Risk behind owning an M5

Photojoe

Owning that car does carry quite a serious security risk.

I would just reccomend you make your house as secure as possible. There are plenty of ways to make burglars avoid your house for keys.

redman

Well all the posts prove a very interesting read.

I felt that there are just so many high powered 4 door cars out there now, the WRX's , STI's etc..... just hoped that a 00 M5 wouldn't draw the attention. I would debadge of course but anyone who knows the car knows the exhausts....unless they could be altered...mmm?

Or I could go for something like that 2 door CL on the other post, but really wanted a four door.

mick.fr

The biggest risk I see myself, is that it will make you broke as it is a seriously expensive car to maintain.

Buffman

pburns wrote: »

Who's to say a 330d or Focus ST or any other half-decent car isn't almost as much a target though? Think about these things too much and before you know it you're driving a blue Nissan Almera...

Hey!:D

Careful now.:P

btkm8unsl0w5r4

to all the young lads who would take on robbers in their house, please cop on. Its only a car for gods sake. You and your families personal well-being, bodily integrity and confidence for the rest of your life is at stake. Even if you are a big strong lad, some little junky scum will kill you because he is will to take the fight further than you cause he is mental.

If some looney junky off his head comes into your house make sure he does not have to come up to your bedroom to see you wife in bed to get it. The idea of having a code that must be entered almost guarantees they will come up and threaten you, and possibly worse.

I leave almost 150k worth of cars on my driveway every night, I make sure the keys are on the kitchen table in plain sight for somebody who is already in the house to see. I make sure my insurance is fully comp and excess is low.

Remember insurance is not just a paper disc that stop the guards stopping you at check points, its for just such a event.

Photojoe

Meadow Unkempt Servant wrote: »

to all the young lads who would take on robbers in their house, please cop on. Its only a car for gods sake. You and your families personal well-being, bodily integrity and confidence for the rest of your life is at stake. Even if you are a big strong lad, some little junky scum will kill you because he is will to take the fight further than you cause he is mental.

If some looney junky off his head comes into your house make sure he does not have to come up to your bedroom to see you wife in bed to get it. The idea of having a code that must be entered almost guarantees they will come up and threaten you, and possibly worse.

I leave almost 150k worth of cars on my driveway every night, I make sure the keys are on the kitchen table in plain sight. I make sure my insurance is fully comp and excess is low.

Remember insurance is not just a paper disc that stop the guards stopping you at check points, its for just such a event.

Might be ok for you but some people aren't happy to get pissed on their whole lives.
Why would you invite scum into your house? Surely that is more dangerous than securing your property.

MarkN

Can we please remember in the context of the thread here that the only person bothered in an M5 is of sound 'mind' and body. Junkies do not go for M5s, professional car thieves do. Junkies want cash or items they can sell for cash and quickly. High performance cars do not fit into this category!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

In all fairness the junkies go steal whatever they are told to steal (although a 6 year old M5 is unlikely to be stolen to order) mostly they are opportunists but often professional thieves send in these dummies to do the dirty work and violent stuff. Regardless of their drug use, anyone who will come into your house and threaten you with violence, is a bit unhinged and probably more unhinged than you. Personally, no matter how brave a keyboard warrior you might be, faced with a robber in the middle of the night with a knife to your eye, you aint going to win and it will probably leave you feeling insecure for a long time.

Of course secure your home. I dont leave keys on view to the outside world. But if somebody goes to the effort to break into my house they will see it there on the table, I dont want him to have to come up and see me in bed for them to get out as quick as possible.

Of course nobody is happy to be pissed on, however for the sake of my family I would put macho things aside, and live to fight another day. Ill get another car, the robber will eventually end up in jail for one thing or another, so who is the real winner?

Dont get me wrong I love my cars, I polish them, refuse to use jet washes. Get them serviced more often than necessary and join internet forums about them. I would feel gutted if they were stolen but I would feel worse if I were actually gutted.

Photojoe

Meadow Unkempt Servant wrote: »

In all fairness the junkies go steal whatever they are told to steal (although a 6 year old M5 is unlikely to be stolen to order) mostly they are opportunists but often professional thieves send in these dummies to do the dirty work and violent stuff. Regardless of their drug use, anyone who will come into your house and threaten you with violence, is a bit unhinged and probably more unhinged than you. Personally, no matter how brave a keyboard warrior you might be, faced with a robber in the middle of the night with a knife to your eye, you aint going to win and it will probably leave you feeling insecure for a long time.

Of course secure your home. I dont leave keys on view to the outside world. But if somebody goes to the effort to break into my house they will see it there on the table, I dont want him to have to come up and see me in bed for them to get out as quick as possible.

