The latest version of the supreme leader of sports sedans everywhere is now on sale in Britain. The 2018 BMW M5, the sixth generation of the car, is priced from £89,645, which is a lot of money, for a lot of car. It’s probably well-priced in the eyes of M5 lovers, but even they admit the competition has never been tougher. 

And it’s not just German competition that threatens the M5’s crown. These days you can get very decent super sport sedans from Italy and America for a lot less money than an M5. What is more, this latest model has gotten a bit carried away with the sheep part of the whole wolf in sheep’s clothing thing that is a characteristic of all M5s. It looks too sheepish, too understated, too like a regular 5 Series. If we spend 90 grand on a car we would like for it to kind of look like it costs 90 grand. The 2018 BMW M5 just doesn’t.

But whatever this car lacks in aesthetics, it more than makes up for in speed and handling and general technical brilliance. 2018 BMW M5 is powered by the latest 4.4-litre V8 engine with BMW M TwinPower Turbo technology, developing 600 horsepower and 750 Nm of torque. The UK version also features the M xDrive all-wheel drive system, which is part of the reason why it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Average fue economy, if you care, is 26.9 mpg, corresponding to 241 g/km of CO2.

As you would expect, the M5 features pretty much all the equipment customary of a car of this class and price range. But notable options include matte finish exterior colors, and M Driver’s Package which raises the top speed form default 155 mph to 190 mph.