Top 10 BMWs of the millennium

10. M1

 

The M1 was exactly what you might have expected out of a partnership between BMW and Lamborghini.

9. Z3 M Coupe

 

The original M Coupe’s love-it-or-hate-it design won big praise within the automotive press, though some enthusiasts were a bit skeptical about the hatchback’s overall appearance.

8. E24 M6

 

After the huge success of the M1, BMW decided to take a modified version of the 3.5-liter six and put it into a true Grand Touring car. Not only was the M6 sleek and stylish, Motor Trend magazine featured the M6 as one of the ten fastest cars in America — understandable, what with the car’s suggested 0-60 time of just 6.1 seconds.

7. E30 M3

 

Legends have to start somewhere, and the E30 M3 set the bar high for future performance oriented 3-Series cars. Power came from a heavily reworked 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, cranking out just under 200 horsepower. Not only was this BMW’s first serious everyday sports car, but tuning companies like Prodrive and AC Schnitzer even called upon the E30 M3 to compete in rally, touring car, and DTM racing competitions. Near the end of its life, the E30′s engine was boosted to 2.5 liters and could make up to 340 horsepower in full race trim.

6. Z4 M Roadster

 

There was a lot to love about the original Z3 and Z3 M roadsters, but the second-generation droptop M really stole our hearts. It’s attractive, powerful, and a true example of what fun, sporting convertibles should be. While there aren’t any definite plans to bring on an M version of the new-for-2010 Z4, the last-generation M Roadster will always have a special place in our hearts.

5. 2002 Tii

 

This is the car that started it all for BMW in America. The 2002 was such a success that it really confirmed BMW’s place in the world as a premium sports car brand, and the 2002 tii started a huge trend of small, sport sedans. After all, this car is the ancestral grandfather to the original 3-Series, and in modern times, the new 1-Series.

4. E39 M5

 

The last-generation 5-Series was an iconic, elegant design, and the M5′s 395-horsepower V-8 engine made it a great choice for people who didn’t want to compromise performance for luxury. Available with only a six-speed manual transmission, the M5′s tuned suspension, brakes, and steering ratio made it a worthy track car while still being a smooth and powerful cruiser for the highway.

3. E36 M3

 

America didn’t get to taste the E36 M3 until the 1995 model year, but it was well worth the wait. Power came from a 3.0-liter inline-six capable of around 240 horsepower, and this M3 was eventually sold in coupe, sedan, and convertible configurations.

2. Alpina B7

 

Near the end of the last-generation 7-Series’ life-cycle, BMW brought out the Alpina B7 packing a 500-horsepower supercharged engine, a sporty body kit, and some nice interior upgrades. And while a lot of people took issue with the 7′s Bangle design, the Alpina’s mix of luxury and power was sure to win people over. In fact, some tests say that the B7 was quicker in the quarter mile than a 911 Carrera S.

1. 135i

 

When BMW launched the new 1-Series in the U.S., they were hoping that it would be sort of a modern-day 2002. While that may not be the case, there are a raft of reasons why the 1 is one of our favorite BMWs available today. The 135′s twin-turbo six and superb driving dynamics make it an attractive choice for enthusiasts, though the price point can get to eyebrow-raising levels when fully optioned out.

Top 7 Most Expensive Cars of the world

7. Maybach 62 $385,250

 

The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand’s revival by DaimlerChrysler. They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motorshow (which was based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan). DaimlerChrysler attempted to buy the Rolls-Royce/Bentley marque when Vickers offered the company up for sale. When this attempt failed (they were outbid by BMW and Volkswagen respectively) they introduced the Maybach as a direct challenger in 2002. Both models are variants of the same ultra-luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective lengths of the automobiles in decimetres; the 57 is more likely to be owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in mind. The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, generating 550 hp.

6. Mercedes SLR McLaren $455,500

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. It is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. Most people presume “SLR” to stand for “Sportlich, Leicht, Rennsport” (German for “Sport; Light; Racing”). The car’s base price is £300,000 or $455,500. The SLR has a supercharged 5.5 (5439cc) litre dry sumped 90 degree V8. It produces 466.8 kW at 6500rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf)

5. Porsche Carrera GT $484,000

The Porsche Carrera GT is a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany. The Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 SAE horsepower (450 kW). Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (206 mph), although road tests indicated that in actuality the car could accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and to 0-100 in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 335-340km/h.

4. Koenigsegg CCX $600,910

The Koenigsegg CCX is the latest supercar from Koenigsegg. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X. The X commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996. The CCX is intended to be more suitable for the U.S. market and thus engineered to comply with US regulations. The CCX is powered by a Koenigsegg designed and assembled, all aluminium, 4700 cm³ DOHC 32-valve V8 based on the Ford Modular engine architecture enhanced with twin Rotrex centrifugal superchargers with response system, 1.2 bar boost pressure and an 8.2:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 806 hp (601 kW) and 678 lbf.ft (920 Nm) on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline, 850 hp (634 kW) on 96 octane (Euro rating) gasoline and 900 hp (671 kW) on biofuel.

3. Pagani Zonda C12 F $741,000

The Zonda C12 F debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It is the most extensive reengineering of the Pagani car yet, though it shares much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L V12. Power is increased to 602 PS (443 kW/594 hp) with a special clubsport model producing 650 PS (478 kW/641 hp). The company promises a 3.2 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h, a top speed over 374 km/h (225 mph) and it will be the queen in braking from 300 km/h to 0 (186 mph to 0). The Zonda F clubsport has a power to weight ratio of 521 bhp/ton (384 W/kg) . Compare, for example, the Enzo Ferrari which has a power to weight ratio of 483 bhp/ton (356 W/kg).

2. Ferrari Enzo $1,000,000

The Enzo Ferrari, sometimes referred to as the the Ferrari Enzo and also F60 is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fiber body,F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics. After a maximum downforce of 1709 pounds (775 kg) is reached at 186 mph (301 km/h) the rear spoiler is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

1. Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph). It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SASand is sold under the legendary Bugatti marque. It is named after racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders.

According to Volkswagen, the final production Veyron engine produces between 1020 and 1040 metric hp (1006 to 1026 SAE net hp), so the car will be advertised as producing “1001 horsepower” in both the US and European markets. This easily makes it the most powerful production road-car engine in history.