The E39 M5 is arguably one of the greatest sports sedans ever made. Debuting at the turn of the century, the muscular four-door came out of the box with a 4941cc V8 capable of 394hp and 368 lb-ft. Shifting the six-speed manual to its 7000rpm redline, the M5 accelerated faster than most competitors and faster on the quarter mile than its little brother M3.
The 5er could handle like a sports car too, thanks to tuned shocks, lower springsand a limited-slip differential. The car also embodied panache and luxury, becoming a favorite among business executives and affluent ar enthusiasts.
To be honest, we don't normally pay attention to the M5 because of their premium price tag. But with its age, the cost of E39s has dropped significantly - it's not difficult to find a clean, pre-owned example under $20k. So while attending this year's MFest (featured elsewhere), we got acquainted with Mert Contapay and his M5 show car. With its widebody, House of Kolor paint and ear-blistering stereo, it's possibly the most extreme E39 M5 we've encountered.
Hailing from San Francisco, Mert's no stranger to BMWs. "My dad was into cars and I followed him," he began. "He took me to my first show when I was five. From there it was all about cars. Even as I was a kid, I talked about being a mechanic."
Mert's childhood dream became a reality; 15 years ago he enrolled at UTI, becoming a certified BMW service technician shortly after. Working on Bimmers by day, he had his hands full after hours wrenching on nearly 20 different project cars. His portfolio included non-BMWs such as an Eagle Talon, Honda Civic and Chevy Camaro. Even bikes like the Yamaha R1 and R6 interested him. But ultimately, BMW was the name of the game, with several E30 and E36 3-Series under his belt and, of course, this M5.
Four years ago, Mert purchased the stock '00 M5. "It was my wife's daily driver," he explained. "But she complained about how it drank too much gas. She wanted something more economical, so I got her a 528i."
The M5 sat in the garage like a neglected stepchild until a conversation with friend Girard De Guzman, owner of Sagenhaft Design. Then the decision was taken to pimp the M5 into a show-stunner.
Mert got the ball rolling with a set of wheels and tint. But the project gained pace after a trip to Bimmerfest '07. "Up in NorCal there's not many fixed-up BMWs. But when I saw the cars at Bimmerfest, I really wanted to pursue this," he revealed.
A full Hamann body kit was painted and installed while the interior received Hamann accessories. The steering wheel and instrument cluster were updated to '01-spec for a more modern feel.
Progress continued with a sound system - one of the more elaborate aspects of the car. Sagenhaft designed the setup, which included two enormous 19'' LCD monitors on the trunk lid, two amps, a 13.5'' sub and a set of component speakers.
Up front, the in-dash widescreen navigation unit plays TV, DVDs or from a selection of game consoles. Two 7'' Savv headrest monitors ensured the kids would be entertained, and Mert credited Custom Car Alarms for perfecting the intricate installation and wiring.
At this point, Mert joined car club TWCompetition, with whom he debuted his car at Hot Import Nights in '08.
After attending the show, he realized he hadn't set the bar high enough. "I saw other M5s that looked very similar to my car. And that's when I decided I wanted to be completely unique," he explained.
Nothing says "custom show car" like a widebody conversion, so Mert met with buddy Randy Riggs from R Rydes who helped design the concept. They taped lines on the car to see what they wanted before delivering the BMW to Auto Explosion in Gardena, CA for the fabrication work.
However, Mert first had to order new wheels so the fenders could be mocked-up. He chose DPE S-20 wheels, measuring 20x9.5'' front and 20x11'' rear. These dubs featured 6'' rear lips, which was the widest offered at the time.