To help raise the brand’s profile, Volvo originally chose the 850 Estate, which they reasoned would generate the most media exposure. The race car was penned by the designer responsible for the Jaguar XJ220 supercar and powered by the car maker’s 2.0-litre, 5-cylinder, turbocharged engine, producing a heady 290bhp.

Volvo’s touring car success gave rise to the production 850R in 1996, with its 2.3-litre 5-cylinder engine producing 250bhp at 5400 rpm along with 350Nm of torque. In its day, the 850R was perhaps the ultimate ‘Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’, capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 155mph. Porsche drivers learned to pay attention to their rear-view mirrors, while BMW drivers envied the 850R’s torque-laden mid-range grunt.

Memories of the 850R came flooding back recently when I drove the Volvo V60 T6 AWD R-Design Polestar – its spiritual successor. The nomenclature may have changed, but the ingredients seems remarkably similar – this time Volvo’s performance estate is fitted with a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine, turbocharged (of course) and now with four-wheel drive to handle all that mid-range torque. And although the V60 T6 has put on a bit of weight since the 850R – 1784kg vs 1545kg, it makes up for it with 329bhp and a whopping 480Nm (355 lb-ft) of torque.

The result is 0-60mph performance in 5.8 seconds and an identical top speed of 155mph (limited).

The other similarity between Volvo’s first and latest performance estates, is the price. Back in 1996, the 850R retailed for £33,550, and for just £36,285 you can now pick up a V60 T6 AWD R-Design, although our test car topped out at £43,715 after adding Drivers Support Pack (£1,485), Premium Pack (£1,280), Active Lights (£1,025), Convenience Pack (£1,025), Sunroof (£870), Security Pack (£665), Polestar Performance Upgrade (£645) and Digital TV (£435).

So now that we’ve been introduced, what should we do with our V60 T6 AWD R-Design Polestar? – The most powerful Volvo ever.

Well, let’s start with shortening its name – we’ll call it ‘T6 Polestar’. Then we’ll return to the birthplace of the 850R, the circuit, to find out if Volvo’s modern-day sports estate has managed to retain some of that 1990′s soul.

* * *

Rather than visit the usual circuits like Silverstone or Bedford Autodrome, we chose somewhere with real history – Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb Circuit – also known as the oldest operational motorsport venue in the world. First used in 1905, Shelsley Walsh has played host to numerous motorsport heroes, including Sir Henry Segrave, Hans Stuck, Raymond Mays, Sir Stirling Moss and 1995 British Hill Climb Champion Andy Priaulx.

Like Volvo, Shelsley Walsh is going through a period of rebirth. You may remember those ‘Save Shelsley’ campaigns from a few years ago. That was back in 2004, when the circuit’s original 99-year lease came up for renewal and needed £1.05 million to secure its future.

The Midland Automobile Club, which runs the venue, gained the support of members and enthusiasts from around the world and since then the historic 1,000-yard track, north-west of Worcester, has been renovating and restoring the venue’s facilities.

As our T6 Polestar sits on the starting line, we could feel the history of this place already asking questions of Volvo’s sports estate. Shelsley is a place where motorsport is revered, and is far more than just a winding stretch of tarmac, so Volvo’s most powerful production car would need to pay it’s challenging twists and turns due respect.

Our original intention was use Shelsley for a spot of photography, but once past the start-line it felt ‘rude’ not to comply with the circuit’s remit and climb it as quickly as possible.

The T6 Polestar, with its Haldex all-wheel drive system, launched with barely a murmur of discord – far removed from its unruly predecessor. But once underway you miss the absence of drama – this is a 330bhp sports estate after all, which back in 1995 would have earned it the accolade of being one of the fastest saloon cars in the world.

With 25bhp more than the regular V60 T6, I was expecting the T6 Polestar to be reasonably swift, and it was, although not as quick as you might imagine. Picture BMW 335i performance (almost), but a long way short of anything sporting an ‘M’ or RS’ badge.

