At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s the audience’s interest in touring racing with street cars was reaching new heights. BMW quickly snapped the occasion and introduced a revolutionary model in 1980 that wore the M badge.
It wasn’t the first ever M5 though but rather a predecessor of the success story that the sporty sedan would later become. Now, in its fifth generation, the M car is still revered as the best in its segment.
Wearing the M badge showed that the car was not ordinary. Under its bonnet lied the most powerful engine in the segment back then, a 3.5-liter inline 6-cylinder plant that shared a lot with the iconic M88 unit used on the M1.
Delivering 218 HP on a chassis that was a lot lighter than what we know the 5 Series to weigh today meant that the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint could be done in just 7.5 seconds which was a lot faster than any other car in its segment back in the day.
However, there was little to tell you that this was no ordinary 5er because a lot of parts actually remained the same. Up front you’d notice a new air dam while round the back a black boot lid spoiler was installed.
Other details include the Recaro sport seats, a new, smaller steering wheel and a gearbox with a different gear configuration for a sportier feel. The car we’re looking at here also has the M stripes on but not all model has that feature on as it wasn’t standard.
This is what hardcore BMW fans would call a true ‘driver’s car’ and it’s also the a car that started the M5 madness that is still going strong and celebrated three decades last year with a special model.
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