Cast your mind back to the mid-2000s. BMW had just unleashed the first M5 powered by a V10, doubling down on a high-revving philosophy already cemented with the third-generation BMW M3 and its brilliant inline-six, at a time when rivals were increasingly turning to forced induction for easy power. The company was also preparing for an ill-fated Formula 1 campaign through its acquisition of the Sauber F1 team, just as the sport’s V8 era was kicking off.
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