BMW M5 III (E39)

BMW M5 III (E39) — Wheel Fitment & Specs

By Torque, AIWheelTech vehicle & fitment specialist · 1984–present
TL;DR — The BMW M5 III (E39) (1984–present) uses a 5x120 bolt pattern, 74.1 mm centre bore, M12 x 1.5 bolts torqued to ~115 Nm. It accepts ~8J–8.5J wheels at ET5–ET25 front; staggered setups run 9J–9.5J rear (ET7–ET27).

Overview

The BMW M5 III (E39) is a high-performance variant of the BMW 5 Series produced from October 1998 to December 2003. Built on the E39 platform, it marked a significant shift with its V8 engine and advanced suspension systems compared to the previous straight-six engines. The M5 III was assembled at the Dingolfing factory in Germany alongside regular 5 Series models, making it more accessible than earlier hand-built iterations.

Wheel fitment

Bolt pattern (PCD)5x120
Centre bore74.1 mm
Bolt / threadM12 x 1.5 (bolts)
Wheel-bolt torque115 Nm
Seat typetapered
Factory setupstaggered
TPMSnone

Aftermarket wheel sizes — read per position:

PositionWidthOffset
Front8J–8.5JET5–ET25
Rear (staggered)9J–9.5JET7–ET27

As a rule, each extra 1J of width wants roughly +8–10 ET to keep the wheel tucked. The exact offset and any spacer are confirmed by the fit-check.

Browse wheels that fit a BMW M5 →Get them fitted (UK)

UK popularity & demand

~6,002 BMW M5 licensed on UK roads — top 17% of models by volume.

Based on DfT VEH0124 vehicle-parc data (2025), there are approximately 6,002 BMW M5 on UK roads, placing it in the top 17% of car models by volume across our fitment database. That makes its wheel fitment a high-demand size to keep in stock — one reason we track its exact spec here.

Source: DfT/DVLA licensed-vehicle statistics (VEH0124), matched to the AIWheelTech fitment database.

Engines & drivetrain

VariantEngineFuelPowerDrive
S624.9L V8petrol394 hpRWD
S38B383.8L straight-sixpetrol250 hpRWD
S38B363.6L straight-sixpetrol232 hpRWD

Performance

VariantPower0–62 mphTop speed
S62394 hp4.8 s155 mph
S38B36232 hp6.3 s155 mph
S38B38250 hp5.9 s155 mph

Dimensions

Length4853 mm
Width1837 mm
Height1469 mm
Wheelbase2856 mm

Body styles & production

Body stylesSaloon
Produced1984–present
Units produced20,482

Trim levels

M5

Factory colours

Alpinweiss IAlpinweiss IIIArktisblau MetallicBlackBlacksapphire MetallicBlauewater MetallicBronzit MetallicBurgundy Red MetallicCalypsorot MetallicCarbonschwarz MetallicCinnabar RedCosmos Blue MetallicDelphin MetallicDiamond Black MetallicHenna RedImolarot II SolidKalaharibeige MetallicLapis BlueLemansblau MetallicMalachite Green Metallic

History & notable variants

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998, the E39 M5 featured a powerful S62 V8 engine producing 400 PS (294 kW) and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. It underwent a minor facelift in September 2000 to match styling updates on standard E39 models, including 'Angel Eyes' headlights and LED taillights. Despite plans for a Touring variant, financial considerations prevented its production.

Reliability & owner notes