1988 BMW M5

       

        

When BMW introduced its original M5 in 1988, it was a revelation. Less high-strung than the recently introduced boy-racer M3, the M5 was bigger, more comfortable, and more sophisticated. The really eye-opening part is that the M5 had a more usable, longer-legged performance envelope comparable to the best sports cars of the time.

With 256 horsepower in a small sedan, the M5 could hit 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and run smoothly all the way up to 147 mph. A limited production run, combined with the fact that the M5's first year coincided with the last year of the 5-Series' tautly creased body style, means that the 1988 edition is extremely rare.

In subsequent years, new models of the M5 have carried on the tradition of all-around performance without compromising comfort or drivability; even the newest BMW M5, with its 500-horsepower V-10, owes a debt to the original trailblazing 1988 M5.

This pristine example, sporting what appears to be stickers for the Brock Yates-inspired One Lap of America, belongs to Roy Wicklund of the Boston Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America.

--Chris H.