Top 5 Fastest BMW Cars in 2025

A BMW can mean different things depending on your perspective. For some folks, a BMW sedan is a sign of luxury, whereas for others, BMWs represent some of the finest handling road-going cars. In the modern electric era, BMW has also come to represent cutting-edge technology. However, one thing that is common to all BMW cars is that they are inherently fast.

However, while all BMWs are expensive, not all of them are created equal. Some of them go through the rigorous process of being called an ‘M’ car, and these are often the fastest cars made by the German car maker. To settle the debate, for 2025 at least, we have put together the list of five fastest BMW cars sold globally, and just a hint, there is not even one fully electric car on this list. Long live the internal combustion engine!

Fastest BMW Cars Ever

BMW has been making cars for close to a century now, and as far as performance benchmarks go, they have quite a few to their name. Just to give you an idea, here are some of the fastest BMW cars developed in history.

BMW V12 LMR: This was an endurance racing machine developed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race held in 1999. Manufacturers don’t really give out the specs of their racing cars; however, it is estimated that the BMW V12 LMR could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in about 2.7 or 2.8 seconds, a testament to the lightweight and aerodynamic nature of the car. The BMW V12 LMR hit a top speed of 341 km/h on the Mulsanne straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It, essentially, has the fastest top speed of any car fully developed by BMW.

BMW M Hybrid V8 (LMDh Prototype): Once again, the M Hybrid V8 is an endurance racer. It was conceptualised in 2021 and has been a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2024. While it is yet to win a championship or a 24-hour endurance race, the BMW M Hybrid V8 has won a couple of 6-hour endurance races, such as the 2024 IMSA Battle on the Bricks held at Indianapolis. This BMW endurance racer can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds. The more impressive stat, however, is its top speed of 340 km/h.

McLaren F1: Okay, so technically the McLaren F1 isn’t a BMW, but it has the beating heart of one. As a mid-engined supercar, the McLaren F1 uses a 6.1 litre, naturally aspirated, V12 petrol engine that was fully developed by BMW. As for those of you who are not aware, the McLaren F1 held the top speed record for production cars from 1993 until it was broken by the Bugatti Veyron in 2005. To date, it remains the fastest production car with a naturally aspirated engine. The BMW engine in the McLaren F1 made 627 PS and 650 Nm.

Top 5 Fastest BMW Cars in 2025

Before diving deep into the fastest BMW cars of 2025, it is important to understand how we are ranking them. Quite simply, the 0 to 100 km/h time is the best performance benchmark in the real world. One could look at the top speed as well; however, top speeds are rarely achieved, and they require a controlled setting. If two cars end up having the same top speed, we will use the 0 to 100 km/h time as a tiebreaker.

1. BMW M8 Competition Coupe

• 0 - 100 km/h time - 3.2 seconds
• Top Speed - 305 km/h
• Price in USD - $ 218,000 (approx.)
• Price in  INR - ₹ 2.44 Crore (ex-showroom)

The M8 is not the most well-known BMW car out there, and we won’t blame you for thinking, is it really the fastest BMW in 2025? However, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3.2 seconds, the BMW M8 Competition Coupe is the fastest production BMW in the world today. And it also shares that performance accolade with the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe. The latter is the four-door version, compared to the two-door body style of the Competition Coupe. Just don’t confuse it with the M850i xDrive Coupe, which is a regular BMW model with an ‘M’ touch, whereas the other two are full-blown M models.

Being a front-engine, all wheel drive car, the BMW M8 Competition Coupe and its Gran Coupe sibling, both have a 4.4 litre twin turbocharged V8 petrol engine underneath their bonnet. The only transmission on offer is an 8 speed automatic (torque converter), and it sends power to all four wheels via the xDrive system.

The M8 Competition Coupe is a relatively new model for the German car maker, with it only coming into existence in 2019; however, BMW sells it in India as well, albeit only the two-door version. The Gran Coupe isn’t directly available in India.

2. BMW M5

• 0 - 100 km/h time - 3.5 seconds
• Top Speed - 305 km/h
• Price in USD - $ 170,000 (approx.)
• Price in  INR - ₹ 1.99 Crore (ex-showroom)

We all know that the BMW M5 is a legendary moniker, and it has been in production since 1984. It is currently in its seventh generation avatar, and for the first time, the M5 is available as a plug-in hybrid. It’s a bit sad that the M5, which was once the bastion of front-engined, rear wheel drive sports cars, features electrification and all-wheel drive. However, once you realise what this system is capable of, it might just be worth it. It ranks third on this list of fastest BMW cars because of its 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.5 seconds before going on to hit a top speed of 305km/h.

That’s possible because the M5 has a 4.4 litre V8 engine that uses two turbochargers and electric assist to make a total of 727 PS! This is the most for any production BMW sedan to date. Not just that, but the torque output stands at 1000 Nm. If we were to guess, maybe that’s why BMW now offers (since the last generation) the M5 with an xDrive system that can transmit power to all four wheels, to have mercy on those rear tyres. The electric battery and motor that make up the hybrid system also give the M5 an electric-only range of 60 to 70 km. The M5 is equipped as standard with an 8 speed torque converter transmission.

Globally, the M5 is available in a single variant, and it’s available in India as well.

