BMW E39 M5 Powered by Experimental W10 Engine Now at Auction

A Carbon Black Metallic BMW E39 M5 currently appearing at auction lacks the factory S62 V8. Instead, it houses a 5.0-liter aluminum W10 engine-one of only three ever built, and the only one installed in a road-going vehicle. The project began in 1999 under Ferdinand Piëch, then head of Volkswagen. Seeking a high-performance sedan to rival the M5 while VW and Audi lacked comparable powertrains, Piëch bypassed the creation of a dedicated test mule. Engineers instead took a production M5 chassis, dated March 2, 1999, and integrated the experimental W10 unit. The W10 architecture serves as the direct precursor to the W16 engine later used in the Bugatti Veyron. Its ten cylinders converge on a single crankshaft, producing 473 hp and 590 Nm of torque-an increase of 79 hp over the standard V8. To accommodate the engine, the factory electronics were replaced with a standalone ECU, while the traction control, stability systems, and ABS were completely deactivated.