The mile-muncher 5 Series is back. BMW Classic is revisiting Juha Bäckmand’s E39 after he reached a significant milestone with his luxury sedan. The mint-condition car has now covered over 1,000,000 kilometers (621,371 miles) since it rolled off the assembly line more than 29 years ago. Finished in Glacier Green, it was built on June 10, 1996, and has been in Bäckmand’s possession from day one.
To celebrate the achievement, Bäckmand figured the best way was to buy a brand-new BMW. It’s also a 5 Series, but that’s where the similarities end. For starters, it’s a fully electric i5 in an all-wheel-drive specification. It’s also more practical, as he opted for the Touring version. The Oxid Grey metallic paint might be a bit bolder, but nothing quite matches the clean design of the E39.
Unsurprisingly, social media is already buzzing with comments, many claiming the EV won’t last nearly as long as the 523i. You could make a similar argument about most modern cars when compared to their predecessors, as this isn’t a BMW-specific issue. It’s too early to say whether Juha Bäckmand intends to get anywhere near the mileage of his cherished E39.
That said, based on his track record, this i5 Touring is in excellent hands. We reckon it will be treated just as carefully. Reaching a million kilometers in an EV isn’t unheard of, just ask Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg, who covered an astounding 2,444,999 kilometers (1.51 million miles) in his Tesla Model S as of late last month. However, it’s worth noting that the car went through four battery packs and 14 electric motors, so it’s far from its original state.
Hopefully, we’ll receive an update on the BMW i5 in the years to come, particularly regarding its long-term durability. Juha Bäckmand seems like the ideal person to test the G61’s reliability and compare it to his E39 survivor.
Source: BMW Classic / Instagram
