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The BMW 5 Series Touring – comfortable, practical, sensible. This is what comes to mind, right? It sounds boring, but it definitely doesn’t have to be – this very low and very powerful example is proof.
Sergey Ananic is not one of those purists who got offended when BMW ‘selfishly’ failed to release an E39 M5 Touring to the public, so his vision didn’t stop at swapping the original 4.4L engine for a 5.0-liter S62B50.
From the get-go, Sergey was looking for a real project and his search led him to a unique BMW 540i wagon with an Atlantis Blue exterior and even more quirky BMW Individual interior color. “It was perfect. As the local BMW dealer told me, only seven E39 Tourings left the factory sprayed in Atlantis Blue,” Sergey says.
A donor S62 engine was found in Dagestan of all places, and it took a stressful two months for it to arrive in Latvia. Sergey wasn’t really worried about its condition – his main concern was that he actually received what he paid for and wasn’t scammed. Luckily for him, the engine was everything it was advertised to be and Sergey duly swapped it into the Touring at home in the garage with help from his father.
The re-powered 540 performed without fault for the whole 2020 summer season, but for 2021 Sergey wanted more. The engine was fully refreshed, part of which entailed sleeving the cylinders and fitting CP-Carrillo forged pistons and FCP connecting rods for strength. It would need that with an ESS VT-560 supercharger kit entering picture too.
To help the engine breathe better, a custom exhaust system from manifolds to tailpipes was fitted, and at the other end larger fuel injectors, an AEM water/methanol injection system and a re-programmed factory ECU were added. The result is 640hp and 510Nm.
It’s very hard to miss this BMW wagon at any parking area, mostly due to the bright blue OEM paint. But it’s not only that. Widened fenders (+40mm at the front and +90mm at the rear) now accommodate 19×12.5-inch and 19×14-inch Work VS-XX wheels.
Adding to this, a coilover-based air suspension system results in unbeatable fitment if you view the Touring purely from a stance perspective.
I know some people will have something to say about the fender-to-tire clearance, so I snapped a photo of the E39 in driving setup. Sergey drove it 600 miles this way to get to Wrocław, Poland for Ultrace 2021.
The most noticeable exterior detail is actually the hood – or the lack of it. Custom-modified in two pieces, it helps showcase the swapped V8. Avid BMW fans will surely note the AC Schnitzer mirrors and US-spec headlights.
If you love this 5 Series from the outside, you’ll enjoy the Titanic Blau interior. Adding to the color is a number of period-correct multimedia additions and some modern ones too.
Sergey is happy with how his Touring project panned out, and for now at least doesn’t have any further plans, except to enjoy it. Besides, he’s far too busy with another BMW project, this time centered around an 850i. If Sergey’s E39 is anything to go by, it’s sure to be something pretty special.
Vladimir Ljadov
Instagram: wheelsbywovka
[email protected]
www.wheelsbywovka.com
Additional Photos by Deniss Podnebess
Instagram: 6ec6ec
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