There are sport sedans, and then there's the BMW M5. No other car in recent memory has been able to represent the ideal for this segment as strongly as the Bimmer. For each of its four generations, the M5 has impressively blended sports car performance, sedan utility and luxury ambiance.
The M5 is a product of BMW's performance-tuning M Division. It's based on the 5 Series sedan and historical calling cards include a unique and more powerful engine, a sport-tuned suspension, more powerful brakes, special wheels and tires and aerodynamics-enhancing bodywork. Though the current BMW M5 is the best of the group, a used third-generation car still represents a fantastic choice for a luxury sport sedan. M5s from the 1980s and '90s were also significant performers for their day but are much harder to find because of their rarity.
The current BMW M5 is a five-passenger luxury sport sedan that debuted for the 2006 model year. It's designed to offer more performance than the regular 5 Series sedan on which it's based. The car's most significant change lies under the hood. BMW has shoehorned in a 5.0-liter V10 capable of 500 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.
This normally aspirated and high-revving engine is connected to a seven-speed sequential-shift manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. Drivers can place the transmission into automatic mode or perform exceptionally quick manual gearshifts by using steering-wheel-mounted paddles. There is no clutch pedal and no other transmission is currently offered.
While BMW chose to incorporate plenty of advanced technology into the M5's drivetrain, the car's suspension has been treated to a more back-to-basics approach. Unlike the standard-issue 5 Series, the M5 lacks active steering, active roll bars or run-flat tires. What the car does have is an exceptionally well-tuned suspension setup, electronically controlled dampers, lightweight 19-inch wheels, performance tires and massive brakes.
As with previous M5s, the car doesn't sacrifice much comfort to achieve its high-performance abilities. Just about every luxury feature comes standard, and whether it's used for daily commuting, impressing clients or blasts on empty canyon roads, the BMW M5 is up to the task.
For some BMW enthusiasts, the third-generation M5 is still the best. The 5 Series on which it was based (the fourth-generation 5) was an excellent platform and highly regarded in terms of styling, size, handling and amenities. Offered from 2000-'03, this M5 featured a 4.9-liter V8 good for 394 horsepower. At the time of the car's debut, the engine's output was considered quite outrageous for a modern midsize sedan. The sole transmission choice was a six-speed manual. Eighteen-inch wheels and the requisite suspension and braking upgrades were part of the package. It will no doubt be a future classic.
Previous to this there were two M5 generations, and both are rare sights on U.S. roads today. The original BMW M5 was available for the 1988 model year only and was based on the second-generation 535i. For power, it had a version of the 3.5-liter straight six-cylinder found in the legendary M1 exotic sports car. In the U.S., it made 256 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. The sole transmission was a five-speed manual and the cars were offered with a black paint job only. Highly collectible now, it's said that only 500 were brought to the U.S.
The second-generation M5 was available from 1991 to 1993. It again had a straight six engine; this time it displaced 3.6 liters and made 310 hp. Even today, that's a figure most automakers would be very proud to boast about. European-spec cars from this period had an even more powerful version good for 340 hp. At the time, the only sedan capable of matching the BMW M5 was the Mercedes-Benz E500, which had a V8 engine.