[Auto] These Are 10 Of The Greatest Cars From BMW’s M Division

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Built in the early 1970s, the E9 3.0 CSL was the first BMW M touring coupe. Apart from achieving the fastest production-car lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the 3.0 CSL managed to take home six European Touring Car Championship trophies. The car featured aggressively flared fenders and a massive rear wing that earned it the nickname “Batmobile.” Although it was not officially badged as an M car, the 3.0 CSL is still one of the best BMW M cars in history. Its legendary performance made it the face of BMW’s Motorsports efforts and forged the way for other M cars. Produced between 1984 and 1989, the E24 M635CSi is one of the best cars to ever come out of BMW’s M division with confidence enough to represent its era with style and class. The M635CSi, often considered the top model in the E24 series, embodied the ultimate combination of luxury and wild performance. Considered avant-garde in its time, today, the E24 M635CSi is one of the most sought-after classic BMWs thanks to its typical M characteristics. The car is powered by the M88 in-line 6-cylinder engine established by the legendary BMW M1. After BMW’s withdrawal from F1 racing in 1986, its Motorsport division diverted its efforts to touring-car racing. This pivot brought to life one of the most adored M cars, the original BMW M3. Under its hood was a DOHC 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 192 horsepower. This mill helped the M3 win more than 1500 races, including two European Touring-Car Championships and two DTM trophies. In 1990, the M division released 600 models of the M3 in a lightweight, racing-spec Sport Evolution semblance. The Sport Evolution represented the zenith of the revered M3 and came with a more powerful, 2.5-liter four-cylinder powerplant that delivered 235 horsepower. Even before the M5 adopted an eight-cylinder engine to become the peerless E39 M5 in 1998, it had already built a legacy itself. It was one of the fastest sports sedans of the 20th century. Under its hood lay a sonorous 5.0-liter V-8 engine that produced 394 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. The massive V8 was paired with a six-speed manual transmission and the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. With intuitive controls, stunning body design, and a business-class cabin, the E39 M5 was one of the most desirable sedans of its time. Even in the modern days, the E39 is widely regarded as a benchmark sports sedan. In 2003, BMW M released yet another beautiful version of the M3, the E46 M3 CSL. The car borrowed its lightweight sports coupe nomenclature from the iconic 3.0 CSL but focused more on reduced weight. BMW used carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic on the door panels, the center console, front and rear bumpers, and the roof. These weight-cutting efforts reduced the car's curb weight to just slightly above 3,000 pounds, 243 pounds lighter than the standard M3. BMW naturally added power to the M3's 3.2-liter inline-six engine from 343 to 360 horsepower. A touch of a button on the steering wheel activated a Track driving mode. The E46 M4 CSL accelerated from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds with the launch control function activated. M cars were not powered by V8 engines until 1998 when the then-new E39 M5 debuted with one. The next-generation E60 M5 took things a notch higher by adding two more cylinders to the already mighty V8. The 2007 E61 was powered by a 5.0-liter V-10 powerplant inspired by BMW's F1 racing engines. The 10-cylinder engine produced 500 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, redlining at a screaming 8250 rpm. What made the E61 M5 so special was that it brought back the station-wagon body style to the lineup. Who doesn't love V10 screaming under the hood of their family hauler anyways? BMW M cars did not have all-wheel-drive systems until 2010 when the original X5 M and X6 M SUVs debuted. Both muscle SUVs came with BMW's corporate V8 that powered the X5 and X6, 5-series, and 7-series. The V8 was upgraded with twin-scroll turbochargers and BMW's first-ever crossover exhaust manifold. Although many BMW fans didn't love the tall SUVs, the E71's mill produced 555 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque that helped the massive vehicle go from 0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds. In 2016, BMW M decided to do things differently by building a special edition M4, the F82 M4 GTS. This was not a car for everybody; it was made available for a select group of 300 lucky Americans. The GTS was an M4 coupe running an innovative water-injection system that helped boost the twin-turbocharged inline-six engine's power from the base coupe's 425 horsepower to 493 horsepower. This power also helped push the GTS around the Nürburgring in a blistering seven minutes and 28 seconds. The two-door also set a time of 2:52.9 around Virginia International Raceway, around 8 seconds quicker than the regular M4. With a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.2 seconds according to BMW, the latest-generation F90 M5 is one of the quickest M cars ever produced. The vehicle achieves these impressive numbers with the latest and the most muscular version of BMW's corporate V-8 engine. The twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 produces 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, 40 hp and 53 lb-ft more potent than its predecessor. A new M-specific all-wheel-drive system called M xDrive helps distribute this massive power to the pavement, allowing the F90 M5 to achieve its swift acceleration. Here comes the mighty king of the M lineup, the M8 Competition. At the heart of this powerful missile of a car lies BMW's S63 twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine with 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. The standard M8 produces 600 horsepower. The massive V8 powerplant is paired with BMW's M-specific all-wheel-drive system, the M xDrive, which sends power to the rear wheels. The M8 Competition accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 10.7 seconds at 129 mph.