Based on the E28 5-Series platform, BMW’s new M5 featured a host of top-end components, allowing it to be regarded as a real contender in the premium-sport sector. It’s slightly more sporting profile was a subtle yet obvious shift compared to the standard car, but this was an entirely different beast, hand-built by BMW’s Motorsport division. Equipped with a variation of the newly developed BMW M1 engine, the new M5 was a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing. Yet, when competition variants of the M5 appeared, the subdued looks would be replaced with sponsors’ decals and a host of motorsport parts, transforming the subtle demeanour of the car.

THIS M5 SUPERPRODUCTION

The BMW M5 Superproduction offered here is powered by a 3.5-litre dry sump engine that was built by Pipo Moteurs to BMW Motorsport specifications, similar to the powerplants found in the incredible M1 Procars. It features a Kugelfischer mechanical injection system, a BMW Motorsport-supplied five-speed close-ratio Getrag gearbox, and a ZF limited-slip differential.

Most importantly, this M5 was piloted by Marc Sourd, the French racing legend, with competition history spanning five decades, including 33 wins, 89 podiums, and 13 pole positions. From finishing 3rd in the 1974 Challenge Européen de Formule Renault to finishing 2nd in the 2002 French GT Championship, Sourd has driven several of the most iconic racing cars to hit the track, including a McLaren F1 GTR in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours, the year when McLaren F1s took four of the first five places, including the outright victory.

Marc Sourd drove this car during the 1985 season and was the subject of a lengthy feature, along with several of its contemporaries, in Echappement magazine, a copy of which is offered along with the car. Sourd was to win the 1985 GP de Nogaro, Challenge Pacific, in this BMW M5 in September 1985, a race that also included contemporaries such as Jean-Pierre Jarier and Jean-Pierre Beltoise.

Today, this historic competition car is offered in race condition and is ready to compete in the wide range of events for which it remains eligible. The engine and drivetrain have been freshly rebuilt, while the body remains original and shows authentic signs of being battle-tested on the track. This historic touring car is in need of only a competitive driver to once again dominate at the very highest level.