Until the arrival of the first BMW M5 in 1984, if you wanted serious performance you had to buy a madly impractical sports car. The arrival of the M5 changed all that. 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of the arrival of this quintessential super-saloon, and BMW is marking the occasion with a special edition of the current generation.

The M5 founded a whole new segment of executive expresses and in time a raft of pretenders to the throne would appear - but many would say the original is still the best. As we celebrate this remarkable series of cars turning 35, let's have a look at its history: