Time was when only the very fastest sports saloons could crack 100mph in 20sec. The 320d 22sec run is enough to make it faster than any of the competition.
This engine is not just impressive and workmanlike in the diesel tradition, but something to enjoy. BMW has worked hard to engineer an induction noise with its own appeal.
Naturally, it’ll pull from virtually any crank speed and the in-gear times are suitably impressive. Not even the new 258bhp six-cylinder petrol will match its 5.4sec 40-60mph ability in fourth gear. But response is so linear that it offers an almost petrol-like powerband. It pulls from 800rpm well up beyond 4000rpm.
The transmission is merely very good. Perhaps it’s the longer lever, or the increased resistance between cogs, but either way it isn’t quite as pleasurable to use as traditional stick shifts from Munich.
And what of the other performance figures? Try 0-60mph in 8.1sec, 30-70mph in 7.8sec and a genuine 136mph maximum on the high-speed bowl, confirming BMW’s 140mph claim on the flat. All deeply impressive.
And so begins chapter two of the BMW run-flat tyre debate. Developed to run nothing other than hard-sidewall rubber, the new Three is much more convincing than the bigger Five on the same tyres. Much of the credit must go to the chassis engineers and tyre manufacturers, but it is actually the bodyshell that allows everything to be tied together. It’s 25 per cent stiffer than before and as a result individual wheel location is simply better than anything we’ve tried in this class.
Above all, this is a genuinely comfortable car, firmly damped, but never fussy or agitated. It’s also a car of immense balance and poise. With a commendable 51:49 weight distribution, the car stays entirely neutral until the Bridgestones reach their limits and than it understeers. Steering feel could be a little better, but it’s still the class leader, with a rack that gives the driver confidence to enjoy the car.