BMW 5 Series F10 M5

The F10 is where the M5 swapped drama for ruthless efficiency. Replacing the howling V10 with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 (the S63) struck plenty of people as heresy in 2011. Power pushed past 550 hp and torque leapt to around 500 lb-ft available almost from idle, so the F10 just launched itself down the road in a way that, for what it's worth, the rev-hungry E60 never could.

It played the sleeper beautifully. Parked next to a humble 528i, most people could not tell them apart, which is exactly how M5 buyers have always wanted it. The seven-speed dual-clutch was standard, but in a lovely quirk the United States was the only market offered a six-speed manual, which makes the American F10 the only manual turbocharged M5 ever sold.

Purists missed the noise and the theater, and they were not wrong, since the turbo V8 plays it cooler than the V10 did. In exchange you get a car that is quicker everywhere, far happier in traffic, and much less likely to bankrupt you (though early cars have their own taste for oil, so read the service history). On the used market the F10 may be the most speed per dollar in the whole M5 family right now, which makes its underrated reputation feel like a secret worth keeping quiet.