1 BMW M3/M4 COMPETITION
THE GOOD: Mighty straight-six; front axle’s never-give-up attitude; dreamy chassis balance
THE BAD: No manual; nearly 911 money now
THE UGLY: M3 Touring £85k new but changing hands for six figures
THE ONE TO BUY: From £80k (Comp saloon) with rear drive; adding xDrive AWD costs £2800. Now available as an estate: rejoice!
GIANT TEST WINNER
2 BMW M5 COMPETITION
THE GOOD: An animal when you want it to be; reasonably urbane family transport when you don’t
THE BAD: Hard ride on Competition suspension; priced above £100k
THE UGLY: CS version has already gone off sale
THE ONE TO BUY: Just one – brilliant – model now, the Competition: £1300pcm
3 MERCEDES- AMG S63
THE GOOD: V8 plus e-motor shows AMG can do a great performance hybrid, and in the most unlikely of places: a luxury saloon
THE BAD: Boot size suffers, and ride quality isn’t perfect
THE UGLY: It’s a pity this approach wasn’t applied to the new C63
THE ONE TO BUY: Two versions, both at £186k
