The latest episode of "We are M" takes us to the BMW Museum in Munich, for the unique exhibition "BMW M. The most powerful letter in the world". The exhibition shows iconic automobiles, stunning classics, impressive prototypes, and legendary racing cars. Two of them however, got out attention: the BMW Z3 M Roadster V12 and the M5 E34 Convertible.

BMW unveiled the Z3 back in 1996 as a tiny sports car based on the E36 3 Series platform. In was offered in both coupe and roadster body style, both standard and M versions. At launch, the Z3 was offered with a four-cylinder engine, but in 1996 a six-cylinder engine was also added. The same went for the M models: the European models were powered by a S50 inline-six engine, while the North American models were powered by the less powerful S52 inline-six engine. But, in 1999, BMW tried something different. Its M division built a single Z3 prototype powered by a 5.4-liter V-12 engine. This engine delivered a total of 322 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, and power was sent through a 6-speed manual transmission. The concept was fully functional and was tested by German magazines, during which tests it went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and up to a top speed of 163 mph. It was much heavier than the standard Z3 - mostly due to the heavier V-12 engine - and offered a weight distribution of 70/30 front/rear, but it never made it to production.

The E34 generation was unveiled in September 1988 and only two body versions were offered: sedan and station wagon. But, in 1989, BMW engineers also developed an M5 Convertible version. The model featured lengthened front doors, seating for four, and was supposed to go on sale at a price of about €57,000. However, BMW decided to kill the model before it even had to chance to be unveiled as it was afraid it was going to canibalize the 3-Series Convertible. The concept was powered by an inline six-cylinder engine that delivered a total of 340 horsepower and offered more cargo room than any of the modern convertibles.

Next to these two models, visitors can walk through large sections of the museum on a specially created BMW M circuit and admire cars like the 3.0 CSL, the 2002 turbo, the legendary M1, and many other concepts, prototypes, BMW M classics, and winning racing cars.