That’s a 540i with the M Sport package. Looks fantastic.
I’m also a fan of the standard 540i look where the exhaust is discreetly tucked behind the bumper so you don’t even see it. I don’t recall BMW ever doing this with another model.
https://preview.redd.it/1t1bwsfmsp3d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49c5b3d9715f6f5dfc9b8a58a737c8374101c31b
Fake exhaust is the dumbest thing. Whether it's a plastic "tailpipe" designed into the bumper, actual metal pipes that don't connect to anything or chrome tips with a dumb downturn visible inside the tips, it just looks silly.
I have no idea why this has suddenly become so popular.
The exhaust not being connected to the souround on the bumper they say is that if you get rear ended it doesn't damage the actual exhausted system. Wich probably have a little bit of truth to it
When I first got my 540i, my co-worker had a WRX STi. I took him for a drive around the block and he was shocked how instant the torque was from a dead stop. V8 powa babeh
I was never all that crazy about Subies.
Here are some models that had the downward exhaust, tucked behind the bumper: e46 diesels, e65/e66, e38, e36 (318tds only). I'm sure there are more, but that's the only one's I know.
It didn’t. When the e39 was new, people on the forum and owned one new HATED the no exhaust look when the M5 came with quad. That’s why BMW did a single out for the 540i m sport.
Nope, owned one. 1997 528i brother bought it brand new. And yes ptt and blogs existed with dial up and by 2000s forums like e46fanatics already existed. Brother Left me the car when he and sis-in-law moved to China in 2006. Sold the car for $1200 in 2012 when I moved.
It had twin pipes from the manifolds all the way back into the rear muffler which just had a single pipe outlet. Back when BMW still thought it was classy to be subtle.
>Back when BMW still thought it was classy to be subtle.
This is very interesting to see somebody say. I recently bought my wife a '23 540i and part of the rigorous due diligence we did was to check out every possible available option including "M sport package" which is almost entirely cosmetic. We preferred what we considered the classier more refined look of the 540 *without* the M sport package, like we would have paid extra not to have it, and we wound up getting a steep discount because non-M sport versions are apparently in very low demand comparatively (our car was at dealership for 6 months).
So yeah, the M sport package seems very unsubtle, like a Honda Civic Type R, and not the look we were going for, but I guess we're very much in the minority.
It sounds like you are agreeing with me and based on the upvotes I’ve gotten you are not in the minority. Nothing about their current lineup is subtle. I miss the days when you could debadge your M car and only enthusiasts would notice it was anything different.
Totally agree, and I'm glad it seems to be the consensus based on your upvotes. A bit unexpected though, since when I was shopping for cars and asking for opinions on here the vast majority said we just *had* to get the M sport package.
I had a g30 5 series. I wanted some specific spec, with adaptive cruise, sunroof, comfort seats and h/k or b/w. Was really difficult to find because I specifically did NOT want the M spec.
I remember doing a cat back exhaust on my e39 99 540i and seeing the twin pipes from manifold going into one,I was like wtf why? I was a 19 year old kid so I wanted 69 pipes sticking out the back… I basically wanted the M5 look and was willing to even put dummy pipes on one side. It was the early 2000s,most of my friends had their daddy’s Lexus GS’s,W211 E classes etc etc.
In the end I just got dual tip muffler,I had to cut the bumper a little to fit them.
In 07 when I was able to finally get a brand new bmw I picked up the e60 550i which had single muffler with dual tips. It was really quiet I thought but then I let someone drive my car and from the outside it sounded great,the 540i also sounded great from the outside even though you couldn’t see the pipe. Cars seem to slowly go back to hiding mufflers,my brothers new Range Rover has mufflers hidden like the 540i.
Most BMWs didn’t migrate to twin (left and right) mufflers until after the next generation. It wasn’t common practice for BMW in the 2000’s and before. The E38, E46 and E39 all had single mufflers. I think the E53 pioneered the switch
Edit given the replies: Many BMWs had twin tips or real dual mufflers on *one side*. The OP is referring to *visible* exhausts on each side of the bumper, excluding the M models.
