ssbmw

I tried, but can't quite see. Looks like Avus on my computer screen. Non-electric seats?????? Never seen that on a E34 M5 before.

Many years ago Gerry Hodges told me that there was a blue 3.8 5-speed E34 M5 in Auckland. From what I gathered, it was the only NZN 3.8 E34 M5 in the country ( NZ not getting the latter 6-speed variants). I tried to track it down, but no one knew where this car was located. Well it has re-surfaced and it is for sale in Wanganui. Does that look like Avus blue to you guys? Pretty rare car and has got to be worth a little more than some of the 3.6's that have been for sale recently (if it is good nick) due to the rarity factor. Mileage is a little high but is actually about average compared to the other E34 M5's around the country. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-270420860.htm I am sure this will go to a good home. One of 204 5-speed 3.8's in RHD global, and the only NZN example.

Hi, Yes agreed that this maybe a compelling proposition based on the price, but it is a 730i! There have been NZN 745i's selling for like early to mid 20's over the last 6 months. OK, the mileage maybe lower on this one but at the end of the day all of these things appear to be depreciating even quicker than some of its predecessors. Superbly functional and extremely regal during their halcyon days, I am astounded how quickly they went from $250k to $25k!

Hi, I agree with you whole-heartedly. I think the E34 looks very proportionate and seems to be a balance between the earlier, boxy styles (E12 and E28) and the bigger modern styles. Maybe because BMW's got my attention during the 80's, I seem to have a connection with the designs from that era. I had a E34 535is once, and it was a superb car.

How seriously weird. Obscures the view of a seriously sought after car in the 80's. Not a big fan of the cars from Stuttgart but being a real 80's boy appreciate these things with their big brother, the 928.

Hi there, Interesting.....the guy owning this car should highlight it's service history. I have been watching this car for a few months or so because I am a E31 enthusiast, and one of the questions posed to the vendor was to do with service history. His response was that he had none. That coupled with the whole ambiguity regarding this car being in-correctly described as a 850csi(and there have been a flood of questions to do with that and the owner clearly had no idea why it had that badging when it was a stock standard 850i). Provenance is everything with these vehicles and if it has had a FSH, it should be highlighted. Otherwise, a ex Singapore 850 without a FSH maynot be that compelling- illustrated with the asking price being reduced by $10k. From a personal level, I think it is a cool looking car. Just not that sold on its wheels. BTW- your old boss has a nice car CV.

Hey Brent, As you say, probably the most compelling car in terms of looks is the Tobago Blue car. It is a ex Singapore car that was for sale 4-5 years ago at Tradin Post in Auckland for like 29k. The reason I like it is the fact that it is in a nice, rare colour and has the M-technic body-kit with M3 style mirrors that first appeared on the 850csi and Style 5's. As you know, with the 840Ci Sport's from 96-99, these features became standard. What I like about it is the complete originality, including the stereo. Apparently this is a relatively rare colour/ individual format but there were 2-3 in this colour at one stage in NZ. One of them was a 220km 6 -speed manual example that was bought by a expat Aussie for $25k at a yard in HAmilton in 2005, and a year later shipped back to Melboourne where he sold it for $40k AUD (within a week too). As for the rear-seats, yes, they fold down. Regards, SS

Hey Dylan. Great car man! Great choice in colour too. Is this the car that TMBMW has had for sale or is it Aaron Slight's old car? Irrespective, you have done well. The colour suits the car - the other colour I like them in is Estoril or Le Mans blue. I think they are a very special car. Unusual for a BMW in terms of style which is what makes it unique. Even the Z4 M doesn't really have the quirkiness of the original. I have driven one and I know the buzz you will be experiencing; tons of traction around the corners and fantastic power /weight. Congrats. Even they have dropped back in price alot over the last 2-3 years, they will hold a certain value in years to come because of the rarity factor (imho).

