- A mashup of a BMW E39 M5 and two E9 coupes is for sale on Bring a Trailer.
- The sedan body was shortened by 8 inches and the coupe’s fenders widened.
- Rebuilt 4.9-liter M V8 delivers 426 horsepower through a six-speed manual.
BMW never built an E9 CSL with a 400-plus-horsepower V8 and a six-speed manual. But one BMW fan did, and now the result, a hand-built fusion of classic coupe styling and E39 M5 performance, is looking for a new owner.
The stealthy fusion of old and new BMW hits was created by German outfit MKO, founded by enthusiast Michael Oberhauser, around 10 years ago. Rather than dropping a modern engine into a classic shell, he went much further. The project effectively merged an E39 M5 with parts from not one but two E9 CS coupes, creating a machine that combines 1970s slim-pillared style with 21st century M-car performance.
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The transformation wasn’t a simple body swap. According to details from an original build story on Motor Trend, the M5’s upper structure was removed, the floorpan was shortened by roughly 8 inches (203 mm), and an E9 roof was grafted onto the chassis.
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To keep everything looking right, the front arches were widened by around 2.5 inches (64 mm) and the rears by about 4 inches (102 mm). Much of the fabrication work was carried out in Romania, where skilled craftsmen shaped custom panels by hand, and for a lot less cash than it would have cost in Germany.
Batmobile Details
The finished product is equal parts homage and hot rod. It wears CSL Batmobile-inspired aerodynamic pieces like the roof spoiler and tiny front fender fins, Hella driving lights, 3.0 CSL badging, as well as a Porsche paint finish. The current version rides on 19-inch Alpina-style wheels wrapped in Continental SportContact 7 tires, which replaced the E39 M5 wheels seen during the build’s early media appearances.
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Inside, the illusion starts to crack in the best possible way. The modified M5 dashboard remains, joined by heated Recaro seats, dual-zone climate control, power windows, and a Pioneer touchscreen. It’s classic coupe meets modern-ish sports sedan with some novel fixes to make it all work, like relocating the driver’s door window switch panel to the center console.
Power comes from the donor E39 M5‘s rebuilt 4.9-liter S62 V8 producing a claimed 426 hp (432 PS). The engine sends its output to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential, while KW adjustable coilovers and retained M5 brakes help keep everything in check. The car is up for grabs on Bring a Trailer Germany and you can check out the listing here.