This e38 was a car that we simply had to build.  We had dreamed of a short wheelbase M Sport 7 with a full e39 M5 conversion for as long as both cars had existed so when the right opportunity came up to put them together, we jumped on the chance.  It was not as simple as one might think, (or hope) it would be.  A lot of the hard parts pretty much bolted right in, once we figured out which combinations of parts to use (like a Z8 transmission crossmember for instance), but thoroughly integrating all of the electronics and getting everything working just like factory required a pretty substantial investment of time.  When it was done though, we had a truly fantastic car on our hands.  With the increase in power offered by the S62 V8 from the M5, plus the level of involvement provided by a 6spd manual transmission, along with upgraded suspension, the M5’s LSD differential and a final weight that was surprisingly close to that of the e39 donor, the finished car felt so different in so many great ways from any e38 we’d ever driven.  The suspension was tight and controlled, the power was relentless and the S62 is very responsive for a big V8.  With such a light flywheel and 8 individual throttles inhaling so much air so quickly, the character of the car was completely transformed.  This car loves tight back roads, but simply devours the open interstate with the composure of a slab of granite, while laying down a relentless avalanche of power even at already triple digit speeds.  It’s a car that always should have been. 

The car was offered with 2 choices of wheels.  In addition to the traditional M-Parallels that came on the car, we offered it with a really nice set 21” O.Z. SuperTurismos, which were immediately a source of controversy when the car was advertised for sale.  This vehicle was also featured on Bring a Trailer and Jalopnik.  Everyone seemed to have an opinion, which we fully expected.  The ride and grip was awesome with the 21s, and not punishing in any way.  We went with a 255mm cross section in the front and a massive 295mm in the rear.  Ultimately the response seemed to be more in favor of a traditional choice and the car was finally sold with the OEM option installed. 

All drivetrain and chassis management related control units were swapped over from the M5 including the Instrument Cluster, Dynamic Stability Control, Lamp Module (for redundant mileage storage), Climate Control, Body Electronics module, and of course the Engine Control unit or DME.