2003 BMW M5

Few car names strike as much fear in the hearts and minds of sports car drivers as the two little characters, M5. Anybody who's gotten their doors blown off by a BMW M5 while driving their Porsche Boxster or Mercedes-Benz SLK knows exactly what we're talking about. For those fortunate enough to own an M5, you've experienced what it's like to grin from ear to ear while piloting what many feel is the best sedan ever built, and possibly one of the best passenger cars to ever grace the world's roads.


While some may think that this statement is going overboard with praise for the M5, consider that the M5 is powered by a 394 horsepower 4.9-liter V-8 that can accelerate it from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. While there are plenty of two-seat sports cars that boast stats like these, the M5 offers up this awesome performance while providing room for 5 adults and a reasonably large trunk.

BMW M does a good job at setting its automobiles apart from their regular-production counterparts with tasteful aesthetic accents.

This current M5 made its debut as a 2000 model and is the 3rd generation in a line of M5s that first launched in 1984. Like all M models, the M5 is engineered and assembled by BMW's M division, which produces high performance versions based on regular BMW models. The M5's engine is a version of the 4.0-liter V-8 that powers the 540i. To get the extra .9 liter of displacement, the cylinder bore has been increased from 92.0-mm to 94.0-mm, while the stroke has been lengthened from 82.7-mm to 89.0-mm.


Engine breathing is a top priority and BMW developed a special induction system for the M5 engine. Air flows into a voluminous carbon-fiber plenum atop the engine and then is fed to the individual cylinders controlled not by a single throttle blade like most engines, but by eight individual electronic throttles, one for each cylinder. These throttles bring atmospheric pressure much closer to the cylinders, thus eliminating the lag time inherent in airflow and allowing the engine to react more quickly to throttle movements.


This engine produces 368 lb.-ft. of torque and is equipped with BMW's renowned Double VANOS system that sleeplessly varies the timing of both intake and exhaust valves to enhance low- to medium-rpm torque. Spent exhaust gases are routed through double-wall stainless-steel headers and into a great-sounding dual exhaust system that dumps into four macho-looking stainless-steel outlets. Transmitting all of this torque is a smooth-shifting Getrag 6-speed manual transmission that feeds into a limited-slip differential with a 3.15:1 gear.