BMW's big hitter, the 5 Series is topped off very nicely indeed with the M5 Touring, as found with his test drive.

Turn your mind to estate cars and you'll invariably conjure up images of sturdy yet entirely bland motors which struggle to fire your imagination. Enter BMW's rocket-like M5 to completely dash any preconceptions of this motoring segment, with its rapier-like speed and convincingly confident design.

Many marques will have you believe that sticking an extra letter or numeral on a model of car generates a genuinely-enhanced stature to the vehicle. In some instances that may well be a dubious claim, but the M for this five series model is a very strong statement of intent.

Under its sleek bonnet lies a Formula One-inspired 5 litre V10 engine that packs a mighty wallop of 507 bhp – that's even before you’ve pressed its 'magic button' which adds a further 100bhp into the mix.

This being the top of the range number, you would expect it to be pretty much all singing, all dancing and indeed it doesn't fail to deliver.

Visually there have been a few minor styling tweaks for the better and it is also a noticeably larger car than the outgoing generation of models. As you might expect, it comes packed with some pretty nifty features.

These include the ability to pre-programme gear shift patterns which makes for an especially sporty drive once you've settled on settings on its remarkable seven-speed gearbox.

Other features such as its enhanced dynamic stability control system allows responsive turning into sharp bends that lend this executive leviathan plenty of plus points in the handling stakes.

The interiors have been refined yet further and bear the classic minimalistic hallmarks of BMW with an uncluttered dash with clearly visible controls.

Its central binnacle houses its I-Drive computer systems which appeared relatively user-friendly on my test drive round rural Hampshire.

The chrome-finished tiptronic gearbox, understated speed/rev displays, Head's Up Display projecting on the road in front of you and three-spoke sports steering wheel (featuring sound-system function controls) are all welcome additions to the all-round package.

There's plenty of room in the front, rear and its generous boot, which you almost forget is even there when putting it seriously through its paces.

One of its stand-out features is a blistering 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, which is getting on for close to twice as pacy as the entry level 5 series model.

Not only is it quick but its advanced traction control and braking ensures it's also a winner in the safety stakes. You do of course pay a significant premium for its swiftness.

It's yours on the road for £64,495, compared with the competitively priced base model, the diesel 520d SE at £26,980.

The latter is also considerably lighter on your wallet in terms of fuel, managing 47 mpg as against the thirsty range-topping M5's figure of 19.1mpg.

Just to prove how important the 5 series is to BMW's operations, there are a further 16 variants on top of these two models, from the 520d M Sport to the 550i M Sport.

There are probably few down sides to owning any of the cars in this range with the exception of insurance premiums which are likely to be at least group 15.

But if you are in the market for an executive estate with bucket-loads of pace and style then you are unlikely to go wrong with the M5 touring. Just don't expect it offer motoring on the cheap.

FACTFILE

BMW 5-Series Touring Range

PRICES: £28,990-£67,075 – on the road

INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-20

CO2 EMISSIONS: 187-362g/km

PERFORMANCE: [530d] 0-60mph 6.9s / Max Speed 152mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: [530d] (average) 42.8mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & window airbags / ABS / DSC