Well, it's time to move on from the M5. I picked up a Cayenne Turbo this weekend, and I have plans for the Panoz, so (and with great reluctance), I'm putting my M5 up for sale:

Price: Well, everywhere else, I'll be listing it for $42.5k, but I'm looking to get $40k out of it, so that's the bottom-line price for TS members.

Other details:

Bone stock (down to the charcoal filters) - never modded
38,000 miles
7-spd SMG
Sapphire Black Metallic
Black interior (the Full Merino Leather option - pretty much every surface of the car is covered in leather, alcantara, or wood).
Head-Up Display
Comfort Access
Nav/Bluetooth/Satellite Radio/6-CD changer


The warranty expired in October 2009, and I had a pretty deep inspection done at that time, freshened up a few things (new spark plugs all around, for example), and didn't feel a need to pay for additional coverage. It's been pretty trouble-free for me.

Full disclosure items:

1) There's currently an intermittent fault indicator with the passenger-side front seat. It's a known problem with the E60 5-series, and is either a sensor fault or a software issue, rather than a physical problem with the belts, tensioners, or airbags. Either way, I'll be getting it looked at this week, prior to any sale.
2) The tires will need replacing fairly soon. I'd have done it myself, but I would prefer to leave the choice to the next owner. Most people opt for the stock Continentals, or the PS2, but I've been running the Pirelli PZero Corsa System in OEM sizes, and am deliriously happy, and thoroughly evangelical about them as the perfect street tire. Still, r-compounds aren't everyone's cup of tea, and they are more expensive than the PS2s/Contis.
3) Track use - it's seen a little, but not much. I've taken people to the track 4-5 times, and usually go out with them in the M5 to show them around the track. We're talking highway-speed, no-helmet-required, DSC-on driving for 3 or 4 laps, then back to the pits. Frankly, it's been driven harder on the street than I ever pushed it on the track, but that's a concern for some people, and I didn't want to pretend it's never seen a track.

Car is located in Austin, TX

 

Your house is AWESOME man, love those garage doors.

GLWS!!

 

Forget the car, want to sell the house?

 

I'm so ashamed of my house right now.

 

That's a good deal on the M5, I'll ask a friend of mine who mentioned he was looking into M5s...non-TS price of course.

So what are your plans for the Panoz?

 

Great looking car. GLWS.


Gorgeous house, btw!

 

Aw shucks, guys! It's really just a flattering angle of a house thrown together by a production builder in a subdivision in Austin. It certainly doesn't make me feel like I've failed in life, but it certainly pales in comparison to the properties owned by a great many of y'all.

Dump the stock 302, and drop in a 347 or 351 stroker, then refresh the transmission and differential. Long-term, there are some pretty obvious places where aerodynamics were a secondary design concern to ease of access and cost, so I may start playing with that a bit. I'd also like to think about modifying the suspension geometry a bit. At present, it has the turning radius of Neptune, and with a power target of 450 HP driving 2500lbs, I anticipate a need to crank on the steering angle...

I'm aiming for the power to weight ratio of a Ferrari F430, but with more grip.

 

That's value!

Now, show us some pictures of your Cayenne Turbo!

 

You can find some similar CPO ones here in Florida for just a bit more cash.

 

I'll put more faith in a trustworthy, well-known and respected fellow Teamspeeder than a mechanic armed with a clipboard and a few hundred boxes to check off for a random dealership I've never heard of. But that's just me.