BMW has put its monumentally powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine into the diminutive 1-series coupe, meaning near M3 levels of performance at a fraction of the price.
If you think that can’t be possible, here are the numbers: the engine produces 310PS, giving the subtle coupe a 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds, compared with the M3 coupe’s 420PS and 4.6 seconds – but then it costs more than £50,000 and this 135i coupe costs less than £30,000.
Drivers of this perk car will be happy from the moment they fire it up and the exhaust produces just the right amount of burble, to the moment they press the accelerator and discover the effortless overtaking ability. The only negative in terms of driving experience is a joltingly hard ride, something that never seems to deter a BMW buyer.
Still need a ‘green’ reason to put the car on your choice list? Well, it’s not in the top 35% tax bracket, coming in at 32%, and its official fuel figure is better than 30mpg – just, at 30.4mpg.
Verdict: Thankfully keen drivers can still get their hands on a car like this – and as it costs less than £30,000 and 66.5pence per mile it won’t break the bank either