I myself was in your shoes just 2 years ago- scouring the interwebs for a car that stood out while blending in. Rest easy weary traveler, for you have found the proverbial ‘my loss is your gain’ prize. 

I don’t want to sell this car. It took me long enough to research it, find it, save for it, and buy it. I was expecting to have pictures of my son taking his prom date out in this car. I wanted to bring it back to life as an immaculate example of the best 5-series of all time. I wanted to drive HWY 101 down the coast with my beautiful wife to visit grandkids, windows down until she tells me she can’t stand the wind anymore at which point we finish the day in sophisticated luxury. This car motivated me to study hard, work harder, and embrace my passion for all things motorsport.

Alas, I am at a point in my life where ‘non-car-ownership’ decisions need to be made- decisions like admitting I walk to work, the need to increase coffer reserves for my upcoming wedding, and not spending the equivalent of my rent in college on parking alone every month.

Instead of listing model statistics that you can find with 3 seconds of google-ing (or Bing-ing, if that’s your thing- yay Microsoft employees needing a car!), I will instead tell you everything specific to my 540i M sport. If you aren’t up for a good read, press back on your browser and check out the subsequent listing, probably titled something like ‘NO CREDIT, NO PROBLEM!!!- SUPER CLEANZZZ’. Good luck.

Hisotry:

I have owned the car for 2 years and am the 3^rd owner. I bought it from a licensed used BMW dealer in Kansas City, MO (Bavarian Auto Group in case you are curious to check them out yourselves). CarFax quotes 5 owners, but that is due to the fact that the car came through Bavarian AG twice and was registered each time. Bavarian AG’s owner and I facilitated a friendship as he helped me track down an E39 M5. Over the course of 3 months, he came into possession of this exact car from a previous client of his. The anesthesiologist he sold the car to years prior was looking to upgrade, and he knew I was in the perfect position to land this car as my own. One test drive sold me- the M5 would have been great, but the 540i M Sport gave me 75% the experience of a true M5 with 15% the cost of ownership. I bought it soon after, and drove it on weekends when I wasn’t traveling for work as a Healthcare IT consultant.

Life marched on, and I moved to Seattle the summer of 2013 for a new job and to marry the girl of my dreams. The car played a pivotal role in turning the chapter, as it carried me, my younger brother, and all my worldly belongings across the country. I remember thinking in the middle of Utah that instead of having the mundane task of driving to SEA from KC in 3 days, I had the opportunity to really drive my car, opening up the 290-hp V8 from time to time to pass vans towing U-Haul trailers (probably making the same move as me). The difference between me and the guy driving the van? I was enjoying every mile of the drive. Ill admit, even though global warming is a real threat, I have never enjoyed burning fossil fuel as much as I did over those 3 days.

Fast forward a year and here I am. I live and work downtown, my fiance and I have a second (she says more practical) car, and I have only managed to fill the gas tank 6 times since I moved. Im trying to illustrate the point that I never drive it. I take it out every once in a while because I feel bad that she is gathering dust in my apt garage. While it has been good for the minimal wear and tear of an 11 year old car, I still think back to my road trip and how genuinely fun this car is to drive when you let it stretch its legs.

Condition:

I wont try to hide it- this car is 11 yrs old and approaching 107,000 miles. That being said, certain aspects have aged wonderfully, while others reflect a car that has reached the point where preventative maintenance gives way to acute treatments. In a nutshell, this car is fully capable of being a daily driver, with someone who can afford to give it the attention it deserves in this stage of its life.

Engine- 4.4 L V8, Still strong. No problem summoning 290-hp when its time to get on the highway. Comes with all the joys of owning a performance V8 (likes to drink expensive gas- inconsequential if you knowingly searched for a performance sedan). New air filters/ BMW performance battery just over a year ago. Due for an oil change.

