2001 M5 clutch replacment - aftrmkt? (1 Viewer)

[CardinalFJ60]

My Father in law just picked up an '01 M5. Holy crap, that thing is FAST. Needs a clutch...any BMW guys out there with some advice on a really good aftermarket replacement? The BMW mechanic said, "yeah, these clutches just can't handle the M5 power over time."

thanks!

 

[JohnQ]

Check with pelicanparts.com
That car can handle it's clutch just fine. It can't handle poor drivers abusing the clutch is what the mechanic should have said. All that being said, the M5 is one of the most incredible cars on the planet.

 

[CardinalFJ60]

Thanks!

Nicely put. I'll inform him....

And yeah! I've never driven a car that's "motorcycle fast"...this one definitely is. I've still got a BIG DUMB GRIN on my face from taking it for a cruise.

 

[JohnQ]

Enjoy it, after driving some pretty neat cars the M5 is still my favorite. I love the previous generation M5 but when the new 10 cylinder M5 came out I drove one around for about a week, any longer and I think that dumb smile would have been on my face permanently.

 

[gnx7]

I have had 2 friends with that year M5 and have had to replace their clutches about 4 times in under 50K miles. They aren't babies with their cars.... but that factory clutch isn't up to par with the power and especially the weight of that vehicle. This is aggressive street driving and no track days or drag strip stupidity. 1 guy suffered serious electrical issues with his M5 the entire time in owning it. It went back/forth to the stealership 5x and they could never fix it.

JohnQ- Get in a 2800lbs car with 400hp vs. the 400hp 4,000lb sled the M5 is and you will understand what a fast car is.

The new and older M5's are luxo cruisers and do accellerate well for their weight. A more impressive car is the Benz V12 twin turbo with intake/exhaust and engine management upgrades (stock turbos/engine etc). They can run low 11's in 4500lbs+ sedans! They could make more power; however the transmission slips purposefully to save wear/tear on the transmission beyond 800 ft/lbs tq or so. 10 second Benz?

 

[JohnQ]

Would a GT40, 911 turbo, Viper, Z8, or a Modena count?

I'll stand by original statement the M5 is one of the most incredible cars on the planet. Maybe I should have added- in comparison to it's rivals.

 

[speyrod]

E39 m5 is an awesome car but some have serious issues.

MAF, clutches, and VANOS being huge, there are also some secondary carbon problems in 2000.

I looked hard at the M5 and for a clutch you might look at Dinan. the car is a balance between rocketship and luxo cruiser. The problems and BMW's lackluster replies are what scared me away. On I am looking at the e55 if I go sports sedan however paying $3.60 a gal with no end below $4+ has me second guessing the sports sedan.