This 1988 BMW M5 is a one the more iconic sports sedans ever made, still revered today for its performance and everyday livability. The seller of this example claims he has just completed nearly $12,000 in recent maintenance but only put a few hundred miles on the car since the work was done. The S38 engines can be maintenance hungry if not cared for, and even healthy ones are occasionally rebuilt for peace of mind. No details are offered on what the big maintenance bill bought the seller in terms of upgrades or repairs, but the condition looks tidy in pictures. Find the M5 here on eBay with bidding over $24,000 and no reserve.

The M5 was a Q-ship of sorts, maintaining a restrained appearance despite the performance that lurked within. The body received spoilers front and rear, with fog lights integrated into the front air dam. The M5, like the Buick Grand National, received black-out trim front and rear as well, with the metal bumpers coated in black and the chrome strip on the taillights also blotted out. The BBS wheels seen here were standard equipment on the M5, and present well with no obvious curb marks or paint chipping. The body looks quite nice overall, despite mileage being on the high side at 137,500. That’s the thing about these cars: they are limited production, high-performance machines you can drive every day, so it’s not unusual to see six-digit odometer readings.

The seller notes a few typical issues with the interior, which featured sport bucket seats with Motorsport badges and a leather-wrapped emergency brake handle. The driver’s seat bolster is slightly misshape from use, the the piping on the left side is torn. The seller notes the leather is also cracking in places, but this is far from the worst I’ve seen in an M5 interior of this vintage. The seller does say it suffers from the typical cracked dash which seemingly all E28 5-Series have, but he claims it was impossible to find a non-cracked unit. It is a challenge, admittedly, but they are out there, including sellers in Europe who have begun recovering cracked dashes in high-grade leather. You just have to be willing to put the time in to find one, and the install is a pain in the ass. The steering wheel isn’t original.

Hopefully, the bulk of that maintenance bill focused on a major engine service and potentially, a top-end rebuild. Close to $12K for a basic tune-up and suspension refresh doesn’t seem realistic to me, as aside from the engine, this is a fairly ordinary car to work on and buy parts for. Of course, given the seller’s other listings, he may be accustomed to simply dropping this M5 off at the priciest shop in town and not thinking too hard about what the invoice included. Overall, condition looks quite nice for the mileage, but a car like this demands having a precision understanding of what recent maintenance entailed, as you don’t want to be stuck holding the bag on an engine rebuild for an S38 mill – but even if you do, the ongoing rise in values for 80s sports cars will likely ensure you get your money back.