Of course nobody is happy to be pissed on, however for the sake of my family I would put macho things aside, and live to fight another day. Ill get another car, the robber will eventually end up in jail for one thing or another, so who is the real winner?

How could you ever feel safe in your house again if an intruder got in. That is unnaceptable to me.

Matt Simis

redman wrote: »

Well all the posts prove a very interesting read.

I felt that there are just so many high powered 4 door cars out there now, the WRX's , STI's etc..... just hoped that a 00 M5 wouldn't draw the attention. I would debadge of course but anyone who knows the car knows the exhausts....unless they could be altered...mmm?

Or I could go for something like that 2 door CL on the other post, but really wanted a four door.

I was the one recommending not "hiding" the keys and forcing a confrontation, but my god man, grow a pair or move somewhere you arent living on the edge.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Photojoe wrote: »

How could you ever feel safe in your house again if an intruder got in. That is unnaceptable to me.

Very true, of course I have an monitored alarm, security doors and windows and cameras around the house however if a determined thief gets into the house, I am not hiding the keys if thats what they are after. I want to sleep through to whole thing.

I think people think I leave to door open or something?. My opinion is dont hide the keys, dont worry about the car outside. Take precautions to make the car and your house less easy to seal. But for god sake if a thief is threatening you or yours with violence give it to them without a fuss.

stealthyspeeder

I think some people were raised with different values and it causes a sharp differnce in opinion about what is morally right and wrong to do (regardless of ones physical ability to take a course of action or tangible consequences to a course of action) if this horrific situation arose.

I can see the reasoning from both sides of the argument but I know which one sits with my values. I can only imagine my position would change if I had family living with me as I would not allow any potential harm to them, yet on my own, I would risk whatever was at stake not just for the car but for my own convictions. These are important in different way to money, fear and rationality, and make up a signifigant part, maybe even the backbone of your character as a human. This is not to be confused with trying to be macho, I would be quite plesant, agreeable and rational in most other aspects of my life but there is a line which cannot be crossed without consequences and breaking into my house to get the keys to my car most definately crosses this line.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I understand where you are coming from stealthyspeeder. However I do live with my family whose safety I put before my own and my convictions. The risk/reward ratio in confronting an intruder and escalting a situating that I am already intrinsically at a disadvantage to begin with, just makes no sense to me. Its this need to look after my family, and my ability to provide for them into the future that make up the backbone of my character. Cars be damned.

stealthyspeeder

Fair play to you Meadow Unkempt Servant, you are a family man, I can understand your motivation, and im sure providing for a family will provide more character challenges than personal convictions alone could! Your family affects your risk/reward ratio, however those who do not have family living with them (such as myself) are not constrained by this when making the desicion.

Just in refernce to the below, I am a (possibly comparitively) young lad and I would take on a robber in my house, but not out of macho bravado, but because it is unacceptable to me. Its something I feel to do and have given thought to, (I hope I never have to), so I dont feel that I need to "cop on"!!

Meadow Unkempt Servant wrote: »

to all the young lads who would take on robbers in their house, please cop on.

agent_smith

I was talking to the lads of bray honda center about bike thefts (not trying to jhijack here... its related). and they were telling me that they have heard of quite a few cases of lads being woken up at 4 in the morning in screaming pain as a pot of boiling water has been thrown over them. they are then told they will get the other pot unless they give the intruders the keys to their fireblade etc..

I know of another guy with an r1 (yamaha superbike) that was tricked up to the nines with ohlins , marchesinis etc.. almost 22k's worth of bike. He was off to work and started his bike in the drive way. turned to lock the door of his house and next thing he wakesup in hospital. some scumbag took a hammer to his head , potentially killing him, to get his bike and bike gear.

Listen lads, we can all be hard as nails when cornered . But it isnt worth taking a chance. The way i look at it my life is worth more than the scumbags and i for one am not prepared to put it into jeopardy for the sake of a bike or a car. Let them have it.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

so I dont feel that I need to "cop on"!!

I dont mean it in a bad way sorry if it came across that way. I just felt as you did at one time but my convictions and willingness to jeopardizes my health have mellowed with age (not old by any means). The violence I have seen (having worked in many hospitals, prisons and in bars) has show me that there is rarely a fair fight. And the guy that comes a knocking means business and will do you gross damage before you have time to clench your fist. If I am a coward for putting my person above my possessions so be it. I certainly copped on after a while that I cannot complete in violence, ferocity or savagery with these guys nor would I want to, and for that reason I would never try.

rocknchef

agent_smith wrote: »

I was talking to the lads of bray honda center about bike thefts (not trying to jhijack here... its related). and they were telling me that they have heard of quite a few cases of lads being woken up at 4 in the morning in screaming pain as a pot of boiling water has been thrown over them. they are then told they will get the other pot unless they give the intruders the keys to their fireblade etc..