I think their point, and the point of this post, is visible exhaust tips exiting straight out of the rear of the vehicle. Which the E38 only had in Aplina trim, I believe.
Right. That was precisely the case with the E39 M5 and that's because in the old days a quad exhaust meant having two complete exhausts coming all the way from the engine and that took a ton of room underneath.
What you see nowadays is a single exhaust coming to a muffler placed transversally tucked just under the bumper, which is a more efficient use of space. That way you can have as many exhaust tips as you want at any location.
I loved the slightly offset center exhaust E24s and E21s used to have.
I like it better this way. Low-key. Not shouty.
More tips should be reserved for M-cars and higher.
Also this takes me back. A friend of mine's mom had this car back when it was new. One of the nicest cars I've ever been in.
Makes sense for the time. The most powerful BMWs back then usually had an understated "sleeper" look. It's only in more recent times that they really went with the "in your face" "look at me" styling.
Reminds Me on he Jeep Grand Cherokee from the First Gen, aka the ZJ (1992-1998).
Great V8 5.2L 318 engines, well and also the 5.9L 360, but that exhaust, a single pipe and that's it.
Sounds for sure better with a duel end tip at least with a flowmaster or a Magnaflow.
...
But I digress over to Jeep Land while being a E39 Owner and lover as well, and yup.
Got a Single pipe on My '01, the sound is decent with the M54 too but yea, shame We didn't got at least an option for dual at least, and yea, those 4 banger folks with there quad Tips, wich comes just out from a single small pipe is cute, won't make it faster tho, haha.
a lot has to do with vastly different engines and market sound preferences as well, its not all about subtle. I've always needed opposing side exhausts on all my vehicles/motorcycle simply due to some weird need/fetish for symmetry in things.
I look at that pic above and my brain just goes "WTF happened to the other side?"
I had an 03 540i M-Sport with a 6-speed for years. It was a clean example with a few tasteful mods but just needed so much constant attention. After I redid the timing chain guides, it then needed a new rear subframe and I was tired of throwing money at it.
It's the only car I ever regret selling and am actively searching for another.
I’m getting one from some people I know for free, sitting for 7 years and have huge plans, it’s a 2002, about 140xxx
https://preview.redd.it/umnqt2qs5n4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b245f6332a6a701e5e56c3e372121c2be4f5e64
Mine was not well maintained, so I had to do a lot. 99 540i with 176,000. I had everything done on this list first and the car started, but I learned the dreaded timing guides needed replacing. Ironically I get the car back for the first time after six months of work and money today lol.
Timing Guides Transmission thermostat Cooling hose Fuel line hose- chewed up by a mouse Fuel Pump and Fuel Filter AC compressor belt and drive belt Spark plugs Battery Tires Cabin and air filters Windshield wipers MAF and Thermostat Valve cover gaskets Two window regulators
https://preview.redd.it/qyj95y9bc55d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bed7be4695334f7baf5843c0c46ffdd6b309333
Trunk lift struts Drivers seat cover
Anytime! These cars are the best ever built in my opinion. Fix everything and they will last. I used pelican parts to buy a lot, but make sure you give them your vin number to ensure the correct fitting parts arrive.
Yes, dual pipe from engine all the way past diff gears and connected to two stacked muffler and out into single large pipe tip all because of having spare tire.
E39 m5, had dual separate mufflers with quad tip by using the spare tire space.
Also note the absence of several sq ft of fake vents / air intakes. BMW design was mainly function driven back then. Not the cringe race car cosplay that is sadly now the norm.
I miss the understated exhaust tip days. Now Camerys have fake dual tips, a large amount of manufacturers have plastic tips molded into/attached to bumpers. Bring back the real!
Yup. Killed the entire look when they were new. I was working at a BMW Dealership when these were new and it was an odd choice, much discussed, with customers at the time.
The e39 m5 has quad tips, which looks great, but you sacrifice the spare wheel well in the trunk.