It’s a relaxing sort of engine to drive on the road, fitted its standard Geartronic auto box, but it’s not an engine which encourages you to explore its outer reaches, nor play music through its fruity induction or exhaust. In fact, despite the twin-scroll turbocharging of its 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, the only fruitiness you’re likely to experience in the T6 Polestar is when you bite into an Apple at your next fuel stop.

And fuel is one thing you’ll need to budget on for with the T6 Polestar. Most of our time with the car was spent schmoozing along, enjoying its fine ride and handling or swallowing up huge motorway miles – in this mode you’re likely to see between 27mpg and 29mpg, exactly the figure claimed by Volvo. But put your foot down, and it’s not long before the Polestar is drinking a gallon of fuel every 20 miles or so.

* * *

Into the first corner at Shelsley, the fast left-hand Kennel Bend, and the T6 Polestar is flat in 3rd. Whilst there’s very little body roll, the nose of the V60 reminds me of Jag’s early XFR, the float and bounce of its front suspension encouraging some caution before committing it into a fast bend.

It’s a marginal blip in the composure of the T6 Polestar’s suspension (MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link suspension at the rear), which you’re unlikely to notice on the road, but nevertheless it reminds us the V60 was designed for a lighter, less powerful engine.

The pedal remains firmly nailed over the Crossing kink, with only the slightest of lifts for the tight and cambered S-bend that follows. This is where we uncover another of the V60 Polestar’s flaws. It’s steering, whilst accurate, is a little ‘dead’ just off centre and too slow for the quick flick of that S-bend.

But it’s time to give all of our attention to the track again, as the scene of Shelsley’s most embarrassing incidents rapidly approaches.

Bottom Bend is the reincarnation of every slippery moment you’ve had on the road, tree lined, seasoned with silt from the banks of earth above, it tempts you to brake later into its uphill camber, only to play a cruel trick on your confidence as the road’s traction dissolves away.

The V60 has a chassis that resists understeer far better than most similarly configured Audis – with a slight lift on turn-in before re-engaging full boost, the T6 Polestar can be made to oversteer in a safe and predictable way. Whilst this might sound the death-knell for the T6 Polestar’s sporty credentials, exactly the opposite occurs.

For a car designed principally with front-wheel drive in mind, the all-wheel drive V60 is wonderfully adjustable on the throttle for such a sensible looking estate car.

Lift – turn – accelerate, and the T6 Polestar comes alive. Now the steering feels sharp and incisive, the engine punchy and the chassis as balanced as any car in its class.

Bottom Bend was made for the V60. We repeat the corner, again and again, just to see if we can unsettle the cool Swede, but the T6 Polestar revels in such tightly cambered corners as we lunge towards the next right-hander, Top Bend, before bursting on to Main Straight and across the finish line.

* * *

Out on the public road again and I’m reminded that the T6 Polestar is an excellent mile-muncher, but unless pushing it on a twisty circuit you’d never know the chassis could be so capable. There’s still that ‘floaty/untidy’ feeling on fast A-roads, where an Audi S4 would be pushing on even harder – it’s as if Volvo were in two minds about how sporty the T6 Polestar should be.

The Geartronic automatic gearbox doesn’t help – it shunts when taking off from rest, so noticeably that I chose to select ’2nd’ in the gearbox’s manual mode whenever accelerating onto a roundabout. And that’s another faux par committed by Volvo’s engineers – manual selection of gears requires the counter-intuitive ‘push-forwards’ to change up and ‘pull-backward’ to change down. I was forever selecting the wrong gear, making me wish for paddles on the T6 Polestar’s steering wheel.

Of the options fitted to our test car, the only one I would heartily recommend is the £645 Polestar Performance Upgrade – 329bhp and 354lb ft of torque is not to be sniffed at, even if it does test the V60′s body control.

Beneath the ice white exterior of our car, lies a fast, competent and relaxing sports estate. It goes about its business with a likeable determination without raising the driver’s heart by more than a few beats. And that’s perhaps the main shortcoming of Volvo V60 T6 Polestar.

