BMW e60

If there was ever a King of cars the BMW M5 would have to be it. Just recently, production ended on the E60 M5 series with just over 20,000 cars produced. This is even more cars than the prior generation of God like autos made by BMW, which was technically known as the E 39 M5.

The E60 M5 is equipped with one of the most amazing engines ever put into a production car-a 10 cylinder 507 hp monster capable of gobbling up road, gasoline and your credit limit faster than you just read this sentence. What is sad about the end of the E60 M5 production run, is that it brings to an end the last of the BMW M cars' naturally aspirated performance engines.

The new engines are a smaller block, which are twin turbocharged 4.4 L V8's rumored to be pumping out somewhere around 560 hp and 530 foot-pounds of mind bending concrete crushing torque.

Regardless of which car you purchase, or dream of purchasing-none of the BMW M5' are your typical grocery -- getters. These are really best described as rabies infected, insane wolves in the proverbial, conservative, German sheep's clothing.

The E60 M5 will remain as one of the most technologically advanced cars ever produced by BMW with features like individual throttle bodies for their V10 S 82 engine-which delivers knife edge sharp throttle response at the flick of your right foot.

Unleashing this car in P 500 sport mode is something you have to experience to understand. But don't expect to buy this car and feel good about your carbon footprint, because with two fuel pumps on tap and something like 11 miles to the gallon average fuel economy you will no doubt be public enemy number one for the green mafia.

But people don't buy these cars to feel good about how much gas they put in, or how many times they have to replace the rear tires -- they want to be able to have the practicality of a beautiful, conservative, classy four-door sedan and world beating supercar performance in one vehicle.

The design of the E60 M5 has been much maligned by the public and automotive journalists. Chris Bangle was the chief designer for BMW and the Mini group for many years, during which of course the E60 was marketed. Many people call the design "Bangled" and you either really love it or you hate it. However with near 4 second 0 to 60 times blowing your mind, somehow the look of the car becomes less important if it was initially off-putting for you.

Although we have already talked about it, the power plant is inspired from BMWs now defunct association with the BMW McLaren F1 race team. It was a relationship built on technical precision and wringing every possible bit of horsepower out of current and technically advanced engine physics.

Is the BMW E60 M5 the ultimate sports sedan? That depends on how you see this fourth-generation of M5 automobile Yes it is the most powerful car that you can buy in the BMW series of automobiles and compared to the prior generation you are looking at close to a 30% gain in power-and let's not forget that this engine has surpassed that ethereal barrier of 100 hp per liter, which is synonymous with that of present day racecars.