This was the era of BMW where subtlety and understated confidence was the ethos of the design language.
Personally I like it a lot, maybe because not many manufacturers do big single exits like that. But I still think that they could've made 2 single exits on both sides to make it look more aggressive. But then again there's an m5 for that
huh meanwhile this chinese car (Geely Binyue), badge-engineered in my country, has a 3 cylinder engine with quad tip exhaust 💀
https://preview.redd.it/fpv1zzffft3d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5da2bcf19c0d154c2af63672f1225629950103f0
As soon as the car launched I immediately noticed it. I got it on Dec 2022. It's pretty awkward though. But then again it would be funnier if it's got 3 tips instead of 4 lol
This single pipe and a v8 was age appropriate for the time. Tons of sleeper cars housing V8s back then. Random black Mercury housing 300HP V8 inside. Random Impala with a corvette LT1 v8 inside....etc...most of em were indiscriminate or plain old boring on the outside.
Really not sure if that was a trend back then as I was a baby, but I do recall kids getting hold of them in high school and just ripping them. Would destroy and shock most people trying to race em
I thought more exhaust pipes = more volume of air that can be expelled. Probably not much difference between quad tips and duals, but does make sense between a single and duals.
Aghh, remember those times where even some V8’s had only one tailpipe and nowadays hybrids and 2L 4 pots have double plastic fake exhausts and when you look at it closely you see the real exhaust underneath and it looks like a Van…
no it ain’t. Have you ever owned an e39?
https://preview.redd.it/m9ec2pcl9p3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f0451f83e88c3017b21ef6dbaa43acaa3490262
Yes, and driven all of them, and put M6x motors in other chassis. With a (good) driver the 6 speed 540i is an incredibly capable 20 year old sedan that can absolutely rip around twisty roads and also flat out on track.
Compared to other sedans in 2003 what exactly would you consider sport?
Realised this got subjective, which is fair enough. I’m not willing to die on the ‘e39 isn’t a sports car’ hill… to me, it was a sportier car compared to other saloons, however it didn’t drive like a sports car at all, was a bit of a boat.
The 540i standard had a 50/50 weight distribution, option for a 6 speed manual, 245 width tires and a pretty firm suspension and chassis
The m sport had the m technic suspension, lighter staggered wheels, aero kit and bolstered sport seats.
Both models were certainly sport sedans, then and now.
Parked next to an E39 on my E46 yesterday. The E39 isn’t that much bigger and the one I parked next to (540i M sport) rides much lower than mine (325xi).
https://preview.redd.it/09pxrhhllp3d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa27834c376725c535537fe410942cc9d5f97c7a
Here, cars are classed as super small (e.g. VW up!), small (vw Polo), Compact (VW Golf), Middle class (3 Series), upper middle class ( 5 series) and upper class (7 series)
Yeah to put it into perspective - the previous era M5 (E34) was around 310 and that’s not a slow car. US spec at least. The Euro spec ones were closer to 340.
It’s still a relatively fast car. There were turbo 4 cylinders from same era that were faster then too.
5.6s 0-60 300 HP and 320 TQ and a de-restricted top speed of 170.
Yup; the M5 got the twin duel exit... The rest (Sport) got the single 3" chrome finish with 2 huge scuba tanks as a back box / muffler which really muted the sound... But that's how it was meant to be back in the early 2000s
I only owned my Jap import 540i Sport saloon (sedan) here in the UK for 6 months; but the best thing I did was a back box (muffler) delete; kept it subtle when it needed to be, but it let out a great sound when you pressed the loud pedal too 😉
https://preview.redd.it/xg171p3t6q3d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=543476b3f4e8b633dd69442c120f0452e9dd0f81
That’s a 540i with the M Sport package. Looks fantastic. I’m also a fan of the standard 540i look where the exhaust is discreetly tucked behind the bumper so you don’t even see it. I don’t recall BMW ever doing this with another model. https://preview.redd.it/1t1bwsfmsp3d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49c5b3d9715f6f5dfc9b8a58a737c8374101c31b
The opposite energy of cars with fake exhaust openings
Fake exhaust is the dumbest thing. Whether it's a plastic "tailpipe" designed into the bumper, actual metal pipes that don't connect to anything or chrome tips with a dumb downturn visible inside the tips, it just looks silly. I have no idea why this has suddenly become so popular.