Transmission- Automatic w/ manual mode. This is where the car shows its age. Not long after I bought it, a bearing got loose that took out a few blades in the torque converter. This sent pieces of metal into the transmission and required a new torque converter, new tranny fluid/ pan/ filter, and periodic cleansing of the magnet collecting metal pieces in the tranny fluid pan. After the fix, the transmission was back to normal (smooth shifts- zero slippage), but now features a subtle mechanical ‘noise’ when in any gear while stationary (besides N or R). The mechanic (Bavarian AGs preferred shop in KC- European Motorsports) informed me that at this point, it was not worth replacing the transmission as a whole (roughly $2.5-3K), but to continue to drive the car until gear changes become labored. This happened 1.5 years ago and the car still shifts perfectly. If it wasn’t for the noise (which is caused by small amounts of remaining metal flowing through the transmission) the transmission would be back to normal. My car literally has Iron-Man syndrome.

Brakes- Good. I have never had to do any break specific maintenance during my tenure with the car, but I have noticed that the rotors may need to be replaced soon. As you are decelerating, there is a faint wobble in the steering wheel that dissipates once you get under 30 mph. Brakes still stop the car on a dime, but the wobbling is a sign that impending maintenance isn’t far off.

Exterior- Superb. Car has been garaged its entire life and is taken care of meticulously. Paint is in terrific shape with no sun damage and only slight road wearing on the obvious places. Only one distinguishable door ding on the right rear passenger door (about the size of a typical shirt button) and a small chip in the windshield (happened recently). From 10 ft, this car looks brand new. Seriously. Im not typing this to boost the key word search results. One of the best qualities about my 540i M Sport is the fact that is has remained in such pristine condition while serving as casual driver.

Interior- Perfectly complements the exterior condition of the car. Minimal use has allowed it to age much slower than a daily driver. Driving position shows slight wearing on the steering wheel and the center console. Driver seat adjustments work great (especially when using the memory positions if more than one driver), while the passenger seat suffers from a common condition known as ‘seat-lean’. This has the passenger seat off-scew at a slight angle toward to door coming from the base of the seat back. Apparently, these are the same seats used in the 7 series at the time, and all models were susceptible to this ailment. Rather than pay the dealer money to fix it (or a DIY project that looks relatively easy), I have opted to keep the seat as is since I rarely give anyone rides (or I convince my fiance that the gangsta-lean is a cool way to ride around shotgun). Air blows cold and heater/ heated seats were very useful in the Midwest winters- although I have come to realize Seattle never demands the use of either climate function. Left rear privacy shade will keep any VIPs free from the paparazzi, but the right side needs a new ‘hook’ to keep the shade up.

Modifications- Car is all stock except for an auxiliary cable input routed to the glove box (professionally installed). None of my local radio stations in KC played Daft Punk, so I took it upon myself to update the audio options in the car and have been happy with my ipod blasting through the premium DSP sound package- stock from the factory. Stock window tint.

Tires/ Wheels- Car features Bridgestone Blizzak run flat tires (85%) on 19” Borbet TS Rims. This set up goes for nearly $2,000 if buying new. Apparently, the anesthesiologist who first purchased the car liked them enough to swap out the authentic E39 M5 wheels (he ordered as a pricey extra from the factory) when the weather required more traction. The M wheels are still in KC but I am working on having them shipped here in time to sell the car as a whole package. I have no need/ space for a second set of wheels. Most 540i M Sports feature the generic ‘M-style’ wheel, whereas my car has the authentic E39 M5 wheels straight from the factory. They look awesome.

Fun Facts-

• ·       324 ft lbs torque: More than a 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage or a 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S.
• ·       Driving from KC to SEA, car will avg roughly 24 mpg
• ·       2003 540i M Sport- out of the 3306 cars shipped worldwide, only 2185 made it to the USA. That makes this car twice as rare as a 2004 Bentley Continental GT. Of those, only 408 were Sterling Grey Automatics. This particular car is approaching Ferrari Enzo scarcity.
• ·        Car comes with one gold dollar coin. Has been in the center console since I bought it and brings good karma to the car.
• ·       Germans are known for making the best everything- cars, beer, kitchenware, and futbol teams.

Conclusion: