--- title: "Mate Rimac Drives an E39 BMW M5 to His Day Job as a Hypercar CEO" date: "2024-11-15" modified: "2024-11-15" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/mate-rimac-drives-an-e39-bmw-m5-to-his-day-job-as-a-hypercar-ceo" categories: - "BMW News" - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "BMW" - "luxury" - "M5" - "sedan" - "sports car" --- # Mate Rimac Drives an E39 BMW M5 to His Day Job as a Hypercar CEO ![A screenshot from Mate Rimac's Instagram post showing him getting his E39 M5 into gear, next to a photo of a E39 M5.]() *\@materimac via Instagram, BMW\* From the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking that [Mate Rimac]() was some sort of tech bro who watches too many MKBHD videos and only drives electric cars. He is the founder and CEO of the highest-performance EV brand in the world, after all. However, Rimac is a genuine gearhead, just like you and I, and has a great collection of piston-powered cars. More to the point, his collection isn’t just for show—he drives his cars daily, as evidenced by his recent [Instagram]() video, showing off his E39-generation BMW M5. In the short video clip, we see Rimac jamming to Bobby Caldwell as he walks to his company parking spot, where his E39 M5 spent the day waiting for him. He throws his bag in the back, gets in the M5, and starts it. That’s where the clip ends, though. It would’ve been cool to get an engine rev or something, though, Mate. His E39 M5 isn’t his only classic gas-powered performance car, though. It isn’t even his only classic BMW. Rimac has [owned a collection of kickass Bimmers]() for years, including an E30 M3 Evo II, an F90 M5, and—my personal favorite—an E85 BMW Z4 M Coupe. You need to be at least a little bit of a BMW nerd to want a Z4 M Coupe, as it wasn’t hugely popular and was mostly forgotten by everyone except Bimmerphiles. However, it’s arguably more fun than the iconic E46 M3, as it has the same engine but in a lighter, smaller, and better-looking package. \[Editor's note: Better looking than an E46? You can't just say things like that on the internet!\] So Rimac owning and regularly driving an E39 M5 actually makes sense—he knows his Bimmers. Considering how minty fresh it looks, he might not drive it as often as he lets on, but it’s in his rotation, which is good enough. > [View this post on Instagram]() > [A post shared by Mate Rimac (@materimac)]() Of all his classic cars, the E39 M5 is one of his most old-school. Not only does it have a naturally aspirated V8 and manual transmission, but it even uses a recirculating ball steering rack, rather than a far more modern rack-and-pinion system. The E39 M5 provides as pure a sport sedan feel as you’re going to get, so it’s cool to see the founder of an electric supercar company driving one. But maybe his passion for the old ways shouldn’t be surprising, given that he’s also the man who helped stuff a [naturally aspirated V16 engine]() in the new Bugatti. *Got tips? Send ‘em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()