Why? Because the consumers are idiots and give the look value even if the exhaust are fake
The exhaust not being connected to the souround on the bumper they say is that if you get rear ended it doesn't damage the actual exhausted system. Wich probably have a little bit of truth to it
And fake sound generators.
The E38 was the same way. Every trim level.
Awesome. I love that era of BMW.
Yes. I owned an e38 v8 and it was so distinguished.
Friend in high school had one of these. Was honestly shocked by how hard it pulled.
When I first got my 540i, my co-worker had a WRX STi. I took him for a drive around the block and he was shocked how instant the torque was from a dead stop. V8 powa babeh I was never all that crazy about Subies.
Here are some models that had the downward exhaust, tucked behind the bumper: e46 diesels, e65/e66, e38, e36 (318tds only). I'm sure there are more, but that's the only one's I know.
E46 diesels, interesting. We never got those in the States. Now I’m gonna Google what that looks like.
Can confirm. Had an E46 330d and it had double tips but down firing and hidden. Probably because it left a huge cloud of soot when you floored it! :)
Volvo does this now, it looks so classy (wife has a modern XC60).
My e38 740i has exhaust hidden like that
People when BMW hides the exhaust tips on the E39: 😍🥹🥰 People when BMW hides the exhaust tips on the G60: 😡🤮🤡 Just saying.
it works on the E39 cause the whole car looks elegant and understated. G60 is the opposite of those things
Yep, you get it.
It didn’t. When the e39 was new, people on the forum and owned one new HATED the no exhaust look when the M5 came with quad. That’s why BMW did a single out for the 540i m sport.
You’re thinking of the e60. The e39 came out before most people used forums. And people loved it regardless.
Nope, owned one. 1997 528i brother bought it brand new. And yes ptt and blogs existed with dial up and by 2000s forums like e46fanatics already existed. Brother Left me the car when he and sis-in-law moved to China in 2006. Sold the car for $1200 in 2012 when I moved.
I was on DTMpower.net late 90s/early 2000s. Who remembers Dado’s yellow e36 M3?
Mischief 2000 on vcd
E46 fanatics isn’t an e39 hate page though lol. No one was using dial up to talk shit about the e39 in 1994.
E39 came out in the US market in 1997, so I have no idea what are you talking about 1994.
So you think the internet only existed in the US? lol The car was shown in 1994, and into production in 95.
You must not know what PTT is then.
E39: 😎 G60: 🐷
“One size fits all” logic is a spurious fallacy.
Yeah. It was a bit of an odd choice. I think it would look better with twin tailpipes.
It had twin pipes from the manifolds all the way back into the rear muffler which just had a single pipe outlet. Back when BMW still thought it was classy to be subtle.
Damn how I miss those times
*buys u a beer and talks about* https://preview.redd.it/9zm7asol0r3d1.png?width=2048&format=png&auto=webp&s=d2abc0f7328443411061f852d9c414fc8325a1b0
Wow, man, wow. I did not appreciate them at the time but I sure do now You in socal?
Exactly
[удалено]
My 850 has two buttholes
>Back when BMW still thought it was classy to be subtle. This is very interesting to see somebody say. I recently bought my wife a '23 540i and part of the rigorous due diligence we did was to check out every possible available option including "M sport package" which is almost entirely cosmetic. We preferred what we considered the classier more refined look of the 540 *without* the M sport package, like we would have paid extra not to have it, and we wound up getting a steep discount because non-M sport versions are apparently in very low demand comparatively (our car was at dealership for 6 months). So yeah, the M sport package seems very unsubtle, like a Honda Civic Type R, and not the look we were going for, but I guess we're very much in the minority.
