Never mind the 5.1sec it takes to nail 60mph; consider that in the fifth of its six gears the straight six will run through every 20mph acceleration band from 30-50mph to 100-120mph in under five seconds.
This engine serves urge whatever the revs, though it’s at the upper end of its juicy 8000rpm rev range that its most thrilling work occurs. That’s where the soundtrack crescendos and the engine, sometimes whiny in the mid-range, comes over all hard-edged and ferocious. It’s at this moment you know what you have paid for.
Show this M-car a smooth road and you’ll feel you’re getting value out of the chassis, too. Big boots and fine balance provide a meaty purchase on a bend, your confidence boosted by a thick-rimmed wheel. There’s a shade of stabilising understeer for reassurance (a TVR Sagaris darts harder) and a tiny amount of roll, but this car feels like a reliable and very potent weapon despite a couple of shortfalls in feel.
The steering gear might be hydraulically assisted for greater sensitivity (in contrast to the 3.0si’s electric assistance) but you won’t be getting much feedback and the brakes, though mightily effective, are over-servoed. Couple this to a fierce clutch that demands precise control and you’ve got some work on. It’s a good thing that the gearlever is so pleasing to palm about.
Your work rate will intensify if you choose to attack the kind of B-roads that this car ought to be built for. There’s nothing wrong with that – you buy a car like this to interact with it – but it can be a crude and unsatisfying experience. The ride is so firm that the BMW feels almost bouncy on some roads, its vertical jerks adding to the effort of steering a car that needs continuous guiding if the road’s camber rises and falls.
The traction control light illuminates with amazing frequency. It’s signalling diminishing traction, as the rear tyres’ purchase is continually challenged by that over-firm suspension.
