The Secret W10 BMW M5 That Ferdinand Piëch Built
The Secret W10 BMW M5 That Ferdinand Piëch Built
Imagine spotting a clean, black E39 BMW M5 at a cars and coffee. Nice car, sure, but youve seen dozens. Then you notice a small sticker on the window: “Prototype W-10 engine running in BMW M5.” Suddenly, youre not looking at just another classic sport sedan. Youre looking at a piece of automotive history that almost nobody knew existed.
Thats exactly what Broad Arrow will auction on October 9th: a one-of-one E39 M5 that served as the daily driver for Ferdinand Piëch, the legendary CEO of Volkswagen, and its powered by a prototype W-10 engine that never made it into production. If youre a genuine car nerd, this might be the most fascinating car headed to auction this year.
The Mad Genius Behind the W-10
To understand why this car matters, you need to know a little about Piëch. In the 1990s, he was obsessed with Volkswagens VR engine design. The VR6 is a clever piece of engineering: its a narrow-angle V-shaped engine, but it uses only one cylinder head. The angle of the V is so narrow, and the cylinder spacing is so tight, that all the cylinders sit in a single bank. That makes it simpler than a traditional V-6 and far more compact.
Piëch wanted to scale that idea up. He dreamed of bigger, more powerful engines that still fit into tight engine bays. That line of thinking eventually led to the Bugatti W-16, which uses four banks of four cylinders but only two cylinder heads. In a way, the W-16 is just two VR8s stuck together. But before the W-16, Piëchs team built a prototype W-10. And they needed something to put it in.
At the same time, Piëch wanted Volkswagen Group to build a sport sedan that could rival the BMW M5. So why not test the prototype in what was, at the time, the best sport sedan in the world? Piëch had the W-10 stuffed into an E39 M5 and used it as his personal car for testing. Only three of these prototype W10 engines were ever built. One is in this car. Another actually comes with it on a sta nd so the new owner can inspect it. The third is in Germany somewhere, likely locked in a secret VW vault.
Whats Under the Hood
That monster W-10 made 473 horsepower and 437 lb-ft of torque, paired to a six-speed manual. While everything under the hood was custom designed—like the air intake and cooling system—this engine has been in use ever since and continuously maintained. Since VW did go on to make W-8 and W-16 engines, its said to have been serviced using VW catalog parts, and its most recent service was in 2025.
The current owner has had it for about 10 years, registered in Slovakia, and has been driving it regularly. Theres no telling how many miles are on it, as it doesnt have a proper odometer, but it looks to be in pristine condition.
A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
From the outside, youd never know this was anything other than a stock 2000 BMW M5. Well, as long as you dont see the stickers that say “Prototype W-10 engine running in BMW M5.” Other than that, it looks like a normal Carbon Black E39 M5. Inside, its black interior and wood trim are almost entirely stock. The only differences are the custom Stack semi-digital gauge cluster and center console gauges with a red kill switch. It was a prototype, after all.
Why It Matters
Broad Arrow estimates that it will sell for somewhere between 250,000 and 350,000 euros. That seems like a steal. This is a genuine one-of-one E39 BMW M5 project car powered by a prototype Volkswagen engine, spearheaded by an automotive legend, and whose engine was the precursor to the mighty Bugatti W-16. Whoever owns this will have something not even the richest people on Earth can buy. And its also probably incredible to drive.
So if youve ever dreamed of owning a piece of secret automotive history—a car that blends BMWs best chassis with Volkswagens wildest engineering experiment—this might be your once-in-a-lifetime chance. Just dont forget to check the oil. Its a prototype, after all.
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Mike Brown
Mike Brown – One of those authors who helps readers not get lost in today's news flow. He dives into political affairs as well as world events, social trends, and everyday stories that matter to everyone. The main focus of his work is fact-checking, clear language, and the ability to lay out the key points so that the reader gets a comprehensive and reliable picture of the topic in just a few minutes.
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