BMW M5 (F90)

Germany accounts for 197 of the 600 cars in this catalogue, yet the BMW M5 (F90) occupies a particularly focused corner of that national contingent. Only 74 cars here combine a V8 with AWD, and only 86 pair a twin turbocharged V8 with the same drivetrain. That immediately shifts the conversation away from nationality alone and towards a very specific interpretation of high performance, one that blends substantial output with the confidence of driving all four wheels.

The numbers support that position without needing embellishment. A 4.4 litre, twin turbocharged V8 produces 617 bhp and 750 Nm, placing this car 178th for power across the entire catalogue, comfortably inside the top 30 percent. Straight line performance climbs even higher in relative terms. The 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.2 seconds ranks 140th out of 600, quicker than 460 other cars available to build your dream garage. Top speed sits at 250 km/h, a figure that places 414th overall, reminding you that this car's identity is not defined by a single headline statistic but by how convincingly several strengths coexist.

That balance extends beyond performance. The four or five seat saloon body means the engineering is wrapped in a format that remains fundamentally practical, yet the catalogue data keeps drawing attention back to the unusual mechanical recipe beneath it. Of the 216 V8 powered cars listed, relatively few combine that engine layout with AWD, making the drivetrain as important to this car's character as the engine itself. Within BMW's own presence of 48 cars in the catalogue, the M5 (F90) stands as one expression of what the marque contributes to the wider collection, supported by a manufacturer whose history begins in 1916.

The used price of around £60,000 makes it more expensive than 189 cars in the catalogue, while its cost of £97 per bhp adds another perspective to its place in the wider field. It asks for meaningful investment, but the return is measurable in performance that sits well above the catalogue average rather than merely respectable on paper.

Park this beside lighter, slower or more specialised machinery and the collection gains a distinctly German interpretation of the super saloon. It belongs there.