Best of Bavaria: Greatest cars from BMW M and Alpina

BMW M5 (E39) - £51,900 in 2000, £17,000 now

This just had to be included. The E39 is regarded as the sweet spot of the BMW M5 lineage, and because the M5 in its various guises best captures the essence of what BMW M is all about, you might consider it the finest M-badged machine ever made. This M5’s 400bhp 4.9-litre V8 and hitman looks grab the headlines, but it’s the completeness of the package that astounds, even two decades on. The E39 rides beautifully but also has the body control to exploit its sensational handling balance. Bliss.

Alpina B8 4.6 - £45,400 in 1995, £40,000 now

Vulnerable to rust, costly to maintain and based on a less-loved 3 Series, the B8 is nevertheless one of the most radical cars to leave Buchloe. BMW tried to squeeze a V8 into the E36 but couldn’t make the factory ergonomics work; Alpina did so by heavily modifying the body. The B8 duly produced more torque at 1000rpm than the E36 M3 did at its peak, which may explain why it was rather a handful once its strict traction control system was disabled.

Alpina B7 Turbo - £15,500 in 1978, £120,000 now

The 3.0-litre B7 Turbo was one of a trio of machines that Alpina launched in 1978 to announce the fact that its factory would now supply customers with a complete car, rather than simply offering upgrades for BMWs. With technology trickled down from F1, the B7 was also the first turbocharged Alpina, and given that in 1978 it made almost as much torque as the E39 M5 would a quarter of a century later, it’s easy to see why forced induction became an Alpina hallmark – and why the clutch was reinforced.

BMW M3 (E46) - £40,300 in 2001, £13,500 now

Legend has it that M engineers set up the E46 M3 to steer more sweetly on opposite lock, and given the aptitude with which it will hold slides, we don’t doubt it. But there are other reasons why this M3, like its M5 contemporary, can lay claim to being the greatest M car ever. It’s ideally proportioned for B-roads, the S54 is one of the most soulful and linear engines ever made and there’s the option of a six-speed manual gearbox. Buy while you still can.

BMW M5 (E28) - £31,300 IN 1985, £65,000 now

What makes the E28 M5 so extraordinary is that while it didn’t make waves when new, being almost as expensive as the (admittedly less powerful) Ferrari 308 GTB and aesthetically restrained, it set the template for M cars. Under its bonnet was the same M88 engine used by the M1 supercar, yet its interior was sumptuous and its road manners polite. And, of course, it properly handled, with a mechanical limited-slip differential at the back.

BMW M2 Competition - £52,400 in 2018, £38,000 now

This feels like it was made from the same mould as the E30 M3 and E46 M3, which is the greatest compliment that any M car can receive. Retuned steering, rose joints in the rear suspension and the 444bhp twin-turbo engine from the BMW M4 take the Competition to another level of ability beyond that of the BMW original M2 it replaced, and few cars this usable are so charismatic. Arguably none at any price are quite so adjustable or playful, either.

Alpina B5 Biturbo - £89,000 in 2018, £68,000 now

The current BMW M5 is an outstanding example of the breed, but Alpina has crafted the finer machine on this occasion. Based on the G30 M550i and with the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 lifted to 600bhp, the B5’s blend of ride and handling is sublime. That it feels closer to Ferrari than BMW for exclusivity and steers more sweetly than the M5 seals its supremacy.

Alpina B6 3.5S - £35,000 in 1988, £130,000 now