BMW M5

What is it?

A BMW 5-series with the BMW Motorsport treatment has always been a tempting idea, and the current version is the most extreme of the lot. It has a 5.0-litre, 507bhp V10 engine, a seven-speed sequential-shift transmission and fat, deep-dished wheels which are the only immediate visual clue to the fireworks potential within. Made in both saloon and estate-car guises, the latter surely the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle.

What’s hot?

• That engine, able to rev to 8250rpm with a sound like a last-generation F1 car
• The pace, with 62mph in 4.8 seconds if you use the brutal launch control
• The grip and handling, making this big car ludicrously agile
• The fact that a lot of people won