2005 X5 M from Europe? is it real

[sandbagger]

stumbled upon this thing and am trying to figure out if there is even any chance its real.

Says its from Europe and it was a limited Euro only option, it also has M badges on the door rub strip, but thats it on the exterior, only other M thing is in the speedo as you can see in the one pic.

I have the vin if anyone can run it and get me all the info.

Thanks

[Litsie E53_05]

Never seen it like this here (Netherlands) rubber floormats are US style.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[Koody]

You can check your vin here: BMW VIN Decoder - By Mitsuhiko Kanekatsu

[LeMansX5]

or BMWVin.com but there never was an E53 X5 M.

[Bayerische E53]

No chance. That was an after-market shop-built deal. That stiching is horrendous, BTW, and completely incorrect. It looks really cheap. Also, the alcantara door inserts and steering wheel trim are very simple to do - you can do them in your garage so they wouldn't be a "give-away" of it being an M car. As for the cluster, it looks like the "M" badge is an "M" wheel badge just placed onto the cluster plate - perhaps the cluster plate is out of an E36 or E46 M3 (if the owner was clever). Again, no chance.

In any event, there was never any M version of the E53 made (except for experimental X5 with the race V12 in it; if you even want to call that an "M").

[Skyline]

Turn off the traction control, and stomp on the gas. If it doesn't smoke all four tires....not an M.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by Bayerische E53

In any event, there was never any M version of the E53 made (except for experimental X5 with the race V12 in it; if you even want to call that an "M").

That was a V8. The one-off V8 had the S62 M motor and SMG and was the pre-cursor to the E70's M. The Car and Driver article is here. Though there was a v12. It was called a "LeMans".



The LeMans v12 X5:

[KawaBmw7]

I'm from the Netherlands and have never seen this.

What I do see often, is that there are a lot of people who think that when they stick a M badge to a car, the car is worth double and very special. The last is true...

[4.6is Ryder]

The cheap ass stitches on the door should be a dead give away......really.............Phil

[sandbagger]

Thanks Everyone

I didnt think it was real, but figured I would ask the experts.

Not new to BMW(99M3) but looking for an X5 for my new winter ride.

While I am not crazy about the stitching, it does have about every option I am looking for so I might still get it.