How BMW and Mercedes Quietly Created the Sleeper Super-Sedan Blueprint

In the late 1990s, high performance no longer needed flashy wings or aggressive bodywork. Two German rivals proved that supercar-level pace could hide inside an ordinary-looking executive sedan. The BMW E39 M5 arrived in 1998, and the Mercedes-Benz W210 E55 AMG followed in 1999.

Though developed independently and with different engineering ideas, both came to the same conclusion: understated looks could be just as exciting as drama.

The E39 M5 was the driver's car. 9-liter S62 V8 with 400 bhp, eight individual throttle bodies, and double VANOS, paired with a six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive. 4-liter M113 V8 with 354 bhp and an automatic gearbox, built for effortless torque and relaxed speed. 7 seconds, with both limited to 155 mph.

Externally, each looked much like a standard business sedan. The M5 had discreet 18-inch wheels, subtle bumpers, and quad exhausts; the E55 carried AMG wheels, revised bumpers, side skirts, and twin exhausts. That restraint became the blueprint for modern super-sedans. Later versions simply refined the same formula: comfort, practicality, and big power in a quiet package.

Collectors eventually caught on. About 20,000 E39 M5s were built from 1998 to 2003, while only 10,073 W210 E55 AMGs were made from 1997 to 2002. Recent Bring a Trailer auctions have seen perfect E39s reach $100,000, $140,000, and clean E55s sell around $35,000, $45,000. Their naturally aspirated V8s and analog feel have turned them into icons of a disappearing era.