Nov 15, 2024

The CEO of Bugatti Rimac is known for enjoying classic Bimmers, and this E39 M5 is just part of his rotation. Share From the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Mate Rimac was some sort of tech bro who watches too many MKBHD videos and only drives electric cars. He is the founder and CEO of the highest-performance EV brand in the world, after all. However, Rimac is a genuine gearhead, just like you and I, and has a great collection of piston-powered cars. More to the point, his collection isn’t just for show—he drives his cars daily, as evidenced by his recent Instagram video, showing off his E39-generation BMW M5. In the short video clip, we see Rimac jamming to Bobby Caldwell as he walks to his company parking spot, where his E39 M5 spent the day waiting for him. He throws his bag in the back, gets in the M5, and starts it. That’s where the clip ends, though. It would’ve been cool to get an engine rev or something, though, Mate. Sign up for The Drive Daily Get the latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address His E39 M5 isn’t his only classic gas-powered performance car, though. It isn’t even his only classic BMW. Rimac has owned a collection of kickass Bimmers for years, including an E30 M3 Evo II, an F90 M5, and—my personal favorite—an E85 BMW Z4 M Coupe. You need to be at least a little bit of a BMW nerd to want a Z4 M Coupe, as it wasn’t hugely popular and was mostly forgotten by everyone except Bimmerphiles. However, it’s arguably more fun than the iconic E46 M3, as it has the same engine but in a lighter, smaller, and better-looking package. [Editor’s note: Better looking than an E46? You can’t just say things like that on the internet!] So Rimac owning and regularly driving an E39 M5 actually makes sense—he knows his Bimmers. Considering how minty fresh it looks, he might not drive it as often as he lets on, but it’s in his rotation, which is good enough. Of all his classic cars, the E39 M5 is one of his most old-school. Not only does it have a naturally aspirated V8 and manual transmission, but it even uses a recirculating ball steering rack, rather than a far more modern rack-and-pinion system. The E39 M5 provides as pure a sport sedan feel as you’re going to get, so it’s cool to see the founder of an electric supercar company driving one. But maybe his passion for the old ways shouldn’t be surprising, given that he’s also the man who helped stuff a naturally aspirated V16 engine in the new Bugatti. Got tips? Send ‘em to tips@thedrive.com Staff Writer Nico DeMattia is one of The Drive’s weekend editors. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career. His work can be found here and at BMWBlog. Latest in BMW News