The Bayerische Motoren Werke, or BMW to you and me, was founded on March 7, 1916, and has produced luxurious performance cars that have continued to excel on the road and the race tracks ever since.
Updated May 2021: BMW has made some of the greatest cars for driving enthusiasts, and if you're a fan of these sporty German cars, you'll be happy to know we've updated this list with more recent and accurate info.
The German automaker first got its start making plane engines, and it would take quite some time until it actually started building luxury cars. Over the past century or so, BMW has made high-quality, safe, reliable, and powerful vehicles. With that being said, here are some of the best BMW cars ever made, ranked.
10 BMW 3.0 CSL
The BMW 3.0 CSL was introduced purely as a homologation special in 1972. BMW built 1265 units to be eligible to compete in the European Touring Car Championship. The "L" in its designation meant leicht (light), and they achieved this lightness by using thinner steel, removing trim and soundproofing, as well as using aluminum for the hood, doors, and trunk lid, and fitting Perspex side windows
The car came with an aerodynamic package that included a large air dam, short fins on top of the front fenders, a roof spoiler, and a rear wing of decent proportions. The rear wing was not legal for street use, so it was left in the trunk for installation after purchase rather than being installed at the factory. With the full aero kit installed, the car received the nickname "Batmobile".
9 BMW E39 M5
The E39 BMW M5 is considered to be the peak of the M5 lineup by many BMW enthusiasts. The E39 M5 was released in 1998 and made history by being the first BMW M car to house an eight-cylinder engine.
It's a naturally-aspirated V8 engine that produces 349 hp and is an exemplary piece of German engineering. This powerhouse enables the M5 to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 5 seconds.
8 BMW Z3 M Coupe
Next up is the BMW Z3 M Coupe. The BMW M came as a coupe or roadster and was a high-performance sports car model of the BMW Z3.
The Z3 M Coupe was manufactured first in 1997; it had a short lifespan of four years before going out of production in 2002. The Z3 M was powered by the same 3.2 L S50 I6 engine found in the M3 and of course, it had a rear-wheel-drive layout.
7 BMW 850CSI
The BMW 850CSI was a variation on BMW's high-performing 8-series line-up. The 850CSI used a 5.6 L V12 engine known by BMW enthusiasts as the S70B56.
Thanks to its twelve-cylinder engine, the 850CSI is a proper high-performance grand touring car. While it was never the most popular model in the market, it certainly wasn't due to its looks and pop-up headlights.
6 BMW E36 M3
The E36 M3 is the second generation of the M3 and saw production from 1992 until 1999. Under the hood of this beast lies a 3.0-3.2L six-cylinder engine that produces between 280 and 321 hp.
The E36 M3 is a practical vehicle with race car DNA, and it's more than capable of handling whatever is thrown at it, whether on the road or the track.
5 BMW M1
The BMW M1 was initially intended to be a collaboration between Lamborghini and BMW, but when conflicts arose in the 1970s, BMW proceeded to make this car a solo project. Produced in 1978, the M1 was intended to serve as a production race car.
The BMW M1 is fitted with a mid-mounted inline-six engine that has six separate throttle bodies, twin-cams, and 4 valves per cylinder, all this makes it capable of producing 273 horsepower that is sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. The M1 managed a top speed of 162 mph, which was quite impressive back in the day.
4 E46 BMW M3 CSL
Most BMW enthusiasts will readily tell you that the E46 version is the pinnacle of the M3, and the CSL is the ultimate version of the E46. In fact, it might just be the best M-badged car ever made. Just like the 3.0 CSL, the "L" means Light, and light it is, with BMW claiming a 10% weight saving over the regular M3.
The most distinguishable features are the Carbon Fiber reinforced roof panel, a unique “Single Air inlet” front bumper, and a reshaped trunk lid. The CSL was also exclusively equipped exclusively with the SMG II transmission featuring a special launch-control mode. The suspension was upgraded and the inline-six engine produced a whopping 360 horsepower!
3 BMW 2002 Turbo
The BMW 2002 Turbo is part of the BMW 02 Series, and was first produced in 1973 when it was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
The BMW 2002 Turbo made history that day by becoming BMW first turbocharged production car. The 2002 Turbo model was released just before the 1973 oil crisis. During this period, oil-producing nations who were a part of OPEC declared an oil embargo and as a result, the price of oil shot up 400 percent. Henceforth, only 1,672 units of the 2002 were made.
2 BMW M535i
The M535i was one of the company's first sport sedans and has been proclaimed the car that set the foundation for the future line of BMW sports cars. The M535i was developed as a sportier version of the original 535i model.
Under the hood is a 3.4-liter, six-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 220 hp, and it's all sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, making the M535i a powerful addition to any garage!
1 BMW 507
The BMW 507 was produced in 1956 and only lasted three years before being pulled off the market in 1959. The BMW 507 is a roadster that was supposed to be produced overseas and exported to the United States by the thousands per year.
In the end, the company underestimated the costs and only produced 252 BMW 507s, making this one of the rarest Bimmers in history. This Grand Tourer is a 2-door convertible and is powered by a BMW OHV V8 engine with a 4-speed manual transmission.