If you say Ferrari makes the best sports cars, some may argued against it. But if you say BMW produces the best sports sedan, few would disagree. After WWII, its core car division never lost money and was never seriously threatened by any rivals. Unquestionably, it is one of the most successful car makers in the world.

Unlike contemporary fashion, BMW 328 emphasised on lightweight and aerodynamics - two elements that learned from the company's aero engine program and motorbike experience. The chassis was constructed by tubular steel backbone, the bodywork was made of aluminium like aircraft. That was not only light but also free of corrosion - a delight for today's car collectors.

Innovation can also be found under the bonnet. The 2-litre straight-six featured advanced hemispherical combustion chambers. However, to prevent from excessive cost and complexity of using twin camshafts, the inclined valves were driven by a single camshaft via cross-pushrods, which was a very clever compromise. 80 hp output was very useful for a car weighing just 830 kg and with a wind-cheating body.

However, compare with the handling, this is nothing at all. Because of lightweight, because of the independent front suspensions, 328 set standards of roadholding, cornering and handling precision which had been seldom known before, at least in Germany. It was not as quick as Alfa Romeo 8C2900, but considering the BMW's more affordable price, practicality and reliability, I pick it as the best sports car of the 1930s.

The 02 series started life as 1600, whose name implied that it had a 1.6-litre engine. 1600 had two versions, one of which used a single Solex carburettor and with a compression ratio of 8.6:1, the other used two carburettors and ran at 9.5:1 compression ratio. Maximum power was 85 hp and 105 hp respectively. For such a flyweight, they could easily out-perform many contemporary sports cars, say, MGB. Handling was also amazing - agile, lots of feel, stable in corner while without sacrificing ride comfort. Besides, it got rear seats for 2 average-size adults. No wonder it stole some sales from sports car market.

BMW did not content with the invention of this ground-breaker. It upgraded 1600 to 2002 in 1968. The new car was powered by a 2-litre four with various of output, from the standard 100 hp to the fuel-injected and high compression ratio 2002tii with 130 hp. Predictably, performance was even better, although handling suffered slightly due to the heavier nose.

The 02 series revived the reputation and fate of BMW. With 500,000 cars produced, it earned BMW a huge profit as well as a reputation as a sports sedan maker. Since then, BMW concentrated on the new trend it created - sports sedan.

Apart from turbo lag, the sudden boost also generated big problem for handling. When the engine rev up to 4,000 rpm, power suddenly onslaught, thus might cause difficulties in wet or tricky corners. Though difficult to drive, a good driver accustomed to the turbo could extract more performance from it. After all, BMW never attempted to make this car user-friendly, since its main purpose was to go racing.

While the 180 hp 3.0CS and 200 hp fuel-injected 3.0CSi were already attractive, BMW engineers went on to produce an even more desirable variation - 3.0CSL ( "L" stands for "Light" ). This car adopted some aluminium body panels to reduce weight, plus many exaggerative aerodynamic kits including the huge rear wing which gave it the nickname "Batmobile". It was designed by Giugiaro (3.0CSL only, not the whole CS series), that was probably his most aggressive design.

Like 2002 turbo, 3.0CSL aimed at motor racing, although the racing version was actually powered by a 3.5-litre 24-valve straight six which eventually adopted by the M1 mid-engined supercar. Early road version 3.0CSL used the same engine as 3.0CSi, then revised a little bit to 3003c.c., and at last enlarged to 3153c.c. with 206 hp.

The M1 was the first and yet the only mid-engined model coming out from BMW, although the company once claimed the Z1 as so-called "front mid-engined". It was wonderfully balanced, with great grip and strong brake to match. Power came from the now-famous "M-power" straight six displacing 3.5 litres, with one of the first 4-valve cylinder head for road cars. It produced a fire-breathing 277 horsepower in a sweet and revvy manner. That was the first M-power engine, which was to be transplanted to M635CSi and the early M5s without much modifications. Since then, the M-power as well as M-cars became the last words for BMW sportiness.

