It’s never easy to follow a legend. When your precursor is known as “the greatest sports sedan ever produced,” it leaves some big shoes to fill. That was the situation the E60 M5 found itself in upon its debut in 2003. The simple, classic E39 styling was replaced by styling that was largely misunderstood initially, being criticized for its over-styling and slightly odd rear end. What people didn’t realize at the time was that BMW’s innovative new design language would set the tone for countless other manufacturers in the future, and now, 20 years later, the E60 M5 is looked upon as a classically good-looking car. In many ways, the E60 epitomizes BMW in this era where they were finding massive success in nearly every segment, and was a moonshot car for them with an interior that offered incredible luxury, and an engine that was like nothing ever put in a production car- let alone an executive sedan.

The true masterpiece of the E60 M5 is the V10 -known as the S85-that sits under the hood. This was one of the very few times in BMW M history, they developed an engine that was not based on any other engine in the brand’s stable. This all-alloy 90-degree 5.0 liter V10 is fitted with four valves per cylinder and individual throttle bodies, producing 500 horsepower at 7,750 rpm and 384 lb-ft of torque at 6,100 rpm. Although BMW claimed a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, Car and Driver were able to make the run in 4.2 seconds, with 100 mph coming up in just 9.4 and BMW’s electronically limited 155 mph top end was actually more like 190 mph when the limiter was removed. This engine sends power through a 7-speed SMG III single-clutch automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters. The E60 was the first M5 offered with anything other than a 3-pedal manual, but the choice made sense given the car’s expanding appeal among executives and those looking to use the car as a daily driver. Although this gearbox is happy trundling around town, operating much like a standard automatic, shifts could be dialed in on the center console, swapping gears in a staggering 65 milliseconds in full-on track mode.