From the outer rim of its thick steering wheel, to the very tips of its quad exhaust pipes, the Z4 M Coupe feels like it was built for people who got bored. Bored of cars that don't feel fast, and bored of cars where the basic thrill of driving has been deleted in favour of sheer pace, sidelined by compensatory electronics.

But not the Z4 M Coupe - it's an old-school streetfighter; a little bit scary but all the better for it, and even more of a joy because it was spawned in one of the last places you'd expect: BMW.

Of course, the M division makes some awesome machinery, but it can retain a sense of aloofness that robs its creations of character. Super-competent cars for the average driver. So welcome the Z4 M Coupe; a genuine successor to the original, Z3-based M Coupe.

And it's so much more than just a Z4 M Roadster with a roof. Yes, it shares some of its lines, and the same spiral of DNA, but there's more charisma within its double-bubble roof and flat-topped haunches.

It has a big boot under that hatchback rear and makes the most of the long-front, short bum Coupe packaging. In broad terms, it just looks good - because it has at last sorted that exuberant shape.

Of all the cars based on the wobbly trail blazed by Chris Bangle, the Z4 makes the most sense. The Z4 Coupe, as it turns out, most of all.

Mounted under that long bonnet is the 343bhp, 269lb ft straight-six from the current M3, breathing and responsiveness ably assisted by BMW's current double VANOS valve-timing conjuring.

It brings respectable figures for a car weighing just five kilos shy of 1500kgs - 0-62 in five seconds and the usual limited 155mph.

Fire it up and there's a deliciously bassy rumble from the rear of the car, reverberating through a cabin lifted from the Z4 Roadster, albeit enclosed beneath a particularly spacious roof.

You do tend to look downwards through the rear windscreen rather than straight back out, limiting rearwards visibility to 50 yards or so, but it's a minor downside to a focused and supportive driving position.

The steering wheel has that peculiarly thick BMW thing going on, small in diameter and broad through your palms, but the controls suit the car's brawny feel. The clutch is immediate but not overly heavy, the gearbox direct but uncomplicated in its action.

First to second feels a touch too long - smash your way through the gate when attempting to match that 0-62 time and you might well find yourself crunching a few thousandths of an inch off the cogs - but once you get going, it zips through all six speeds.