The 24-valver was tractable and very suitable for daily drive. It was mated to an eager close-ratio 5-speeder, further enhanced driving pleasure. Amazingly, ride was surprisingly supple for such a sports car, and the cabin was also very practical - with leather, air-con and good visibility. The M1 was one of the rare cars that combined user friendiness, driving excitement and supercar performance.

Furthermore, M1 also looked great, unmistakably a supercar yet unique. Its angular shape was styled by Giugiaro. I like it very much, but it would be even better if the glass-fibre body were better built and fitted or replaced by a steel one.

The assembly of early M1 was carried out by Lamborghini since BMW had no craftmen and tooling to build such a low volume car economically. But soon Lamborghini was stuck by financial problem and the production plan changed to the following way:
 

1. an Italian firm called Marchesi produced the tubular space frame chassis
2. another Italian supplier made the glass-fibre body panels
3. the steel and plastic met at Italdesign where subassembles were built and painted
4. then the partially finished M1 were shipped to Baur, a german coach-builder, to trim the body, added interior stuff, install the engine and suspensions and others
5. the cars were then shipped to BMW's Motorsport for testing

In 1983, that's mid way of its life span, the hottest M635CSi launched. Powered by a 3.5-litre 24-valve engine derived from M1, it became a hot performer, though I still prefer the civilised 635CSi.

It may not be the greatest BMW classics, neither today nor in the future, but its precise handling and sense of involvement was lost in the current 8-series, thus make it more memorable.

BMW Z1 (1988)

BMW M3 (1987)

Contrary to many's prediction, BMW developed a new 4-cylinder displacing 2302 c.c. specially for M3, instead of using traditional straight six. No problem, because BMW had gained a lot experience from the 1000 hp straight four engine for Brabham Formula One car in the mid-80s. Sixteen valves, high compression ratio of 10.5:1 and low friction parts contributed to the impressive 200 hp output. And of course, fewer cylinders means less weight thus benefit M3's racing career in World Touring Car Championship.

The engine was powerful and revvy, more satisfying to use than contemporary turbocharging cars, say, Ford Sierra Cosworth. Handling was even more superb - balanced, adjustable in cornering, with plenty of steering feel. BMW cars never appeared to be more fun to manoeuvre than this one. Enthusiasts will never forget this because its successors grew heavier and heavier, became more refined, more secure to drive but also deteriorated in steering feel and sharpness.

Later, BMW created M3 Evolution, with engine tuned up to 220 hp. In order to homologate for the DTM race, a small number of 2.5-litre 238 hp version were also produced, which was called M3 Sport Evolution.

Autocar's Andrew Golby drove one of the 505 M3 Sport Evolution ever made. Compare with his rich experience in driving the latest 321 hp M3, he described the old M3's steering impressed him most - you move the wheel and the car changes direction instantly and precisely. "It makes you wonder where BMW's priorities are today", he wrote.

BMW M5 (1990)

With 315 horses, M5 was actually more powerful than the contemporary Porsche 911 turbo !! 0-60 mph took it just 6.4 sec and top speed was electronically limited 155mph in order to please the politicians from green parties. Despite that quick, it still failed to clinch the title of "fastest four door sedan in the world" because Lotus modified Opel Omega to a 376hp beast. Nevertheless, nearly all experts picked M5 as the best sports sedan in the world because it had superb handling not matched by other competitors.

Better changes came in 1992. The M-power engine added 160 c.c. thus raised the output to 340 hp. More torque was available, too. As most people know, no matter how efficient a normally aspirated engine is, it still fail to deliver as much torque as turbocharging rivals. Therefore BMW gave M5 a new 6-speed manual gearbox, whose closer ratio compensated the lack of torque. This made it more accelerative than ever - 0-60 mph took merely 5.4 seconds, terrific !!