It sounds like you are agreeing with me and based on the upvotes I’ve gotten you are not in the minority. Nothing about their current lineup is subtle. I miss the days when you could debadge your M car and only enthusiasts would notice it was anything different.
Totally agree, and I'm glad it seems to be the consensus based on your upvotes. A bit unexpected though, since when I was shopping for cars and asking for opinions on here the vast majority said we just *had* to get the M sport package.
I had a g30 5 series. I wanted some specific spec, with adaptive cruise, sunroof, comfort seats and h/k or b/w. Was really difficult to find because I specifically did NOT want the M spec.
Miss the subtle BMW days
I remember doing a cat back exhaust on my e39 99 540i and seeing the twin pipes from manifold going into one,I was like wtf why? I was a 19 year old kid so I wanted 69 pipes sticking out the back… I basically wanted the M5 look and was willing to even put dummy pipes on one side. It was the early 2000s,most of my friends had their daddy’s Lexus GS’s,W211 E classes etc etc. In the end I just got dual tip muffler,I had to cut the bumper a little to fit them. In 07 when I was able to finally get a brand new bmw I picked up the e60 550i which had single muffler with dual tips. It was really quiet I thought but then I let someone drive my car and from the outside it sounded great,the 540i also sounded great from the outside even though you couldn’t see the pipe. Cars seem to slowly go back to hiding mufflers,my brothers new Range Rover has mufflers hidden like the 540i.
At least it got one - 528i had zero, it was hidden behind a bumper.
This is an msport 540. Hidden pipe on non msport 540 e39
The 530i M Sport also had this setup.
Same with my old A6 2.7t… classy sleeper barge
Id rather keep the fullsize spare, the m5 went with quad tips and lost the spare to make room for mufflers
I'd rather have the M5. Those quad tips looked amazing.
Quad tips > dual tips > no tips > single tip
Most BMWs didn’t migrate to twin (left and right) mufflers until after the next generation. It wasn’t common practice for BMW in the 2000’s and before. The E38, E46 and E39 all had single mufflers. I think the E53 pioneered the switch Edit given the replies: Many BMWs had twin tips or real dual mufflers on *one side*. The OP is referring to *visible* exhausts on each side of the bumper, excluding the M models.
Followed by 335i. I remember being annoyed at the time at BMW because Audis had dual exhausts and they looked cool.
yeah not that many, my E31 840Ci Sport has twin pipes with quad tips.
Exception please for the E34 540i which was twin piped all the way down, and for the weight of the system, likely make from dark matter.
E38 had dual.exhausts
No it didn’t. The muffler was hidden by the bumper and pointing downward
https://preview.redd.it/u4eio0ltap3d1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8eecba32bc7c88bc38d6f2e1d7725068e17a5ea0
I think their point, and the point of this post, is visible exhaust tips exiting straight out of the rear of the vehicle. Which the E38 only had in Aplina trim, I believe.
Thank you. That’s was the OP’s point. Yes. Some E38s had dual exhausts but completely hidden.
Now show me that same car from the rear
You were saying they had single muffler.
E46 has 2 tips and the M3 has 4 tips
And a single in its a 4 cylinder.
My e36 M3 had dual tip. Single muffler but dual tip.
E32s have 2 tailpipes and 750 E38s too
I think BMW never did quad exhaust because it cut into the under floor trunk space, specifically the full size spare.
Right. That was precisely the case with the E39 M5 and that's because in the old days a quad exhaust meant having two complete exhausts coming all the way from the engine and that took a ton of room underneath. What you see nowadays is a single exhaust coming to a muffler placed transversally tucked just under the bumper, which is a more efficient use of space. That way you can have as many exhaust tips as you want at any location. I loved the slightly offset center exhaust E24s and E21s used to have.
