10 best BMWs of all time:

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BMW NORTH AMERICAWant to create a firestorm of debate and controversy? Try picking only 10 of the coolest, quickest, and most cutting-edge BMWs of all time.

It’s one of Germany’s “Big 3,” the automotive behemoth from Bavaria whose very own tagline is “the ultimate driving machine.”

BMW is one of the world’s leading auto manufacturers when it comes to blending performance and luxury. Along the way, the brand has created some truly legendary, unique, and absolutely cutting-edge vehicles – along with one or two oddballs we can’t help but love.

It wasn’t easy picking the best of the best, but we’ve narrowed our list of the '10 best BMWs' to the fine machines you see here:

1-Series M Coupe

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Destined to be an automotive cult classic, the 1-Series M Coupe is a driving enthusiast's dream.

Putting an M badge on a BMW takes a great deal of consideration and is usually reserved for the best the brand has to offer. So the decision to give their entry level family car the M treatment was a head scratcher. What resulted was a car that won the hearts of everyone who drove it, and is destined to become a future classic. Powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo, direct injection straight-6, the mighty 1-Series M had 335-horsepower, channeled exclusively through a 6-speed manual gearbox.

2002 tii

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Introduced in 1969, the BMW 2002 tii set the mold for the modern sport sedan.

BMW’s “New Class” of cars arrived in the early 60’s to help revitalize a brand that was seeing its entire range of luxury and economy cars sinking fast. Sporting a brand new unibody design, these square-edged sedans had an independent rear suspension and quickly became BMW’s most popular vehicles. One of the best and rarest examples is the 2002 tii, the touring model that also featured direct injection. Powered by a 130-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4 engine, the ’02 tii is considered the first of a new breed of luxury sport sedan.

M1

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Introduced in 1978, the mid-engine M1 sports car is one of the most visually striking cars ever to come from BMW.

The M1 is one of the most unique products in BMW’s history. Being the first car produced by the carmaker’s M-division, the M1 is also BMW’s only mid-engine vehicle to date. The car was devised solely to accommodate homologation requirements for BMW’s Procar Championship series—meaning BMW had to build a limited-run consumer version of this race car. With 277-horsepower on tap, the M1 had a top speed of 161 mph. The edgy Giugiaro-styled body (and the fact that less than 500 were produced) make this a very rare and valuable piece of BMW history.

Z8 Roadster

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Inspired by the classic 507 Roadster, the retro-themed BMW Z8 was a sensation when it arrived in 1999.

The Z8 was a love letter to BMW’s roadsters of the past; a confluence of classic design and modern engineering. The Z8 was made up of an aluminum space frame and housed a powerful 400-horsepower 4.9-liter V-8, which made it clear this car was made more for driving not posing (though it sure looked good, even standing still!). The unique design was penned by Henrik Fisker, famed designer of the Aston Martin DB9 and founder of Fisker Automotive. When production ended of the Z8, BMW tuner Alpina made a more relaxed version of the roadster. We still prefer the harder-edged original.

E39 M5

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The E39 M5 immediately became the German luxury sports sedan to beat when it arrived in 1998.

A pinnacle of design and performance, the M-powered 'E39' 5-Series was a sophisticated midsize sedan with loads of power and agility. The V-8 engine it housed produced nearly 400-horsepower. Meanwhile, the M-tuned suspension, 4-wheel vented disk brakes, and more responsive electronic sport throttle settings made this one of the era’s must-have luxury cars. It also starred in BMW’s “The Hire” short film marketing campaign, winning the hearts of gear heads around the world.

1-Series (F20)

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The F20 1-Series hatchback is not for sale here in the U.S. - but we love it anyhow!

As we’ve mentioned before, the 1-Series is the brand’s most inexpensive model available, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, we’re placing this on the list for the sheer fact that the 1-Series is available as a rear-wheel-drive hatchback. We refuse to fall into unicorn clichés here; so let’s just say this is one very rare drivetrain configuration in the modern car world. Sadly, this 215-horsepower gem is only available to our friends across the Atlantic - though we hold out hope it makes the trip to our shores one day.

E46 M3

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How do you pick the best M3? They've all been great, but we lean towards the phenomenal E46 M3 that went on sale in 2001. Of course, there is always the original E30 M3...

What should be an easy decision ultimately turns out to be the hardest choice, particularly when choosing the best of the best. The M3 has been the last word for some time when it comes to a sophisticated European sports sedan, and we have to say our favorite is the E46. The E46 M3 offered 333-horsepower (in U.S. spec) from a sublime 3.2-liter inline-6 cylinder engine. This allows for sub-5.0 second zero to 60 mph sprint. It’s lauded to this day as a spectacular example of a true sports car.

Isetta 300

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In the strange little world of micro-cars, the BMW Isetta 300 remains a legend.

It may not be the ultimate driving machine, but how could the quirky Isetta not make our list? The diminutive 2-seater was wildly popular with the micro-car crowd and had a decent 8 year lifespan. The 1-cylinder engine pumped out a wild 13-horsepower (hold on folks!) and could be pushed to a breezy 50 mph. The Isetta’s strange style still has its fans, even to this day, making it one of the most highly sought micro-cars in the world.

BMW i3

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The i3 represents the future of the BMW brand. Available as a full electric or range-extended model, the i3 is BMW's unique take on eco-motoring.

The newest vehicle on this list, the i3 is BMW’s bold new electric city car. The i3 is powered by a hybrid-synchronous electric motor that produces an output equivalent to 170-horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. Range is estimated between 80-100 miles. To keep the weight low and boost efficiency, BMW used carbon fiber reinforced plastic as the passenger cell and an aluminum chassis. As an efficient and eco-responsible runabout, the i3 advances a segment  but doesn't quite revolutionize the EV world. The upcoming BMW i8 electric sports car, on the other hand, could soon do just that.

507 Roadster

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Development of the 507 Roadster nearly ruined BMW. Yet when it was new in the mid to late-1950s, almost nothing could match the looks or performance of this stunning drop-top.

If you close your eyes and picture the classic convertible of your dreams, chances are good you’re thinking of the BMW 507 Roadster. Planned as a competitor against the Mercedes-Benz 300SL drop-top, the 140-horspower V-8-powered 507 had a lengthy list of celebrity clientele back in its day. The sad reality, however, is that the 507’s production costs nearly bankrupted BMW. The brand lived on, thankfully, and the 507 is still regarded as one of the most gorgeous German vehicles ever created

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