In my opinion I think the market has changed alot in the last year- these cars are sitting around at $29k, $33k , $40k, and $50k respectively (priced according to mileage). Some of them have been marketed for quite awhile. My thoughts are that they are all out of sync by $5k or so (and the most expensive by even more than $5k). E39 M5's are ridiculously good cars, but I think like the E46 M3, there has been a shift in what prospective buyers believe they are now worth. Irrespective of colour, spec, etc. , they seem to be sitting around for alot longer than they did a year back or so. Thoughts?

I actually asked Stephan to send this question through to us as he asked the same question of a M635 mate of mine in Melbourne who forwarded the query to me. Do you guys know where some of these cars are? This is what I know: 2 of the avus blau cars are in Auckland -one has the plate blu m5 and has a huge, noisy, tunnel-like exhaust and was for sale in Glenfield 4-5 years ago. The other blue Auckland car has around 260 kms and gets work done at BM workshop in Botany. The last avus blu car is a minter and was documented on this site when it came up for sale in CCh recently at A & S. All have Style 5's and only have a solitary m badge on the rear. The three technoviolet examples - Simon's in HB, the one in Auckland which was ex -WBOP and is also owned by one our members here (is it Hell BM?), and wasn't the other violet car owned by someone's uncle in Auckland and discussed some time in the last year?? (Without the Style 5's). I know of a beautiful hell rot example that was for sale at Beech European 4-5 years ago, and there is one in Hamilton as well - not sure if it is the same car......style 5's and 540i badging on the rear. Stunning in red too. Does anyone know of the the freak low km hell rot example? 17,ooo kms - it would have to be an ocassional weekend driver.... Wow! I knew of Cain's old Calypso 540 LE as well. It will be interesting if any of you know where some of these other cars are around the country.... SS

Hey mate, where did you see this M6? In Dunedin? Is it a nice one? Body, interior ok? Is it for sale? Do you know which dealer? Sorry to bombard with questions - I am a M6 fan.... Regards, SS

Hi there, yeah this car has in fact been discussed before. That's cool. It is a good lookinmg car. As mentioned before, it has been 'brought back' as it was looking a tad tired when it was sold by Tony Ramlose from TWR a few years ago. Looks great now. It is a genuine M6 with M-tech bodykit (which is rare) and has a Schnitzer exhaust. Desirable colour and the wheels look great. From memory I think the car was lowered slightly. However, the thing I find odd is that it has a 635csi economy guage on the dash and doesn't have the ///m logo under the speedometer/ tachometer. A genuine M635csi should. These LHD imports don't seem to be moving. Where is the right price zone - $15-$18k?

Hi mate, I have found sourcing metric tyres frustrating for E24's in the past. At one stage the story I heard was that Michelin were doing a batch once a year and as a consequence they were scarce and expensive. I recall being quoted $800 a corner 6-7 years ago. As mentioned, there is a guy selling them for $120 / tyre on the NZ BMW car club website. That is a bargain. Something to be aware of, I once bought some that had obviously been sitting around for awhile and they were hard and made alot of noise. Some people say they are a bit suss in the wet, but I have always found them ok (and to be fair I am a sad arse who doesn't drive my bmw's in the rain). If you want to make your vehicle completely original, I guess you will need them.

I this one of the I-hug founder's cars? There was one of these at NZ concours 2-3 years ago? From what I can recall if it is the same vehicle, he bought it while he lived there for a while and shipped it over. It was on t/me a year a go for $200k and was being sold privately. If it is the same car, maybe TMBMW are selling it on behalf or maybe they have done a trade with the owner. Irrespective, it is seriously cool car imho, paying homage to the iconic 507.

Hey there, my old pride and joy. See below:

Yo Brooke, I am pretty sure you saw me - it was 3-4 months ago and I live around that area. Mine is a manual 840ci sport and I recall driving into town that day. I am pretty sure the other car was a 850i in the same colour. My 8 only comes out on a nice day but everytime I do, it is one of the highlights of the week. Regards, SS

Hey there, my understanding is that there was one 1992 3.8 that did arrive new in NZ, but it was a 5-speed. I have been told it is blue, lives in Wellington has around 200kms on the clock. For me, the E34 M5 is the ultimate - it has 3 pedals, is easy to drive, handles beautifully, and was the 1st truly balanced, powerful sedan with almost super-car performance. Rare too- only 800 odd in RHD (with 3.6 and 3.8), hand-built, and the ultimate Q-car. The E39 does the same and more, but in IMO, is not as unique. The E28 is a superb car, but today looks a tad boxy and looks old compared to the E34, even if there were only 187 built in RHD. The E60 is sensational, but for me personally, the new ///M's have lost the x-factor slightly. Superb yes, but not as unique as their pre-decessors.

