BMW is linked at the hip to its V8 engines. Even today, the brand’s V8 engines are some of the best around. Each iteration has earned itself a reputation for high power output, thrilling sound, and (more than likely) a fair few mechanical issues.
The S62 V8 in the E39 M5, produced from 1998 to 2003, is one of many examples. It’s also an engine that very nearly didn’t exist. After a string of inline-six engines, BMW was staring down a new generation of M5, entering development with one question: what’s going to go under the hood? The answer? A V6, of course.
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BMW Nearly Put A V6 In The E39 M5
The V6 M5 was, in reality, one idea among many. Various engineers at BMW made several proposals for aspects of the M5’s design, including potential powertrains. It’s a trial-by-fire in which many cars are designed, and the E39 M5 was no different. Another slightly closer-to-home idea involved a turbocharged inline-six. After all, BMW had already produced the proven M52 engine and used it in a few different models. A higher-powered, turbocharged version could work for the M5, and was certainly an early sign of things to come at BMW. More than a decade later, turbocharged inline-sixes are the norm for the brand.
Meanwhile, the proposed V6 was significantly more controversial. It was, after all, an engine layout BMW had never produced before. E39 M5 Project Leader Alex Hildebrandt told BMWBlog:
The company was not prepared to spend the money to develop an engine for only 2–3,000 cars a year. So this idea [of a six-cylinder engine] was buried, but we’d lost two years of development, a lot of time.
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One Choice Led To One Of BMW’s Best V8s
V6 or no, the prevailing logic behind the then-new M5 was that it needed to be powered by an inline-six. BMW’s M head, Karlheinz Kalbfell, was pushing for the powertrain, regardless of new ideas, because the brand had such a history with the layout and with the M5. After all, the last two cars had been inline-six-powered, so why mess with success? Moreover, the six-cylinder would ultimately be more efficient than a larger engine. For two years, M division engineers and executives stalked Munich’s halls, hemming and hawing over the new powerplant.
Eventually, a decision was reached, driven in part by American appetites. We wanted more power, more cylinders, more noise. Efficiency be damned. Then, as it does now, BMW complied, probably with a good deal of enthusiasm.
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The S62 Proved Itself Worthy
Because BMW didn’t have a ton of cash to allocate to the car’s new powertrain, it turned to an old trick: updating and upgrading an existing BMW powerplant. The M62 V8 was chosen, as it was going to be used (or was currently in use, depending on version) in BMW’s 7 and 8 Series, as well as the 5 Series’ planned 535 and 540i models.
Pioneering A Legendary Statement
Displacement rose from 4.4 to 5.0 liters, and BMW M engineers updated the intake system with individual throttle bodies, a key component of the S62’s vaunted status today, and an upgraded oil system. The whole thing was hooked to a mandatory six-speed, unlike rivals of the day. The engine carved out a niche for itself elsewhere, going on to power BMW race cars as well as the legendary Z8.