The Fastest BMW M Cars, Ranked By Top Speed

As BMW's in-house tuning division, BMW M is responsible for some of the world's finest performance vehicles. The brand is famously known for not being content with its already blazingly fast machines. Accordingly, it takes "regular" BMW cars, places them on a diet, fits lightweight components that further reduce weight, and equips them with tuned-up engines. BMW M also upgrades braking and handling performance, all in a bid to deliver the definitive performance model.

As expected, that sort of effort often results in some of the fastest BMW cars, both in terms of 0-60 mph sprint and top speed. But, just like the treatment received by each model will differ, the top speeds delivered by these BMW M cars also tend to vary. With that in mind, here are the seven fastest BMW M cars by top speed, ranked in ascending order based on manufacturer figures.

The 2010s proved to be an eventful decade for BMW's M division, as it served up some thrillingly fast M cars in seemingly rapid succession. Among the cars that started it all was the BMW M3 GTS, a coupe-only super sport version of the M3. It had the same S65 V8 engine as found in the E92 M3, but instead of 4.0 liters, its displacement was increased to 4.4 liters. This jacked up output and torque to 450 hp and 327 lb-ft of torque compared to 420 hp and 295 lb-ft for the standard M3 series production vehicle. This robust power is delivered to the rear wheels through a silky-smooth seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, which BMW says "shifts gears without interruption of power for rapid yet smooth acceleration." 

BMW M engineers also made significant efforts to shave weight. They removed the rear seats, made use of lighter materials in the door trim and center console, and also opted for polycarbonate in making the rear side windows and rear window. This — along with the option to delete the automatic air conditioning and audio system — meant the BMW M3 GTS could be as light as 3,370 pounds. That's a significant reduction compared to the standard E92 M3, which has a curb weight of 3,726 pounds. The featherweight build, combined with its stupendous power, allows the M3 GTS to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 mph.

With a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph (with the standard M Driver's Package), the limited-edition BMW M5 CS has every right to be in the conversation for the fastest BMW M cars ever made. Naturally, that sort of performance indicates there's a beastly powertrain underneath the well-sculpted body. In this case that happens to be a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged S63 V8 engine that cranks out 627 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque — enough to earn it a place among the most powerful BMW models ever made.

BMW said it was able to cut 230 pounds of weight from the M5 Competition's body by making extensive use of carbon fiber, including on parts such as the mirror caps, roof, front splitter, and rear spoiler. The Bavarian marque also reduced the amount of sound deadening material and provided owners with carbon-fiber buck seats in a bid to further lower weight. 

The BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition was a celebratory limited edition made in tribute to Marco Wittman's Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) driver's title in 2016. You'd expect a car with such noble and lofty intent in its design to have sporty and confident styling and be remarkably quick, and the M4 DTM Champion Edition does not disappoint. All 200 units feature a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six producing 500 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, thanks to which the M car can catapult to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and achieve a top speed of 190 mph. 

BMW attributes that massive output to the water injection technology, which offers a 16 percent improvement in power compared to the standard M4. Performance aside, the M4 DTM Champion Edition is also unique and eye-catching in the usual limited-edition style. It was offered in a striking Alpine White only and has numerous cues that point to its DTM racing connection.

The BMW M division really hit its stride with the M4 back in 2016, and the M4 GTS is another example of that success. As in the case of the M4 DTM Champion Edition above, one of the key ingredients here is a water-injected S55 twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine. Unsurprisingly, this motor puts out similar numbers to the DTM car above; the M4 DTM Champion Edition actually uses a modified version of the M4 GTS's engine. On the M4, this translates into a 3.7-second 0-60 mph sprint and 190 mph top speed. It's also worth remembering that the BMW M4 GTS once completed the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in just 7.28 minutes, which makes it one of the fastest BMW M cars to do so. 

But for a car that rips up the road at such blistering pace, owners surely need a capable braking system to provide immediate stopping power when required. Hence, BMW equipped the GTS with carbon-ceramic brake rotors for hauling back all that power, with road-hugging Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires also fitted to keep the car glued to the road. 

BMW M's opulent, attention-grabbing M6 was already a fine grand tourer with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that was astounding at 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. However, adding the higher-performance Competition Edition package took things up a notch numbers wise, with output rising to 600 horsepower and 516 lb-ft to enable the sprint from zero to 60 mph to happen in a lightning-quick 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 190 mph with the optional M Driverʼs Package; otherwise it maxes out at 155 mph. 

The BMW M6 Competition Edition comes standard with 20-inch light-alloy wheels, power-adjustable, heated multi-contour front seats with lumbar support, memory settings for the front seats, Alcantara simulated suede roof lining, a heads-up display, and the option of either a Harman Kardon surround sound system or a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound system with 1,200 watts of power. 

Due to it being the first BMW M5 to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the 2025 BMW M5 has caused considerable disquiet among wide sections of the enthusiast community. However, in terms of sheer numbers, it is the most powerful M5 ever made. Owners of the G60 5 Series-based M5 get the mighty fine S68 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine shared with the BMW XM. It's paired with a GEN5 electric motor and 14.8-kWh battery pack. That combination is good enough for 717 total horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, which gives a pulse-quickening 3.4-second 0-60 time and a top speed of 190 mph with the M Driver's Package. BMW also claims the G90 M5 is capable of electric-only range of up to 25 miles.

As for what's inside the 2025 BMW M5, owners get a bunch of niceties as standard, like power-adjustable and heated front sport seats, Merino leather seating surfaces, a heated leather-covered steering wheel, 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a head-up display. And for those who might want something with a usefully larger trunk, BMW now also offers a wagon version of the M5 called M5 Touring. While the 2025 M5 sedan offers a still-impressive 16.5-cubic-foot trunk, the Touring version ups that to 17.7 cubes behind the rear seats and 57.6 with those seats down.

Many hardcore, lightweight, and special BMW M cars have come and gone in the company's over five decades of existence, but the M4 CSL stands tall as the fastest of all with a top speed of 191 mph (307 mph). CSL is short for Competition, Sport, Lightweight, and the track-ready but street-legal machine features a 543-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Inline-six cylinder engine. It's based on the competition-spec M4 GT3's mill and puts its prodigious power to the ground via an eight-speed automatic transmission with Drivelogic.

That's way more output than the Porsche 911 GT3, which generates 503 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque (the CSL makes 479 lb-ft). And, along with being the fastest BMW M car by top speed, the M4 CSL is also the fastest production BMW M car to lap the 12.943-mile Nürburgring circuit, with a time of 7 minutes 18.137 seconds. A total of 1,000 BMW M4 CSLs were manufactured.