The greatest BMW M5 ever: The classics

They sit together, insouciant, on the side of a hill. They are arranged in age order from first to last and the sense of occasion is palpable. We did this recently with all the Audi RS6s, but then there were only four of those spanning a 22-year period. Here we have six, the oldest model dating from some 37 years before the newest.

It is an extraordinary sight, one that sets you blinking just to make sure it’s real. They are all ‘E’s and ‘F’s – the first M5 to bear a ‘G’ code number will be revealed in final production form at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week.

So that’s how I’m going to refer to them in this and two further stories that will follow later in the week. So for those insufficiently sad to know the numbers already, a short aide-memoire to help you know one from the other…