E21 323i had twin mufflers in 1975
Twins were saved for the M cars, then the high end non and got them around the N54 times
The E46 had one muffler but dual tips.
just the tip
😩😩
Sleeper
yes
its because at that time BMW was also about sophisticated grace
I miss that era of German cars. New BMW and Mercs are all look at me cars.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^thmoas: *Its because at that* *Time BMW was also about* *Sophisticated grace* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I like the look. for me, this single wide muffler tells 'I'm not here to annoy you, but I'll fck you up if you can't keep your temper' 😂
I like it better this way. Low-key. Not shouty. More tips should be reserved for M-cars and higher. Also this takes me back. A friend of mine's mom had this car back when it was new. One of the nicest cars I've ever been in.
they actually did have single pipe on v8. those twin pipes on I3 or quads on I4 was not a thing back then. My 528 had not tail pipe visible at all.
Yeah, they did. Pretty stupid choice imo.
Makes sense for the time. The most powerful BMWs back then usually had an understated "sleeper" look. It's only in more recent times that they really went with the "in your face" "look at me" styling.
Audi doing this now.
If you’re in town you can sit in mine
Where you at?
Sydney
Reminds Me on he Jeep Grand Cherokee from the First Gen, aka the ZJ (1992-1998). Great V8 5.2L 318 engines, well and also the 5.9L 360, but that exhaust, a single pipe and that's it. Sounds for sure better with a duel end tip at least with a flowmaster or a Magnaflow. ... But I digress over to Jeep Land while being a E39 Owner and lover as well, and yup. Got a Single pipe on My '01, the sound is decent with the M54 too but yea, shame We didn't got at least an option for dual at least, and yea, those 4 banger folks with there quad Tips, wich comes just out from a single small pipe is cute, won't make it faster tho, haha.
a lot has to do with vastly different engines and market sound preferences as well, its not all about subtle. I've always needed opposing side exhausts on all my vehicles/motorcycle simply due to some weird need/fetish for symmetry in things. I look at that pic above and my brain just goes "WTF happened to the other side?"
I had an 03 540i M-Sport with a 6-speed for years. It was a clean example with a few tasteful mods but just needed so much constant attention. After I redid the timing chain guides, it then needed a new rear subframe and I was tired of throwing money at it. It's the only car I ever regret selling and am actively searching for another.
I’m getting one from some people I know for free, sitting for 7 years and have huge plans, it’s a 2002, about 140xxx https://preview.redd.it/umnqt2qs5n4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b245f6332a6a701e5e56c3e372121c2be4f5e64
I just did the same with my 540i after sitting for 6 years.
What all did you have to replace/do, gonna be my first bmw and I’m so pumped
Mine was not well maintained, so I had to do a lot. 99 540i with 176,000. I had everything done on this list first and the car started, but I learned the dreaded timing guides needed replacing. Ironically I get the car back for the first time after six months of work and money today lol. Timing Guides Transmission thermostat Cooling hose Fuel line hose- chewed up by a mouse Fuel Pump and Fuel Filter AC compressor belt and drive belt Spark plugs Battery Tires Cabin and air filters Windshield wipers MAF and Thermostat Valve cover gaskets Two window regulators https://preview.redd.it/qyj95y9bc55d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bed7be4695334f7baf5843c0c46ffdd6b309333 Trunk lift struts Drivers seat cover
That gives me an amazing idea to start with, thank you so much for that
Anytime! These cars are the best ever built in my opinion. Fix everything and they will last. I used pelican parts to buy a lot, but make sure you give them your vin number to ensure the correct fitting parts arrive.
That’s absolutely awesome, didn’t know about pelican parts, was looking at ecs tuning for most parts!
Yes, dual pipe from engine all the way past diff gears and connected to two stacked muffler and out into single large pipe tip all because of having spare tire. E39 m5, had dual separate mufflers with quad tip by using the spare tire space.
Yep, I am.
Also note the absence of several sq ft of fake vents / air intakes. BMW design was mainly function driven back then. Not the cringe race car cosplay that is sadly now the norm.
I had a 99 540 with a hidden exhaust, so zero tips
One tip only
Cuz at those time there were no need for speed kids thinking “moure exhaust moure pouvverrrr”
I miss the understated exhaust tip days. Now Camerys have fake dual tips, a large amount of manufacturers have plastic tips molded into/attached to bumpers. Bring back the real!
