After two years of talking about it I finally went out and bought an E39 BMW M5, which I picked up last Friday from a BMW dealership in Maidstone. It’s a 2002 with 55k 56k miles in Lakeside Blue, black nappa leather interior, satnav, and a bunch of other extras. I’ve spent all weekend cruising round with the biggest smile on my face as it’s nothing short of immense to drive, covering roughly 800 miles in just a couple of days.

Unfortunately, that smile didn’t last as it broke down earlier today just as I left the M4. I was actually on my way back to the dealer to get something minor checked out when I pulled off the motorway at the exit, engaged third - or attempted to - and went precisely nowhere. The engine revs fine, but the clutch doesn’t seem to engage at all. So that was that, I sat at the side of the road somewhat nonplussed with the odd random past driving beeping their horn at me (another problem with owning an M5…) whilst waiting for the rescue truck to take the car back to the dealer.

No idea what it is yet but the premium for purchasing an approved used BMW has already saved me, with the recovery being free as well as the courtesy car (a very nice new 320d Touring), and the work done will be under warranty so I shouldn’t have to worry about any kind of obscene bill. One of those things I guess….