In 1979 the first modern M car was revealed to the public: the BMW M535i. Based on the first car to wear the '5-Series' designation, the M535i set the 'M' template for the next thirty years: an everyday saloon transformed into a race car for the road. The car sported a 3.5 litre engine, front and rear spoilers, Recaro branded sports seats, a limited-slip differential, and the famous 'M stripe' badge. Only ever intended as a low volume production run, 1410 examples were produced between 1979 and 1981.