I know of another guy with an r1 (yamaha superbike) that was tricked up to the nines with ohlins , marchesinis etc.. almost 22k's worth of bike. He was off to work and started his bike in the drive way. turned to lock the door of his house and next thing he wakesup in hospital. some scumbag took a hammer to his head , potentially killing him, to get his bike and bike gear.

Listen lads, we can all be hard as nails when cornered . But it isnt worth taking a chance. The way i look at it my life is worth more than the scumbags and i for one am not prepared to put it into jeopardy for the sake of a bike or a car. Let them have it.

i think storys like these are mainly urban myths, has anybody actuly seen or know of a person that this has happend to? Im no hero I leave my keys at the top of my stairs but if I come across anybody in my home I will do time. if I cant be safe and protect my castle I may as well give up the race now.

Biro

I admire all the guys who'd kick the crap outta intruders, and I'd be delighted if someone on here managed to get the upper hand on a scum. If I got the opportunity to get the upper hand on an intruder in my place, I'd go to town on the f**ker too. But you can be sure the house is up for sale that week, cause there's no way I'm waiting to be shot some morning as I go out to work.
So if someone wants my car and them getting it avoids a confrontation, then let them have it. Insurance is there for a reason, and if the car was expensive enough, a tracker with remote disabling is the answer.

Zube

Biro wrote: »

I admire all the guys who'd kick the crap outta intruders

Not me, I think they're bonkers.

But young men are generally bonkers. Nearly all crime is committed by young men, nearly all fighting is between young men, they die in disproportianate numbers on bikes and in cars, get crippled in dangerous sports and so on.

It's human nature.

rocknchef

you would sell your house over some scum bag This country is gone mad im out of here.

op hope you buy the car and I hope nothing happens to you if you buy it.

WillieCocker

Meadow Unkempt Servant wrote: »

I leave almost 150k worth of cars on my driveway every night, I make sure the keys are on the kitchen table in plain sight for somebody who is already in the house to see. .

Are you a drug dealer?
How can you use 150k worth of cars daily?

holyjoe

Zube wrote: »

Not me, I think they're bonkers.

But young men are generally bonkers. Nearly all crime is committed by young men, nearly all fighting is between young men, they die in disproportianate numbers on bikes and in cars, get crippled in dangerous sports and so on.

It's human nature.

im a young single man but i still value my own personal safety over a car any day. i think you would want to be a complete moron to risk your own
personal health over something as trivial as a car.

i mean its a lump of metal that your gona sell on and forget about in a few years and get a newer better car. its not gona cost you money becuase the insurace will cover it.

and if it a personal thing that you couldnt live with yourself by allowing them to take you car. you would feel guilty,pissed of with yourself etc.

think about how you would feel if you ended up in a wheelchair tomorrow for the rest of your life, or blind in one eye for the rest of your life or a vegtable for the rest of your life etc..
knowing your entire life is ruined and knowing that you could have avoided it all by just letting them take the car.


the links below is what happens to the likes of the keyboard heros on here


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/12/02/oap-killed-in-car-theft-fought-back-115875-20940420/

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL1485652720080514

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-152201/Three-men-jailed-car-theft-murder.html

Biro

rocknchef wrote: »

you would sell your house over some scum bag This country is gone mad im out of here.

op hope you buy the car and I hope nothing happens to you if you buy it.

Maybe you're right... maybe it is better to be shot down at your doorstep as you open it one morning on your way to work. That'll teach them scum! They'll be back with their scummy friends thinking "that poor fella, he sure taught us - dying after we shot him like that... I'm gonna change my ways."

Stevie Dakota

Anyone else think this thread is going no where? I think all the arguments have been made, again and again and again and again and again.

macnab

mick.fr wrote: »

The biggest risk I see myself, is that it will make you broke as it is a seriously expensive car to maintain.

An M5 doesnt cost much more than a standard BMW, in 14 months of M5 ownership tyres are the only expensive item i have had to buy, 700 for 4 eagle F1's fitted. 6000 miles later and i cant detect any signs of wear. Service items are standard BMW so no extra cost there. The only thing i would point out is i bought the 02 model because the double vanos system had been updated. Those can cost 10k to fix in older cars.

Pkiernan

Anan1 wrote: »

Which is more likely, I wonder - that dog saving your car or that dog eating your child's face?

