[Kevin_The_Clean1]

Originally Posted by goose1207

I own an E39 M5 and that has always been part of the appeal, that it flies under the radar and you think it's a regular 5-series unless you're an enthusiast. I feel the same way about my F97. Most people think it's just another SUV.

That's a great point for those of us who like to have sleepers on the street. Coming from a former E39 M5 owner myself, I know exactly what you're talking about. Those who know nothing about the X3 M have no clue what this SAV is truly capable of. Just like the 2 tons of fun E39 M5. To most or many I should say, it looks like just another 4-door sedan. But once you hear it fire up & see the burly quad exhaust in the rear then you know there's something slightly pumped up under the hood.

[allinon72]

The e39 came out in a different time and isn't really comparable. Cars were much more understated in that time period, and there were much less high performance vehicles on the road. There are 10x the performance vehicles offered now and the styling is vastly more aggressive. I don't mind a bit of a sleeper look, but to think BMW did this on purpose is a cop out and let's them off the hook.

[Klazu]

I think this video makes many good points and his sketch looks 100% better both front and back.