Few things are as fantastic in this world as a BMW M Product. BMW’s mastermind performance division has created some of the best-driving, most impressive, and downright gorgeous cars ever to grace the streets or the track. Sedans, coupes, sports cars, SUVS; everything it touches is guaranteed to be an absolute banger. There isn’t a vehicle BMW makes that M can’t make better, and that’s because the division knows just what it needs to elevate and leave alone with each model without taking away what makes each model so great in the first place.
BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW’s first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.
Founded 1916
Founder Karl Rapp
Headquarters Munich, Germany
Owned By Publicly Traded
Current CEO Oliver Zipse
Over the years, the division has worked its magic on everything from its four-cylinder models to its monster V12 saloons, but not all M versions are created equal. We all love the glorious V8 roar from an E90 M3, but we can all agree the rest of the package left a little to be desired. This got us thinking: What are the greatest 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-cylinder cars the division has ever made? It’s tough picking favorites, but after some deliberation, a few models rose to the top as the brand’s all-time greats, and we think you’ll agree with most of our picks.
1 Best 4-Cylinder M Car: BMW E30 M3
Model
BMW E30 M3
Engine
S14 2.3-liter Inline-Four
Power Output
192 hp
Torque
170 lb-ft
Top Speed
146 mph
0-60 mph
6.9 seconds
Years Produced
1986-1991
The E30 M3 is not just a car; it’s an icon of BMW’s racing heritage and a touchstone for the M Division. Created to meet homologation requirements for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) and Group A racing series, it turned the 3 Series into a genuine high-revving masterpiece that changed the way we looked at BMW forever. Under the hood is the legendary S14 2.3-liter 4-cylinder that underwent a host of changes to produce a blistering 192 horsepower. While that may not seem like a lot by today’s standards, it was great for the time, and what’s more important is how it worked in conjunction with the rest of the car.
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Connected to a five-speed manual and sending all that power to the rear wheels, the car underwent a comprehensive weight-shedding program that saw almost all the panels on the car change to get the weight down a hard below 2,500 lbs. It now wore an aggressive body kit dominated by a bold front splitter and a large rear wing and had a 53:47 front/rear weight balance. It was agile, responsive, and quick. Immediately, the world fell in love.
What made it truly special was its motorsport pedigree. The E30 M3 won multiple championships and became synonymous with BMW’s racing legacy, proving the M brand’s commitment to performance. Only 5,300 models ever made it to our shores, and today they’re sought after by enthusiasts and collectors alike. It’s the one that started it all, and we’re forever grateful for it.
2 Best 6-Cylinder M Car: BMW M3 E46
Model
BMW M3 E46
Engine
S54 3.2-liter Inline-Six
Power Output
333 hp
Torque
262 lb-ft
Top Speed
155 mph
0-60 mph
4.8 seconds
Years Produced
2000-2006
Many consider the E46 M3 to be the greatest M3 of all time, and we’re definitely a part of that group. It was the first time BMW finally gave the 3 Series the comprehensive update the model deserved, perfectly blending luxury and technology in a package that was still analog and tactile in all the right ways. It wasn’t the first M3 with an inline-six under the hood. That honor goes to the E36, but the E46’s powerplant finally gave the car the power it deserved thanks to the legendary S54 3.2-liter inline-six engine. In the US, the model makes 333 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, helping the model hit 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Oh, and the redline was a sky-high 7,900 RPM.
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You had the choice of either a 6-speed manual or the simulated manual gearbox, and every single enthusiast will tell you to get one with the manual if you can. Sure, the model had gained almost 1,000 lbs in two generations, but that didn’t hurt handling, as the car still had an extremely agile chassis, helping the car to handle the turns with confidence. The driving experience is a little snappier than a current M3, but there’s just something about the entire package that just works.
The styling has aged remarkably well too, not looking out of place with newer cars, but having an understated elegance that’s tough to find these days. The E46 M3 has become a benchmark for sports coupes, and truly embodied the dream of the “Ultimate Driving Machine”.
