BMW M5

Our verdict

The BMW M5 has a 5.0-litre V10, 200mph-possible performance and seating for four plus luggage. That’s a Top Gear kind of car.

Comfort

Stick the car in ‘comfort' and you'll be hard-pressed to tell this wasn't a 530i. Be warned that the full-auto mode on the seven-speed sequential manual isn't anywhere near as good as a trad torque converter auto though.

Performance

There's 400bhp to play with until you press the ‘power' button, then you get the full 507bhp from that 5.0-litre V10. There's 384lb ft of torque and 62mph comes up in just 4.7 seconds. If you de-restrict the car from its usual 155mph cuff, you won't stop hauling until you see 205mph on the dial. A rocket ship with leather seats and room for golf clubs.

Cool

Very. The M5 manages to avoid the M3's slightly eager image and be an absolute street-fighting gent.

Quality

Rock solid car, the M5. This is BMW's flagship, and it shows.

Handling

Comes with BMW's high-performance adjustable suspension set-up, so you can fiddle with the damper rates. The car is set up quite hard, but it deals with bumps and lumps well considering how much lateral grip it can generate. There's something quite exceptional about a car of this size and shape that can corner so brilliantly.

Practicality

There's an equally ballistic Touring version of the M5 should you need to cart terrified dogs around, but unless you have livestock, there's not much need to stray from a saloon. The M5 is as big and comfy as any other 5-Series.

Running costs

Group 20, teens for mpg - this isn't a Smart. But look at what you do get for £65k - a living legend. And the used trade can't get enough of them.