One to Buy: ex-Ferdinand Piech 1999 BMW E39 M5 'VAG W10 Prototype'
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Having used straight six engines for all prior versions of its hot Motorsport 5-series, the E39 M5 launched in 1998 came with an enlarged and suitably uprated version of the V8 found in the 540i.
Stretched from 4.4 to 5-litres, this first BMW Motorsport-tuned V8 was radically different to its regular counterparts, the net result having been an output rating of 394bhp at 6600rpm and 369lb-ft at 3800rpm. By way of comparison, the stock 540i developed ‘just’ 282bhp at 5700rpm and 310lb-ft at 3900rpm. Following its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March ‘98, production started the following October.
One customer to take early delivery was Volkswagen Audi Group Chairman and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, Dr. Ferdinand Piech. However, Piech was not interested in the M5 for its class-leading V8. Instead, the car was sent to a top secret Volkswagen black ops department and fitted with one of three experimental W10 engines that had been developed for consideration as a potential power unit for a high performance line of VAG saloons.
Following installation of the W10 on March 2nd 1999, chassis WBSDE91040GJ16436 served as Piech’s personal transportation. Said to produce 80bhp more than the BMW Motorsport V8 and gobs of extra torque (437lb-ft), the W10 was reputedly both smoother and more responsive. The traction control, stability control and ABS were all deactivated and the engine ran off its own stand-alone ECU.
According to Broad Arrow Auctions, with whom the car will be going under the hammer at the Zoute Concours d’Elegance on October 9th: “Dr. Ferdinand Piech reportedly drove the car on temporary plates during testing, though its total mileage cannot be confirmed because the standard instrument cluster was replaced with an aftermarket Stack dashboard with no odometer reading. The interior is otherwise standard BMW aside from extra dials added to the centre console, and that same attention to detail carries through the conversion itself, evident in the custom intake ducting, ignition system, and coolant expansion tank, all neatly installed.
The current owner acquired the M5 roughly a decade ago through connections in the engineering world, drawn to the car and its story. He has since road-registered it in Slovakia and drives it rather than keeping it in storage, true to its identity as a usable prototype, although the extent of its conversion means it lacks a certificate of conformity. It was most recently serviced in 2025, its upkeep drawing on standard Volkswagen catalogue components rather than bespoke parts.”
“According to Sabine Willeke, who led the engineering team behind the project, only three W10 units were ever built. One remains in Germany, another is offered alongside this lot as a display example, and the third is the unit fitted to this M5. Volkswagen never returned to the W10 once the programme concluded, and no other example was ever installed in a road-going car. Unbelievably, this car survives today, granting a rare chance to experience a powerful, experimental engine architecture, one that, at least in its time, found a home in the only chassis seemingly capable of containing it.”