3 Best 8-Cylinder M Car: BMW M5 E39
Model
BMW M5 E39
Engine
S62 4.9-liter V8
Power Output
394 hp
Torque
369 lb-ft
Top Speed
155 mph
0-60 mph
4.8 seconds
Years Produced
1998-2003
BMW has made plenty of cars with incredible V8-powered models over the years, but one stands out among the rest as the very best: the E39 M5. BMW’s M division was on a roll around the turn of the century, and when the E46 M3 just wouldn’t do, you looked to the car’s older brother. The M5 had everything: elegant design, an incredible ride, and gobs of power thanks to the S62 V8 under the hood. It’s the quintessential high-performance sedan and the benchmark on which all subsequent M5s have been judged.
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Your only choice back then was a six-speed manual transmission, and anyone who’s driven one will tell you this was the correct choice. The shift action is slick and satisfying, and perfectly blends with the V8, allowing you to keep the car in the power. There are no fancy suspension settings to speak of, yet it perfectly soaks up the bumps on a long highway cruise while carefully allowing the car to dance around on a back road. It isn’t as chuckable as the M3, but there wasn’t another car on the road that had the poise and presence this one did.
The car wasn’t in-your-face either. Its styling cues were subtle. A nip here, a bulge there. Just enough menace to raise the eyebrows of enthusiasts in the know, but not enough to invite the suspicion of local law enforcement. Until you get on the accelerator, at least. Revered by enthusiasts to this day, it’s truly what we would consider a “forever car”.
4 Best 10-Cylinder M Car: BMW M5 E60
Model
BMW M5 E60
Engine
S85 5.0-liter V10
Power Output
500 hp
Torque
384 lb-ft
Top Speed
155 mph
0-60 mph
4.1 seconds
Years Produced
2005-2010
We’ll be honest with you: the E60 M5 isn’t a perfect car. Sure, it had one of the better designs of the Bangle era, but it wasn’t as timeless and effortless looking as the previous M5. The initial transmission choice, the SMG-III 7-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission, became a controversial decision because it just wasn’t smooth unless the car was being pushed to the limit, which takes away from the M5’s initial goal of being that comfortable daily driver. The introduction of iDrive also made for a frustrating infotainment experience, so really, there’s a reason many try to avoid this generation.
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There was and is only one reason you buy an E60 M5, and that’s for its engine. When BMW knocked it out of the park with the E39 M5, it knew it had to do something big for the subsequent generation, and it used its expertise in Formula 1 to introduce a V10 engine into a production sedan for the first time. The S85 5.0-liter V10 engine produced a whopping 500 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, 100 horsepower per liter, making it one of the most powerful sedans of its time.
It’s an absurd engine, one that begs to be pushed to its 8,250 rpm redline. Hearing the howl from its quad exhaust pipes is an almost spiritual experience that rewards the bold. It feels like M truly wanted this car to be pushed to its limits whenever possible. It’s just a shame it didn’t have the reliability necessary to make that a frequent occurrence. Love it or hate it, it’s one of the most audacious and thrilling vehicles BMW has ever made.
5 Best 12-Cylinder M Car: BMW 850 CSI
Model
BMW 850CSi
Engine
S70B56 5.6-liter V12
Power Output
375 hp
Torque
406 lb-ft
Top Speed
155 mph
0-60 mph
5.9 seconds
Years Produced
1992-1996
The BMW 850 CSI is the best non-M car M has ever made. When the 8 Series coupe was on sale in the early ’90s, the engineers over at M were given the secret mission of instilling the brand’s flagship coupe with supercar performance. The result was a 640-horsepower V12 prototype called the M8, and there was hope it would go into production. Unfortunately, the Gulf War and a global recession squashed any chance of that happening, but not all hope was lost.
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The engineers were still allowed to work on the 8 Series, and the result of their efforts was the 850 CSI. This was the most powerful road-going variant of the 8 Series at the time, courtesy of a heavily revised 5.6-liter V12 that produced an exceptional 375 horsepower. The changes were so many, that the engine was officially given the “S” designation as the S70B56, making it a bonafide M engine.
The suspension was stiffened, the steering made quicker, and the styling was sharpened, but besides the “throwing star” wheels and larger brakes, there wasn’t much difference on this car from the other normal 8 Series of the time. This is how the company wanted it, as it was meant to be a restrained grand tourer with a dark side that could be unleashed at any blip of the throttle. Combine this with a sumptuous interior, and you have one of the greatest cars of the ’90s and the best V12 vehicle BMW has ever made.