But not BMW. It was willing to knock out faster V8 versions of the E39 5-series touring, but nothing more. In its defence, BMW’s M division did make an E39 M5 touring, and by that I mean a single version, for its boss Gerhard Richter. Demand was never seen as strong enough to warrant full production.
In the meantime, Audi set about taking advantage of this glaring hole in the BMW performance empire. And you could argue that five-door Audis from the original RS2 onwards have done more for the firm’s credibility than all its other cars put together, original Quattro included. They have become a breed of their own: the most practical, robust, useable and indecently rapid dog-carriers in town. BMW would never admit as much, but the UK’s insatiable appetite for these cars must have had some influence on its decision to build another M5 touring.
What is it about these three cars that I find so much more appealing because of their station wagon status? Well, I like machines that cloak their performance, and a spacious, practical bodyshell is ideal for this. I have also always suffered heavily at the hands of ‘other car’ syndrome, the process whereby a driver finds themselves in their wrong car at the wrong time. In a fast estate car, all potentialities are covered. Taking the family out. A trip to the tip. Antagonising supercars.
For evidence of how far the performance car has come in the past 15 years, observe the weaponry on display here. The tiddler of the pack is the 414bhp Audi RS4. Its 4.2litre V8 revs to beyond 8000rpm and in any other five-door company those stats, its swollen shoulders and distended mouth would send rivals running to mummy.