BMW M5 week on The Intercooler

What’s more, wherever possible we picked the best example of each version. For instance, the E34, the second in the line, was represented by a later 3.8-litre car with the more powerful engine. The F10 was a 30 Jahre variant with more power and an uprated chassis compared to the standard car, while the F90 we had on test was the stupendous CS with its weight saving measures and reworked suspension. The point of all this was to give each M5 every opportunity to put its best foot forward.

On Monday we’ll publish the first of three stories. In it, Andrew Frankel will pick one of the three early cars – E28, E34 or E39 – to progress through to the final. The next day, he’ll pick one of the three later cars – E60, F10 or F90 – to go up against that. Finally, on Thursday, Andrew will choose between the winning classic M5 and its modern counterpart a single champion – the car that we will declare the greatest BMW M5 of all time.

(I should also mention that we’ll publish our first drive review of the new hybrid Porsche 911 next week, too, the moment the embargo lifts. Andrew will be writing that story as well, meaning he has a busy weekend ahead of him with his nose buried in his laptop. I promise he will be taken out to the shed and left on trickle charge for a few days just as soon as he’s filed the last of his copy.)

I haven’t been kicking back with my feet up allowing my co-founder to do all the heavy lifting. We will also bring our M5 mega test to YouTube in a pair of videos fronted by yours truly. But that’s for later on. For now, why not inspect these images from our very memorable day in the Brecon Beacons and let us know which M5 you most like the look of? Better yet, if you’ve owned an M5 in the past or you own one now, maybe you could share your experiences below.