When BMW converted from the E36 to E46 3-series in 1998, they continued to sell the M3 in the E36 body style for almost two years after the conversion, (MY '98 and '99). Then the M3 went out of production for 2000, and the E46 M3 was introduced in '01.

If the M5 follows a similar pattern, there could be E39 M5's for at least 2 years yet. I'm not saying the M5 WILL follow this pattern, but it could.

Craig

fyi - I took delivery of my '99 M3 coupe in May '99 - it was produced in April; the last month of production was May '99 for the E36 M3 coupes; they probably made non-M3 coupes for a few months more; other M production tidbits: looks like the MZ3s go out of production in May '02, other Z3s will be built until Aug. 2; so it looks like they have a history of ending M versions of a body style earlier than non-M versions (leading credance to the rumer that E39 M5 production ends in Dec. '02 and other E39s end end-of-2003 model year.

I also believe that the E39 started in model year 1996; the E39 M5 I think started shipping in model year 2000 - 4 years later!! Hopefully it won't that that long for the E60 M5 to be ready for production...but (again) with a new engine, at least 2 years, i.e. model year 2006, could be likely for an M5 to reappear in the E60 body style...