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.

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[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").

[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:

[Bayerische E53]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

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".

Yes, I know the V12 was the "LeMans." Now, the S62 SMG car is news to me - I'd never seen that before. Nice post.

Anyways, that S62 car is still like the LeMans - never produced - so I guess the point is moot and the conclusion remains the same: still no production M E53.

[coachelladoug]

Could the interested party just post a VIN for everyone to check?
Just call up the guy and ask for the VIN. If the seller does not provide the VIN, you know you got some Chinese invention inside that X5!

[Skyline]

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

[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...