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Here are two BMW mysteries. What happened to the idea of a beautiful BMW? And why has the company never quite replicated the thrill of driving the very first BMW M3 – the four-cylinder, square-cut one from 1986? That car was one of the most enjoyable I have ever driven, yet it was also civilised enough to live with every day. Every subsequent M3 has been faster and more powerful but also bigger, heavier, more anaesthetised, and the fun has gone.

Here, now, is the new 135i Coupe, which only maintains the mystery of BMW’s abandonment of beauty; even the best-looking cars in the company’s current range are only attractive relative to the visually troubled ones. The original 1-series five-door hatchback had a curiously upright, dated nose full of clashing curves. The three-door looked tauter and tidier, but the style still sold a fine car short. And the two-door coupe? The roof is shorter and there’s a boot poking out at the back, but no one could call it beautiful. You’re much better off inside it, driving.

This is the point of the 135i Coupe. BMW has not set out to do a remake of the original M3, but the broad parallels are there. Both are compact two-doors with powerful engines and rear-wheel drive, and neither is the 135i a bank-breaker compared with today’s M3, whose cylinders, engine capacity and power are double those of the original.

Despite my misgivings at the start of this tale, one visual aspect of the 135i is positive: it instantly promises an enjoyable drive. Unlike most modern cars, the front wheels are pushed well forward with a minimal overhang ahead. That promises an even distribution of weight between front and rear wheels and an air of agility. So it proves.

It takes one joyful fling along a tight, twisting road to discover that this is where the best driving fun lurks within today’s BMW range. The 135i flicks eagerly from one direction to another, instilling the confidence to take a bend on which a less capable car would be encouraging you to touch the brakes. The BMW grips hard but it feels mobile and alive.

Its rear-wheel drive means you can tease it into a little powerslide as you exit a bend, all under easy control, provided you have not switched the stability system off completely. The electronic safety net is reassuring but hardly ever intrusive in road driving. It just adds to the fun by removing the fear and leaving you free to focus.

So there is a strong taste of that proto-M3, except that car did not have any stability systems. Nor did it need them, thanks to its magical handling qualities and, compared with the 135i, its power deficit. But there is one way in which the new car still cannot compete with the old: the steering.

The 135i, like many new cars, has electric power steering. It also has more power assistance than old cars had, as it’s heavier. These factors combine to make the steering feel a little unreal at times, especially when returning to the straight-ahead position, which brings on a viscous resistance.

And then there is the engine. It delivers up to 306bhp, and its 295lb ft of torque is available all the way from 1,300 to 5,000rpm, so it pulls like a good diesel from low speeds yet sings like the fine petrol engine it is at high speeds. Its two turbochargers are small – to give a faster response to the accelerator because small turbines can speed up more quickly – and its fuel is injected directly into the cylinders instead of the inlet ports. This allows the engine to run with higher compression, which is good for power and economy as injecting the fuel after the intake air has been compressed has the effect of cooling the air and avoiding damaging detonation.

Being a modern BMW engine, it also has “efficient dynamics”. This makes it, in some ways, a kind of passive hybrid. Once warm, the engine will stop when the car stops, restarting the instant you depress the clutch.

The system also disconnects the alternator when the engine is under load, so energy isn’t expended on charging the battery. As soon as you ease off the accelerator, the alternator kicks back in to charge the battery – the energy needed to do this making the alternator shaft harder to turn and so adding to the braking effort. Should the battery run low, the alternator is re-engaged as needed.

So this very entertaining car – it can streak to 100kph (62mph) in 5.3 seconds, and overtakes with little more than a flex of the driver’s ankle – is also a greenish model that squeezes under the 225g/km gas-guzzler threshold.

The only dynamic snags arise from its taut, eager nature. It has BMW’s M-sport suspension, which can make the ride choppy on imperfect road surfaces. And the combination of a keen accelerator response and a springy driveline can make smooth progress hard to achieve. But the six-speed gearshift is deliciously quick and precise, the brakes are firm, and it offers ultimate BMW enjoyment. For a new car to come close to a past master is cause for celebration. I just wish it were a little more beautiful. (The Independent)

The rivals

Alfa GT 3.2 V6 Lusso:

Smaller, older and less dramatic than the Brera, the Alfa GT is quietly elegant and very pleasant to drive. It uses the old, all-Alfa V6.

Audi TT V6 Quattro:
 
It has less space in the back than the BMW but makes up for this with great looks and a punchy, 3.2-litre, narrow-angle V6 engine. It’s not as much fun as the BMW, despite the four-wheel drive.

Mazda RX-8 High Power:

The 231bhp version of Mazda’s rotary-engined coupe is a treat, with four seats, half-size rear-hinged rear doors and a smooth pace.