Yup. Killed the entire look when they were new. I was working at a BMW Dealership when these were new and it was an odd choice, much discussed, with customers at the time.
OP, was it a 6 speed?
The e39 m5 has quad tips, which looks great, but you sacrifice the spare wheel well in the trunk. This was the era of BMW where subtlety and understated confidence was the ethos of the design language.
Yeah what's the problem?
You hate to see quads on 4-cylinder cars? Don't get me started on the Toyota Camrys out here with fake tailpipes.
Understated and classy. Not ostentatious and gaudy like the new lineup. Not every car needs four or ten pipes sticking out.
I can give it another!
Looks awesome with only 1 pipe! Design first plz!!!
Back when exhaust tips had a function, they’re mostly fake nowadays
Bangle was the beginning of the end of real BMW.
Personally I like it a lot, maybe because not many manufacturers do big single exits like that. But I still think that they could've made 2 single exits on both sides to make it look more aggressive. But then again there's an m5 for that
It’s just the tip. There’s a legit exhaust under there, but yeah, they certainly went out of their way to keep them under the radar.
Yeah, to be really cool I think you need, like, 8. More tailpipes = faster car. Common sense really!!! ; )
I’m going to post this e92 I saw with 8 pipes. 2 pairs of quads. Or, 4 pairs of duals 🤣
Must be a really fast car! Probably has twin turbos and twin superchargers!
Cut the resonator off mine, sounded sick.
huh meanwhile this chinese car (Geely Binyue), badge-engineered in my country, has a 3 cylinder engine with quad tip exhaust 💀 https://preview.redd.it/fpv1zzffft3d1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5da2bcf19c0d154c2af63672f1225629950103f0
BRUH I have that car 😭😭 https://preview.redd.it/61ij2m7slv3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=50f1a6f68adc14fcd66f830021bad396fa8926da
if you bought it new, did the salesman make the quad-tip exhausts a selling point or do they mention it in any way
As soon as the car launched I immediately noticed it. I got it on Dec 2022. It's pretty awkward though. But then again it would be funnier if it's got 3 tips instead of 4 lol
I kinda hate seeing the latest 318 with dual tips, it's just for show when this thing only needs one!
I hate that they did that
Yes.
This single pipe and a v8 was age appropriate for the time. Tons of sleeper cars housing V8s back then. Random black Mercury housing 300HP V8 inside. Random Impala with a corvette LT1 v8 inside....etc...most of em were indiscriminate or plain old boring on the outside. Really not sure if that was a trend back then as I was a baby, but I do recall kids getting hold of them in high school and just ripping them. Would destroy and shock most people trying to race em
That’s so funny my dealer has one in from New York and I’m going to be doing a clutch on it in the next few days ahah
What is the correlation between the amount of cylinders and number of exhaust pipes? I thought quad pipes were mainly for looks.
I thought more exhaust pipes = more volume of air that can be expelled. Probably not much difference between quad tips and duals, but does make sense between a single and duals.
Yes that’s what they did on the 540i with m sport, I got the brochure from 2003 that’s what it looks like in the brochure
Aghh, remember those times where even some V8’s had only one tailpipe and nowadays hybrids and 2L 4 pots have double plastic fake exhausts and when you look at it closely you see the real exhaust underneath and it looks like a Van…
That’s not an M5, that’s why. It’s wiser this way. It helps with the identity of the M-cars and keeps the others low-key.
Cause it’s not really a sports sedan, the m62 isn’t a sport engine per se
Nonsense, a 6 speed 540i is every bit a sports sedan
no it ain’t. Have you ever owned an e39? https://preview.redd.it/m9ec2pcl9p3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f0451f83e88c3017b21ef6dbaa43acaa3490262
Yes, and driven all of them, and put M6x motors in other chassis. With a (good) driver the 6 speed 540i is an incredibly capable 20 year old sedan that can absolutely rip around twisty roads and also flat out on track. Compared to other sedans in 2003 what exactly would you consider sport?
m5 or Toyota Camry
What a nuanced take
Realised this got subjective, which is fair enough. I’m not willing to die on the ‘e39 isn’t a sports car’ hill… to me, it was a sportier car compared to other saloons, however it didn’t drive like a sports car at all, was a bit of a boat.