3. BMW M5 Touring

• 0 - 100 km/h time - 3.6 seconds
• Top Speed - 305 km/h
• Price in USD - $ 172,000 (approx.)
• Price in  INR - Not available in India

While the M5 might have missed the top spot in this list, it makes up for it by having a dual presence. The BMW M5 Touring is the fifth fastest BMW sold on the planet. Not just that, historically, the BMW M5 Touring is a much rarer car than the regular M5 sedan, quite simply because the Touring version has been made available with only three out of the seven generation models of the M5 that have existed to date. The first BMW M5 Touring was based on the E34 model 5 Series sedan and was launched in 1992. The second-ever BMW M5 Touring came along in 2007 and was based on the E60 5 Series model. Both of them stuck around only for a few years before being retired to the pages of history books. The third-ever M5 Touring model was launched in 2024 and is based on the most recent M5 sedan.

Just like the M5 sedan, the M5 Touring also uses a 4.4 litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine, which is combined with an electric motor, making it a hybrid. The power figures remain the same, with the overall power output rated at 727 PS and 1000 Nm. All of that means that the M5 Touring has the same top speed of 305 km/h as the M5 sedan but is 0.1 second slower in the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h. As far as the use of an internal combustion engine goes, BMW only offers one variant of the M5 Touring. However, if you are looking at electric vehicles as well, there is an EV version on offer.

The BMW M5 Touring is not sold in the Indian market, and the next best alternative is a BMW SUV such as the X7 or the XM.

4. BMW M4 CS

• 0 - 100 km/h time - 3.4 seconds
• Top Speed - 302 km/h
• Price in USD - $115,000 (approx.)
• Price in  INR - ₹ 1.89 Crore (ex-showroom)

Interestingly, it’s the BMW M4 CS which holds the faster 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds than the M5. And if you were wondering, CS stands for Competition Sport, and when added as a suffix to an M model, it means that BMW is not messing around. Just make sure that you don’t mistake the BMW M4 CS for the M4 Competition Coupe, which is 0.5 seconds slower to the 100 km/h mark.

Under its carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) bonnet, the BMW M4 CS has a 3.0 litre, inline six-cylinder engine which is supplemented by two turbochargers, boosting the total power output to 551 PS and 650 Nm. Transmission duties are taken care of by an 8 speed torque converter, which sends power to all four wheels via the xDrive system. The M4 CS utilises specialised parts which reduce the overall weight of the car by 20 kg compared to the M4 Competition Coupe with xDrive. The BMW M4 CS has also lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 21.989 seconds.

In the Indian market, BMW sells two variants of the M4, the Competition Coupe and the CS, with the former being slower to 100 km/h by just 0.1 second.
 

5. BMW M3 Competition with M xDrive

• 0 - 100 km/h time - 3.5 seconds
• Top Speed - 290 km/h
• Price in USD - $ 125,000 (approx.)
• Price in  INR - Not available in India

The M3 is another legendary nameplate from BMW, and along with the M5, it has been largely responsible for cementing the legacy of BMW’s M division. The M3 was first made in 1986 so that BMW could satisfy the rules of Touring Car racing, which required that at least 5,000 production units of the car must be made before it could go racing. Little did the folks at BMW know that the M3 would become such a crowd favourite, and since then, every subsequent generation of the 3 Series has had a corresponding M3. In its current generation, the M3 Competition with M xDrive is capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 290 km/h. While the 0 to 100 km/h time is the same as the M5, its lower top speed puts the M3 Competition with M xDrive fourth on this list of fastest BMW cars in 2025.

Powering the BMW M3 Competition with M xDrive is a 3.0 litre, inline six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged petrol engine, and it transmits power to all four wheels using BMW’s all-wheel drive system. There is an M differential onboard as well, which helps in transmitting power to the wheels with the most grip. Globally, the M3 is available in a few variants, and the M3 Competition with M xDrive is top of the line. The M3 Competition sedan makes only 510 PS, and the standard M3 makes 484 PS. However, the standard M3 is available with a 6 speed manual transmission in Germany, and coupled with the fact that it’s rear-wheel drive, means that it's going to be engaging to drive as well.

Unfortunately, the BMW M3 is not on sale in India. The next best thing on offer is the BMW M340i, which has been developing a cult following of its own.

Fastest BMW Car: M Driver’s Package

There is something else you need to unlock the speed of a BMW, and it is called the M Driver’s Package. Most BMWs have a limited top speed of 250 km/h, and that is true for four out of five cars on our list, with the M4 CS being the only exception. BMW limits the top speed by restricting the rev limiter in the final gears.

When customers opt for the M Driver’s Package, the restriction is removed, and a particular model can reach its true top speed. Furthermore, BMW also invites you for an M Training Driving Experience course, allowing you to get acquainted with the limits of your car in a controlled setting.

Conclusion

The fastest BMW models offer an exhilarating driving experience, and from an Indian perspective, it's great that three out of the five fastest BMW models sold in the world are available in India. Furthermore, all the models listed here have come from the M department of BMW, and the fact that none of them are EVs means that the people within the M department are working extra hard to maintain the supremacy of internal combustion engines.

However, for how long will this supremacy last? That’s a tough question to answer, but you should know that the sixth fastest BMW in the world is an EV with the i4 M60 xDrive and i7 M70 xDrive both having a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds. It could very well mean that at least one ICE car could be knocked off this list of fastest BMW cars in 2026.