I haven't owned a proper M-Car, but have driven or been a passenger in a few of them, all really amazing machines. Maybe one day I guess when the time is right......
E36 M3 2door - driven
Z3 M-Coupe - driven
E46 M3 - passenger
E46 M3 CSL - passenger
Z4 M-Coupe - passenger
E63 M6 - passenger
E39 M5 - passenger
Non-M cars
333i - passenger
325is turbo - passenger
Based on looks alone, I'll rank them as follows. I'm not including any convertibles in this as they are inferior to the coupes in performance:-
1. F12 M6coupe - It just looks right now, every line, the stance, the rake of the windscreen, the ride height, it is just perfection in the looks department. BMW have hit the nail on the head, in terms of looks with the new M6.
2. E36 M3 2door - there isn't an out of place line on this car, I've looked at this car from all angles, and still up to today, will take time out to appreciate the beauty of the lines this car has when I see one. it is just simply timeless and still a head turner in any colour, but for me Avus Blue it is........
3. Z3 M-Coupe - You can call the Z3 M-Coupe as the wild child of the day. I love the uniqueness of it, the aggressive retro modern look of it,
the muscular nature of the short wheel base, it is the original 4pipe. It is an instantly recognisable M-Car, with a lot of its characteristics carried through in the more modern M-Cars. As bonkers and madcap the styling was it still seemed a more cohesive design when compared to the Z4 M-Coupe.
4. E46 M3 CSL - This car took the E46 M3 to a new level looks wise & obviously performance wise, the concave CSL rims, the trunk lid with the flick upwards, the diffuser insert in the rear bumper, the splitters in the front bumper....all elements that are still used in all modern M cars
5. E82 1M Coupe - Just look at it? It just oozes ///M aggressiveness.....
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Performance wise from what I've experienced it would be different, & I cant comment on cars I haven't been in:-
1. E46 M3 CSL
2. Z4 M-Coupe
3. Z3 M-Coupe
4. E63 M6 - it would rank higher up but it is a complicated animal with a few styling issues.
5. E39 M5 - the ultimate sleeper
Special mention to the SA developed 333i and 325iS, they definitely deserve a mention in there some where. Also the E36 M3 also needs special mention as it was a car with no traction control like the Z3 MCoupe, so was a handful and needed to be treated with respect.