2001 BMW 540i

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VEHICLES SHOWN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Body Color
Black
Stock
20GKM340
Vin
WBADN53471GC98473
Miles
105,121
Engine Size
4.4L V8
Transmission Type
6 Speed Manual
PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTIONS WELCOMED
Body Color
Black
Stock
20GKM340
Vin
WBADN53471GC98473
Miles
105,121
Engine Size
4.4L V8
Transmission Type
6 Speed Manual
PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTIONS WELCOMED

6-Speed 5 Series

Black
Tan
4.4L V8
6 Speed Manual

2001 BMW 540i

- 4.4L V8
- 6-Speed Manual Transmission
-105k Miles
- M5 Front and Rear Bumpers

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 2001 BMW 540i on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you see all the more than 160 high-definition photographs of this automobile, a short walk-around-and-startup video, and a link to the Carfax report, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)

“V-8 Power Makes A Great Sport Sedan About As Close To Perfect As It Gets” Motor Trend Road Test, October 1996

The Motor Trend review of the 540i highlighted its performance: “While horsepower remains at 282, torque jumps from 295 pound-feet at 4500 rpm to 325 at 3900. That extra low-end punch allows the new 540i to blast from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and hammer through the quarter mile in 14.6 ticks at 98.9 mph-fairly stout numbers by anyone's calculation.” These numbers are still impressive two decades later.

Offered here is a well-maintained example of one of BMW's legendary performance offerings. Over the course of its 20-year life, this 6-speed manual 540i has traveled 105,000 miles in all, or a very low 5,250 miles per-year on average. The Carfax shows consistent service, including dealer service, with a lot of recent work done at Euro Autowerks of Belding, Michigan. And this summer, both front and rear bumpers were swapped to BMW “M5” bumpers, a detail BMW aficionados will appreciate.

The exterior black paint is in good shape with some stone chips and light scratches evident, but no body damage. Virtually all trim, including window and front-grille trim is rendered in black. In keeping with BMW's design ethic of the time, the car is not bedecked with add-on gimmicks, and badging is discreet. Cabin glass is undamaged. Split-spoke factory wheels showing modest curb rash are mounted with Hankook Ventus performance tires.

Motor Trend described the 540i's interior thusly: “Performance may be the de facto priority in a 540i, but creature comforts hardly have been shortchanged. The interior is standard 5-Series-quiet, comfortable, reasonably roomy, and tastefully well-finished.” In this example, the light-tan leather upholstery provides a complement to the car's black exterior. The overall condition of the interior surfaces—including wood trim, leather, headliner, and carpeting—is excellent. The console-mounted 6-speed manual-transmission shifter shows very little patina from use, and its leather boot is undamaged. The one notable flaw in the cars's interior is entry-and-exit wear on the driver's sport seat, a not uncommon occurrence on performance cars with added seat-bolstering. All interior features—climate control, lighting, audio, power windows and doors, power seats—operate as they should. Dash instrumentation is fully operative with no missing pixels in the digital displays. Both carpet and winter floor mats come with the car, another sign of owner commitment to its care. Owner literature is also included.

Under the hood, the 4.4-liter V8 engine appears virtually as it would have when the car was brand new. All components are properly in place with no sign of modifications. In similar fashion, the car's undercarriage is free of signs of damage from too-aggressive driving. The center-routed dual exhaust is a highlight.

The overall condition of this BMW 540i is faithfully presented from every angle (including from below) in the more than 160 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available at the GarageKeptMotors site. That said, we always encourage in-person, up-close inspections by interested parties—or their representatives—at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. We ask only that advance appointments be made by phone or email so that we can devote our full attention to our visitors and this BMW performance sedan. Our showroom is not open to the public.

Since the early 2000s, there are those who argue that BMW has strayed a bit from its “Ultimate Driving Machine” ethic. Whether one agrees with that assessment, it's clear that no such allegation would hold up for this 540i. Here's a special opportunity to enjoy legendary BMW performance.

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