6 German saloons that rule the autobahn

24th February 2025

Adam Wilkins

Germany is the natural habitat of the fast saloon. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi are all from a land where the motorway network features stretches with no speed limit, so it’s only natural that local manufacturers should build cars that suit the environment. It’s highly efficient, after all, to make journeys as short as possible. And with M, AMG and RS being the architects of some of the world’s best performance cars, there is no shortage of candidates for the title of best fast German saloon.

BMW M5 (E39)

Even in common-or-garden form, the E39 generation BMW 5-series is considered by many as peak car – a car from an era where engineering was prized and connectivity wasn’t a consideration.

So, it stands to reason that the 406PS (298kW) M5 is a shoo-in for this list. The styling is rather subtle compared to today’s fast saloons, there are only a few visual clues to set it apart from the M5 crowd.

Unlike the two M5s that came before, this one was built on the same production line as its lesser siblings. Its V8 engine, though, outgunned previous generations in both capacity and cylinder count, a trend that continued in the ascent with the Bangle-era E60 M5 that came along in 2004. By then, 20,482 E39 M5s had been built.

Opel Omega Evolution 500

Let’s go a little left-field and prove that not every bahnstormer has to come from a premium brand. The Opel Omega Evolution is absolutely a home-grown product, having been built in Rüsselsheim. Perhaps the Lotus Omega/Carlton would be a more obvious entry, but those Anglo-Teutonic cars were finished in Norfolk with a generous helping of Lotus engineering, so don’t quality as German.

The Evolution 500 was built in collaboration with Irmscher in order that the Omega could compete in DTM. The homologation rules demanded that 500 were built, the big from airdam and towering rear wing being the obvious identifiers.

The 3.0-litre straight-six was honed to 380PS (279kW) which was good for a 0-62mph time of 5.0 seconds and a 186mph top speed. In the shadow of the Lotus, it’s a the high-performance Omega that time has forgotten.

BMW M3 (E30)

In this company, the first generation BMW M3 looks like a scrappy terrier, its relatively compact dimensions contrasting with the broad-shouldered norms of the genre. It also casts a significantly smaller shadow than the current M3, but that’s another story.

Like the Carlton – sorry, Omega – above, the E30 M3 was built to satisfy DTM homologation rules. It was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1985 and production ran from 1986 to 1991. The bodykit and box arches gave the M3 visual clout, only the roof and bonnet being carried over from the regular car. A four-cylinder engine drove through a Getrag 5-speed gearbox (with a dogleg first gear for the European market) and a limited-slip differential. It all added up to one of the all-time great driving experiences.

One point of order: there’s an argument that the M3 is a coupé, but its three-box shape is more akin to a two-door saloon...

Audi RS4 (B7)

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Audi’s performance flagship RS models aren’t always known for their chassis delicacy and driver interaction. Fast? Yes. Capable? Undoubtedly. But they haven’t always been the last word in driver engagement.

So when the B7 generation Audi RS4 arrived in 2006, it was a bit of a surprise. It was still four-wheel-drive, and it still had bags of power. The 4.2-litre V8, which would later find employment in the R8, produced 419PS (308kW), but it added to the recipe a level of interaction that was not the norm for Audi. To describe it as un-Audi-like sounds like a back-handed compliment, but that’s how it felt.

With many of today’s fast saloons reigning in their immense power with four-wheel-drive, it was also something of a forerunner of what was to come. When the small chassis, big engine thing works, it’s a compelling combination and the B7 RS4 has charm in spades.

Mercedes-AMG S63

OK, we’ll admit that the current Mercedes-AMG S63 may not go down in history as one of the all-time great fast German saloons, but in the modern era of tightening emissions controls we should be grateful that it’s still possible to productionise such a machine. After all, fast limousines have long been a Mercedes tradition, and the S63 is 2025’s interpretation of the theme.

It’s a hybrid, as you’d expect, the beating heart being AMG’s 4.0-litre hot-vee twin-turbo V8. Once the electronic assistance is taken into account, it produces 801PS (589kW) and an even more astonishing 1,430Nm (1,055lb ft) of torque. Before you get too excited though, the power to weight ratio is dulled somewhat by the 2,595kg kerb weight.

But fast full-size Mercedes have never been purely about out and out performance; they’re a means of cosseting occupants while making swift progress. If the S63 marks an epoch, it might well be as the last of its kind ahead of the EV era.

Mercedes-Benz 300E 5.6 AMG (aka AMG Hammer)

The AMG Hammer, as the Mercedes-Benz 300E 5.6 AMG is colloquially known, is arguably the blueprint of the fast German saloon genre. When Mercedes-Benz introduced the W124 generation E-class in the 1980s, it was up to AMG – then a separate entity – to create the hot version. And they didn’t hold back on the chillis.

The engine for the Hammer was stripped and blueprinted, and at the same time the capacity was increased from 5.0 litres to 5.4 litres. The 32-valve DOCH cylinder head was key to its increase in power, which was upped to 339PS (294kW) and 406Nm (299lb ft) of torque. Those figures were unheard of in a saloon car back then, and they gave the Mercedes performance figures to beat contemporary supercars. Its 5.0-second 0-60mph time got the better of the Ferrari Testarossa (5.2 seconds) and Lamborghini Countach (5.4 seconds).

It had a supercar price tag, too. The cost of the conversion was more than three times – and in addition to – the price of a new Mercedes-Benz 300E. Fewer than 30 were built, but the impact this Hammer made was felt throughout the German car industry.