The dog saving the car is far more likely.

qz

WillieCocker wrote: »

Are you a drug dealer?
How can you use 150k worth of cars daily?

You don't have to be a drug dealer to be able to afford €150k worth of cars, at all. Hard work in a well-paid job and a bit of good fortune. That's what I'd put it down to 99% of the time. (For fitzgeme I'd wager his particular profession is dentistry, a wild stab in the dark).

WillieCocker

qz wrote: »

(For fitzgeme I'd wager his particular profession is dentistry, a wild stab in the dark).

I'd guess he's suicidal then.
No wonder he leaves his keys on the hall table all the time.:D

Stevie Dakota

macnab wrote: »

An M5 doesnt cost much more than a standard BMW, in 14 months of M5 ownership tyres are the only expensive item i have had to buy, 700 for 4 eagle F1's fitted. 6000 miles later and i cant detect any signs of wear. Service items are standard BMW so no extra cost there. The only thing i would point out is i bought the 02 model because the double vanos system had been updated. Those can cost 10k to fix in older cars.

Maybe you were lucky, or maybe TotalBMW ( I think it was them) was unlucky, the amount of warranty work required to their M5 was frightening, everything seems to cost a fortune.

CianRyan

qz wrote: »

a wild stab in the dark

Carefull, you could scare an M5 owner with those kinda words.

Really like, i can't help but laugh at half the posts in this thread.
Its nice to know a few people have a bit of cop on.

If you have a car like that, great. You've got a lovely car and something to be proud of.

The thought of a theif should not deter you from buying a nice car at all.
My road, right smack bang in the middle of TALLAGHT, has new mercs parked on it every year, there's a €40k skyline up the road and plenty of BMWs. Not once has there been any trouble with people trying to steal their cars, last time there was criminal activity in my area was when a few lads hopped into my back garden to try and get my push bike. As soon as they saw movement in the house they fled, i saw who it was and reported them. End of story.

There was no need to get violent or confront them, the worst thing you can do is back them into a corner, they'll most likely pull a knife on you.

What I'm saying it, there's no worry in having nice and expencive cars, sure there might be a few of them stollen and some horrible stories floating around, but how do you know these are all even true?
Do you not get on planes for the same reason, the plain could fail or terroists might be on board?
No, of course not, you know why?
It's irrational, just like it is to be so worried about having some one break into your house for your car.

Most theives will want to be in and out quikely with out anyone knowing they were ever their anyway.
If you are that worried, install cameras in and around your house, leave the keys in a place where they are easy to see and get fully comp insurance.
Once you realise the car is gone, let the law/insurance deal with it.

It's mental that some one wouldn't buy a nice car because of a few arseholes, just mental.

macnab

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Maybe you were lucky, or maybe TotalBMW ( I think it was them) was unlucky, the amount of warranty work required to their M5 was frightening, everything seems to cost a fortune.

I bought a well looked after car with a full service history from a loving (and wealthy)
Owner.

Biro

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Anyone else think this thread is going no where? I think all the arguments have been made, again and again and again and again and again.

... but it's fun though...

Signpost

Think of the positives, if after 6 years it has any faults put a steering wheel lock on it in a dodgy estate, verify your fire and theft insurance and walk away...

whiterebel

Matt Simis wrote: »

I dunno, depends how many bats you have and how hungry they are.

, Sorry serious topic I know, but that was a coffee meets keyboard moment....


BTW, that Dogo isn't a dog its a shaved shetland........

redman

Matt Simis wrote: »

I was the one recommending not "hiding" the keys and forcing a confrontation, but my god man, grow a pair or move somewhere you arent living on the edge.

Love it!

teetotaller

many of you wrote about car keys stolen from home - if you can afford m5 , pay for petrol , service probably you are not on the dole or minimum wage - why won't you spend few euro on anti thief windows ( glass cannot be broken) and better door, back door and locks ?

I'd love to get upgraded locks, knobs, windows, but i'm only renting and I can't. But if you are house owner you can easily get something better than standard doors that can be kicked and opened.

these locks we have in our houses are very easy to open ( of course I'm not a thief myself) - I was watching a document some time ago about thiefs and they simply have set of 50 - 100 keys and re trying to open door. these standard locks we have don't have any atests and can be very easily duplicated. - there are locks with keys on the market that can't be duplicated and door just can't be opened without proper key. And door have few security bolts so they cant be kicked out from the frames.