Hi Phil, From what I have been able to gather, I understand that there were around 7 registered in 2002 and 2 in 2003. They will pop up, but it wouldn't surprise me if things are exchanging hands without ever being marketed because I have heard a few people have expressed an interest in them and have informed the dealerships to keep an eye out for them when they are in for trades. If you look at the ads, the ones that are up for sale are the early ones with 110-140kms. I think the buying zone for these cars is $30-$35k (IMO). No more.

I agree with you ; the facelifted ones are the ones to get. The best one for sale in recent times was the Le Mans blue one (2002) with black leather and 53kms that was for sale in South Otago. It sold to a guy in Auckland for $50k. The problem is trying to get a nice, low km example - a few people want them but they are scarce. Have you seen the HAmilton car? I thought the interior was pretty good for the mileage. The only concern were some scratches or marks on the metal surrounds around the gear-shift gaiter. Leather was pretty good. The one at Archibalds was marketed privately in Wellington about a year or 18 months ago. It was a little weathered looking then- I think it may have had a re-spray of the bonnet when it arrives at Archibalds. Silver is OK though - easy to keep clean! IMHO - the best colour is the blue.

Prices are very much in line with what E34 M5's were around 2000 when they were 10 years old - around $30-$35k. Fascinating thing is that there are only like 10-15 of E34's around and today they are worth $12-$15k. Will E39 M5's be the same price in 10 years time? There alot more of them (40+), and the engines are far more complex. Will they depreciate just as quick? SS

Hey by the way, funnily enough, check out the latest Classic and Sports car UK- there is a buying guide on the 400i/412. Regards, SS

Hey buddy, A friend of mine's father had arguably the best Ferrari 412 in NZ - a blue example that is now up for sale again on trademe for $95k in the capital. His is one of the later ones - I think they made them till around 89. His was a 87' and was picked up at the factory in Italy. His car was driven regularly but was still looked after immaculately over a number of years. Unlike Bimmers, Ferraris are relatively hefty when it comes to servicing. However, at around 50,000 kms , there was a major mechanical failure - this required a re-build to the value of $40k at Conti's in Auckland (unsure of the finer details). For along while I aspired to buy this car, but I have to say this re-build dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. His is a manual, and I remember reading that auto's can get notchy as the mileage clocks up. I personally have a soft spot for large 2+2 coupe's. I love the 400i / 412. Though it will never be perceived to be a classic Ferrari, it does (in my world (but I do drive a E31)) have nice lines. Even though it would be a garage queen if I owned one, I think the potential of having big bills would steer me away from purhasing one. I also have a soft spot for its descendant, the 456. Very nice. If you are interested to know more about owning one of these, I can contact my friends dad to get a complete low down (he did own it from new for 22 years). SS

Yeah not a bad price, but to be fair I think it has been marketed for not much more on and off over the last 4 years. I think it is an enigmatic car nice colour but had odd wheels and some strange after-market quirks like the odd shadow-lining around the grill and after-market skirts. I have heard that it needs a re-map (the owner told me a while back concerned about it), but I think it is a nice enough M6. Throw on some style 5's, and get rid of the skirts you have a pretty cool car. Mine was near identical, completely original though and with with blue leather. Number 98 for sale on trademe currently is aesthetically in better condition in the flesh. However, there has to be some issues resolved with this car. Look at the interior though - it is mint. It has been in storage for 13 years, and sadly, drives like it.

Hey Brent which M6 was this one? Was it the Polaris silver ex uk car with aftermarket side skirts?