BMW M5 CS (F90)

Set the BMW M5 CS against every V8 in this catalogue and its character sharpens immediately. Of the 216 cars here that use a V8, only 74 combine that layout with AWD, and just 16 pair both with turbocharging. Within that already narrow group, the M5 CS pushes further, reaching 627 bhp while delivering a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3 seconds. That is quick enough to rank 112th across all 600 cars, faster than 488 of them, even though its power figure sits at 161st. It is an unusual balance, one that relies on more than a single headline number.

The figures explain why. A 4.4 litre, 4,395 cc turbocharged V8 produces 627 bhp and 750 Nm, sending its output through an AWD drivetrain. Top speed stands at 305 km/h, placing it 249th in the catalogue, a reminder that this car's strongest statement is not a pursuit of the highest possible maximum velocity. Instead, the relationship between its power, traction and acceleration creates its identity. The raw output is impressive in isolation, but the catalogue ranking for acceleration shows how effectively those ingredients work together.

That perspective also changes the way its market position looks. A used price of £130,000 makes it more expensive than 346 cars in the collection, placing it 254th overall by value. Spread across 627 bhp, that equates to £207 per bhp. It is therefore neither an outlier on price nor a bargain defined by a single metric. It occupies a measured middle ground where performance, engineering layout and cost remain closely aligned rather than pulling in different directions.

Its place within the wider catalogue adds another layer. Germany contributes 197 of the 600 cars here, while BMW accounts for 48 of them. The M5 CS belongs to a manufacturer founded in 1916 in Germany, yet its particular combination of turbocharged V8 power and AWD remains uncommon even before performance enters the discussion. It is a four or five seat saloon that sits inside the super saloon category without asking the practical shape to excuse the performance.

Looking back to that opening comparison with the V8 field, the numbers reveal something more interesting than exclusivity alone. The engine layout is familiar across the catalogue, but this specific combination of V8, turbocharging, AWD and a 3 second sprint is not. In a dream garage, it becomes the car that reminds you familiar ingredients can still produce one of the most distinctive combinations in the entire collection.