From another point it is good to be an immigrant and have polish satellite dish in the front of the house - scumbags may think that there are 10 people living there in 2 bed house and nobody would like to enter place with 10 big bold head drank builders to steal bmw keys

Jack Bauer999

teetotaller wrote: »

From another point it is good to be an immigrant and have polish satellite dish in the front of the house - scumbags may think that there are 10 people living there in 2 bed house and nobody would like to enter place with 10 big bold head drank builders to steal bmw keys

yes because we widely know to have the richest polish community in the world
working in ireland, so much so that the polish builders even have M5's sitting outside thier door even though they have to share a bedroom with 4 other people.

i think that plan may be slightly flawed.

cianclarke

Maybe not an M5, but some of those lads have fairly tasty (LHD) cars, and for the most part they know how to keep them, fair play!

Maruney

You are being over paronid IMO, Id be alert in an 08 or 09 model for a while.
Of course its a joyrider's dream but there hasn't been as many incidents to justify your being so nervous.
Not like Golf GTI's in the 80's and 90's especially in the uK.

Eoin

Theft on order and joyriding are two things, but the other is that performance 4 door saloons that are relatively inconspicuous are popular for armed robbery. My dad's Alfa 156 was taken for this purpose last year from a very quiet apartment complex.

unkel

eoin wrote: »

performance 4 door saloons that are relatively inconspicuous are popular for armed robbery.

This was very common in the mid 90s. At one point there wasn't a single Volvo 850 T5 (turbo) in the Dublin area that hadn't been stolen, or attempted to be stolen. Another popular car was the Lexus LS 400 (looks like a boggo Toyota) and they tried to take my father-in-law's brand new Rover 620TI (turbo). Indeed all very inconspicious cars with plenty of poke.

voxpop

So the lesson is the get a conspicuous performance car. Dont de-badge the M5, add some extra badges and a spoiler


edit : not being serious

Eoin

I think the lesson is get what you want, but don't risk you or your family's safety over a piece of metal that can be replaced.

focus_mad

Biro wrote: »

I admire all the guys who'd kick the crap outta intruders, and I'd be delighted if someone on here managed to get the upper hand on a scum. If I got the opportunity to get the upper hand on an intruder in my place, I'd go to town on the f**ker too. But you can be sure the house is up for sale that week, cause there's no way I'm waiting to be shot some morning as I go out to work.
So if someone wants my car and them getting it avoids a confrontation, then let them have it. Insurance is there for a reason, and if the car was expensive enough, a tracker with remote disabling is the answer.

before "going to town" on them (not that i'm condoning it whatsoever) but I heard you have to ask an intruder to exit your home before you lay in to them however if they come up the stairs it is self-defence... I think there was a case in the UK where a house was broken into for keys to a high performance motor and the homeowner kicked 7 shades out of him and the criminal tried to sue...

btkm8unsl0w5r4

WillieCocker wrote: »

Are you a drug dealer?
How can you use 150k worth of cars daily?

My wife and I both have cars, hers is more expensive than mine (:(). Its amazing how the cost adds up. Also the availability of easy credit some time back did not help. We both take our car to work.

I love cars, and always wanted a good one so when I could I got one. Then after watching 1,000,000 episodes of top gear on Dave, my wife was eventually brainwashed into getting a good car too.

As for being suicidal, the only thing that makes me feel depressed is the amount of Spam on the Dental Issues forum.

unkel

focus_mad wrote: »

before "going to town" on them (not that i'm condoning it whatsoever) but I heard you have to ask an intruder to exit your home before you lay in to them however if they come up the stairs it is self-defence... I think there was a case in the UK where a house was broken into for keys to a high performance motor and the homeowner kicked 7 shades out of him and the criminal tried to sue...

It's different over here though. Remember the case of the farmer vs the member of the travelling community? You can injure intruders, finish them off while they are trying to escape, dump their bodies and still get away with it.

WillieCocker

Meadow Unkempt Servant wrote: »

My wife and I both have cars, hers is more expensive than mine (:(). Its amazing how the cost adds up. Also the availability of easy credit some time back did not help. We both take our car to work.

I love cars, and always wanted a good one so when I could I got one. Then after watching 1,000,000 episodes of top gear on Dave, my wife was eventually brainwashed into getting a good car too.

As for being suicidal, the only thing that makes me feel depressed is the amount of Spam on the Dental Issues forum.

.
That forum is like pulling teeth.

Biro

unkel wrote: »

It's different over here though. Remember the case of the farmer vs the member of the travelling community? You can injure intruders, finish them off while they are trying to escape, dump their bodies and still get away with it.

He didn't dump the body, he threw him over the wall to get him off his property!
Ah f**k it, I'm glad that farmer got away with that.

redman

Hi All

Thought I'd let you know I am going for it and getting rid of my 3.2 V8 , looking forward to finding the right one now!

Cheers for all the comments!

Eoin

Best of luck with the search