Six reasons why you need this BMW M5 Touring

The E61 M5 Touring is mechanically identical to the saloon. That means a 500bhp, 5.0-litre V10, rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed SMG. 0-62mph takes 4.8seconds, and the top speed is limited to 155mph. Unlimited, the saloon would famously hit 200mph…

It’s not quite Mercedes E-Class big, but 1,650 litres with the seats folded is decidedly ample for something with more than 500bhp that isn’t an SUV. It even has a split-folding tailgate of sorts. 

There are fewer right-hand drive M5 Tourings in the UK than there are 1M Coupes – 222 plays 450. This makes it not only incredibly cool, but means that if you hold on to it for a while (and manage not to oversteer it into a hedge), it might be worth something by the time you part with it.

Munich Legends is asking £26,995 for the M5. A brand-new estate with comparable performance would run you more than double that. £27k is also less than you’d pay for a Golf R or Focus RS, and the BMW is cooler, rarer and bigger. If not faster. Such is progress… 

That relatively low purchase price should also leave you with enough cash left over to mend it when it (inevitably) breaks, and keep it in premium fuel until you get bored of the V10’s wail.

Fewer than 60,000 of them in nine years, in fact, which is pretty good going considering it’s had four owners from new. None of them liked it very much, clearly.

BMW clearly decided it wasn’t worth estate-ing the F10 M5, and we don’t yet know what it’s going to do about the new G30. The E61 may well end up being the very last factory M5 Touring. If you’re a gambler, and are willing to bet that’s the case, buy now before values skyrocket…