Brand Manager Norberr Knerr brings us yet another piece of BMW’s history. 35 years ago, BMW introduced what would become the basis of the legendary E28 M5, the 1980 E12 M535i.

This particular car is the third vehicle born out of BMW M, in addition to the M1 and the 3.0 CSL, and boasts a 3.5L six cylinders engine producing 218 horsepower with a 0-60 mph of 7.5 seconds.

While it doesn’t sound like much compared to today’s standards, it was truly spectacular at the time and probably marked the beginning of the high performance sedan market.

Only 1,650 instances of this magnificent piece of German engineering were built but none reached US shores due to various safety and emission restrictions.

If I had one car to drive until the rest of my days, this one would be a serious contender.