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23:50 There's an actual sign to Calais! Le Tunnel Sous La Manche. Good. And bad. It means my journey's about to end, and I'll have to give the car back.

00:15 I've finally talked to a real person, at the passport control. The security man just could not understand why I have the roof down. Well, it's not raining, is it? This roof is for folding, dude. I pull up at the gate, and I'm the only person here. It's also freezing. A sign flashes at me. The train arrives at 01:15. That's a whole hour to wait! Typical.

I sit in the car park for several minutes and burn time by just blipping the throttle. Once again, that V8 engine is entrancing. It's this cabriolet's great USP. After a while, I drive onto the train, switch the engine off and fall to sleep instantly. This is the first time I've ever done a job like this, and it's been a dream in itself. No dreams on the train, then.

00:45 The train stops at Folkestone and wakes me up with a jolt. My bed is calling. I can do this.

02:00 Driving through a silent London is eerie, yet great. Every noise of the M3 sounds brilliant too.

02:30 I roll to a stop outside my house, put the roof up, stumble in through the door and try not to wake my girlfriend. I'm pretty wired though... not sure I'll... sleep just ye... t. Zzzzz. I did it in 12 hours. Just.

08:30 Alarm. I don't want to hear that. Not now. Sleep is good. Wait, the M3's outside. I'm up, I'm up! It still has a V8 engine... with 414bhp.

09:00 Two lads check the car out at the garage while I'm filling up. They don't believe that I've just driven from Munich or quite how fast I went. One of them mutters, "Delivery driver" under his breath as he walks off.

09:30 I arrive at the photo studio in Park Royal, where we're shooting every car currently on sale in the UK for the massive relaunch of TopGear.com. Well, nearly every car. You know who you are, Mitsubishi.

09:45 It's hideous giving up a car that I've become so attached to. I utterly love it. I just want to get in and do it all again. This M3 convertible has definitely made it into my virtual garage. A brilliant car.