First, let's just assess what we've got. Rear-wheel drive? Check. 343bhp? Check. 269lb ft of torque? Check. 0-60mph in under five seconds? Check. Six-speed gearbox? Check. Big envelope stuffed with money in the glovebox? Check. That's the car then: the all-new BMW M3. Yours for £38,500; ours to drive back to the UK from the launch in France. But not straight back.

The 343bhp, 3246cc straight-six engine may have a collection of pistons which, between them, cover more than 24 metres per second at 8,000rpm; it may have an M Sport button to sharpen throttle response; the M3 engine's intake pipes may have been developed with the help of the F1 racing department; and BMW's M division may have devised a new variable differential M lock. But it is still all the work of human hands.

Yet it lulls you, or rather pumps you up, into a state of confidence where you start to think that this car could do anything for you. It digs in and grips so well that it has you thinking that if you kept your nerve and kept your foot in, it would take any corner for you.

It wouldn't, of course. You'd just end up in the ditch. Even the combined forces of ABS, DSC, CBC and ASC+T couldn't save you if you really overstepped the mark.

Our mighty blue machine is not quite ready to unleash its full firepower through the valleys just yet. The outside of the rev-counter is surrounded by orange light-emitting diodes, warning not to rev the engine beyond 4,000rpm until it warms up. One by one they go out until only one remains, just under 8,000rpm. While it takes a long, straight bit of road for there to be much chance of getting near that 8,000rpm limit, it's worth it for the fantastic sound that fills the cabin.

But even if you go easily in an M3 - leave the traction control switched on, the sports throttle mode off and change up a long way before the red line - you still cover ground fearsomely fast. The sensations may be less immediate than when it is in full attack mode on dry tarmac, but they are still there, if requiring a little more subtlety to savour. The experience is very different and brings out a refined and civilised side to the car's character.

While the steering can feel just a little light for hairpin flicking, it's perfect for easing the M3 around high-speed bends in the wet. It keeps you on your toes, though, for just occasionally - even with the traction control on - the back end shimmers slightly in fast corners. And yet the more you relax and settle down into the sports seats and the less you fight it, the better it feels. And the quicker it goes.

Model Three-door coupe
Engine 3249cc 6cyl 24v, 343bhpBR> Performance 0-60mph in 4.9secs, max speed 155mph
Cost £38,500
Likes 343bhp
Dislikes Slightly stiff ride


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