This finest 5 Series vehicle is the most powerful of all time: five litres of cubic capacity, ten cylinders, a maximum output of 507 bhp, a peak torque of 520 Newton metres and engine speeds redlining at 8,000 rpm, these are figures that speak for themselves. In an unprecedented way, these figures blur the lines between a car for everyday use and a vehicle for ambitious motor sport racing.

With its performance figures, the fourth-generation M5 once again sets the benchmark in the segment of powerful sports saloons, a niche which the first M5 carved for itself back in 1984. During the last 20 years, this first M5 and all its successors have made their mark, always setting the standard as a perfect symbiosis of a comfortable, elegant saloon for everyday use, abundant output delivered by a powerful engine and ultimate sportiness. With sales figures exceeding 20,000, the M5 has proved to be an economically successful concept which combines prodigious performance with understatement, a basic feature of all M automobiles.

The differences in design versus the basic 5 Series are discreet but consistent, giving the M5 a surprisingly high level of uniqueness in terms of looks, without questioning the common genes with the BMW model series. The modified front and rear aprons are instant eye catchers. Another difference is the modified side sills and the somewhat more prominent wheel arches. Traditionally, the M differs from the 'normal' BMW in its exclusive exterior mirror design, the four tailpipes, which have also become an unmistakable feature of all M vehicles, and the exclusive wheel design. For the first time, the M5 sports very attractive gills which are incorporated into the front side panel.