Your One and Only

Currently, the Florida lotto is up to $18 million. I know this as I pass a sign for it every morning on the way into work. And everyday I pass the sign and I think the same thing: " what laundry list of absurd cars would I buy with that money?"

However, that point has been exhausted and for me, it's frivilous because 1. I don't play the lotto 'cause I don't like giving free money away(Andy, that one's for you) and 2. that same laundry list of cars changes every 2.5 seconds, with only one exception...but I'll get to that shortly. So, since we've established that whatever insane variety of cars $18 mil can buy you is boring, that brings us to the question of the day:

If you had to have only one car, money isn't an object and it's something you had to live with then what would it be?

My answer? the 1999-2003 BMW E39 M5. I think it's close to the best car someone could own. Why? Well, I love me some bimmers and it's faster than $@$* off the tip of a shovel.

But seriously, I believe this car will be an icon, a relic of the automotive industry before technology stepped in and removed the driver from the equation. It's powered by a naturally asipirated 4.0L V8 producing 394 ponies with a sub-5 second 0 to 60 sprint. Another car from 1999 to 2003 putting out those same numbers? Oh yeah, the Ferrari 360. I fell in love with this thing the second I turned the key on my uncle's 2002 Titanium Silver M5 during Thanksgiving 2002. Oh and did I mention it's a mid-size sedan?

So think about it: a car that is almost as fast as a Porsche Turbo, has 4 doors and can comfortably seat 4 adults and accomodate golf clubs in the trunk? That's awesome...awesome to the max, actually.

Not enough for you? well, the guys at www.gumball144.com just broke the Transcontinental Speed record using a 2000 M5. Using that car to cross the United States just over 31 hours without getting a single ticket. That's a road car being run at speeds in excess of 90MPH constantly for 31 hours. Luuuuuuuuuuuucky.

So, my ideal car is a 4-door german autobahn crusher that stopped being built nearly 5 years ago. But I don't care, I love it...fast and very functional and elegant. I'd take one of these over a $1,500,000+ Bugatti anyday.

What would you drive? If you could buy anything, from any time period or make and you could only drive this vehicle? What car do you love?

The M5 beating up Madonna(That's enough reason to love this car for me):