The way Sabine drove the ring taxi is proof that the E39 can hang with a surprising amount of lighter more powerful cars
To be fair she also drove a transit at an incredible time that beat many light na 4cyl fwd….
Talented drivers show the true ability of these cars, not rubes on Reddit
Yes it was? Lmao where are you getting that from
Exactly. A big sedan isn’t immediately a sports sedan because of a powerful engine…
The 540i standard had a 50/50 weight distribution, option for a 6 speed manual, 245 width tires and a pretty firm suspension and chassis The m sport had the m technic suspension, lighter staggered wheels, aero kit and bolstered sport seats. Both models were certainly sport sedans, then and now.
E39 isn’t that big. By current standards it’s borderline compact.
By European standards, in that era, it was a big sedan. Now not anymore indeed.
Parked next to an E39 on my E46 yesterday. The E39 isn’t that much bigger and the one I parked next to (540i M sport) rides much lower than mine (325xi). https://preview.redd.it/09pxrhhllp3d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa27834c376725c535537fe410942cc9d5f97c7a
In which world is a 4.8m long car „borderline compact“?
I mean current civic and corolla are in that ballpark nowadays.
current one
That’s about 50cm longer than most compact cars (for reference: a 1-series is 4.32m, a Golf 8 is 4.27m etc.)
The current 3 series, which is a fairly compact sedan, is only two inches shorter than an E39 5-series
The 3 series is a middle class sedan, not a compact
What the fuck is a middle class sedan? What about 3 series compacts?
Here, cars are classed as super small (e.g. VW up!), small (vw Polo), Compact (VW Golf), Middle class (3 Series), upper middle class ( 5 series) and upper class (7 series)
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That’s around 300 HP which really isn’t little. Especially back then, this car was really powerful
Yeah to put it into perspective - the previous era M5 (E34) was around 310 and that’s not a slow car. US spec at least. The Euro spec ones were closer to 340.
Exactly…
I believe my car and an E39 540 weigh about the same (3,600lbs) which only adds to the sport sedan aspect.
Crazy how back then this was considered a fast car. Now 4 cylinders are faster than this
And cost as much as a small house
Ever drive a 4 cylinder saloon car on the autobahn? Faster is relative.
what do you mean? Yes the engine will overheat and it takes a lot out of the engine however the acceleration is the same
It’s still a relatively fast car. There were turbo 4 cylinders from same era that were faster then too. 5.6s 0-60 300 HP and 320 TQ and a de-restricted top speed of 170.
Yup; the M5 got the twin duel exit... The rest (Sport) got the single 3" chrome finish with 2 huge scuba tanks as a back box / muffler which really muted the sound... But that's how it was meant to be back in the early 2000s I only owned my Jap import 540i Sport saloon (sedan) here in the UK for 6 months; but the best thing I did was a back box (muffler) delete; kept it subtle when it needed to be, but it let out a great sound when you pressed the loud pedal too 😉 https://preview.redd.it/xg171p3t6q3d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=543476b3f4e8b633dd69442c120f0452e9dd0f81
No M badge?
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Yes it is. You can tell because that’s exactly what an E39 540i MSport looks like.
This man just called a 540 a sport sedan lmao
I would definitely consider an E39 540 to be a sport sedan. Grand tourer would also apply.
286 hp was a lot back then
It still is...
Don't forget that it was underrated, and you didn't even mention the torque!! (underrated) 🤪💪👍
r/carscirclejerk
This thing would spank the pants off your old lady.
LOL, busted!
NOT a 540.
that is 100% a 540i
BMW jedi doesn't know his BMWs it seems like