It’s a great car to live with, stylish and classless to look at and a fabulous all-rounder, but to become the spiritual successor to Volvo’s 850R it needs to become more Danny O’Donoghue than Tom Jones. There’s a great engine and chassis in the T6 Polestar, but it needs to decide what it wants to be – cruiser or sports saloon.

The T6 Polestar is good – nearly very good – and a real pleasure to live with, but when we handed the keys back to Volvo we didn’t miss it. Our Swedish affair was over, and beautiful though she was, there wasn’t much more to enjoy beyond what we initially discovered.

A more vocal exhaust, stiffer front springs and a DCT gearbox would work wonders for its personality and make it not just the most powerful Volvo, but also the most exciting (by far) to drive.

Photo credits: Noremac, Midland Automobile Club

Specification

Model:  V60 T6 AWD R-Design Polestar
Engine:  2,953cc 24-valve six cylinder
Transmission:  6-Speed Geartronic Auto
Weight:  1784kg
Colour:  Ice White
Interior:  R-Design Off Black Ceramic
Mileage:  8,756 miles (at end of test)
Price (as tested):  £43,715 (base price – £36,285)

Gallery

Once we’re wrapped up warm and snug in our cars, neither rain nor snow can disturb our peace. Unless, perhaps if you own an Audi TT Mk2, in which case you might need to plan ahead.

The problem occurred 10 days ago when the drivers-side window on our car failed to close, stopping half way up accompanied by a mechanical graunching noise. The window would rise and fall up to this mid-point, but no further.

Thankfully our cars are parked away in a garage, but it still meant we couldn’t actually go (and park) anywhere, plus of course we no longer needed an outside temperature gauge because we could ‘feel’ every degree below body temperature.

Initial efforts to reset the control unit (by disconnecting the battery) made no difference, so a visit to our nearest Audi dealer (Vindis) was next on the cards.

Now, I’ve bought several Audis in recent years – B7 RS4 Avant, R8 and of course our TT – but I am probably better known for the BMW’s I’ve owned and have an excellent relationship with my local dealer. However Vindis’ approach to resolving our problem left me cold.

Menu-pricing man wouldn’t allow a mechanic to just pop out and take a look/listen at our car, instead we’d have to fork out £85 for a diagnosis. “Either way it’s probably the window regulator that’s just packed up..” he said. To which I replied, “No it isn’t. The electrics are fine, it’s a mechanical failure.”

Menu-pricing man shrugs his shoulders, tells me I could buy the parts myself and try to fix it, but judging by the smirk on his face I got the distinct impression he thought this was akin to crossing the Atlantic in a dinghy.

So, you can probably guess what I did next. Picking up a batch of 9 spare door clips (which are used to attach the inner trim to the door skin), I set about performing my own diagnosis, by removing the door panel and inspecting the window regulator mechanism.

An invaluable resource that I referred to during this process is the UK-run TT Forum and specifically the following post.

It seems a daunting task at first, but providing you’re reasonably competent with your hands, it’s perfectly achievable. This is the o/s door stripped of its trim with the window regulator mechanism still mounted inside.

After stripping the door down I discovered the cable within the window regulator mechanism had frayed and was stuck within one of the plastic pulleys. This is not repairable and Audi do not sell replacement cables, instead you must buy the complete mechanism including cables, clamps, pulleys and most of the structural components inside the door.

A second visit was made to my local dealer to pick up a replacement regulator mechanism (£118 incl VAT – part no. 8J0837462D) and three hours later our TT was back on the road, with a fully functioning drivers window and a warm sense of achievement – or perhaps that was just because the minus 5 degree air temperature was now only on the ‘outside’ of the car.

This is the old window regulator mechanism once removed from the car. You can see why it’s not possible to just replace the cable.

The Implications

Whilst investigating the reason for our TT’s window failure, I came across a great many posts on TT Forum and other Audi communities which show this is a ‘known issue’, so much so that Audi have frequently offered to pay part (if not all) of the repair costs. But it also appears to affect other models in Audi’s range including the A5/S5, which shares a similar frameless door design as the TT.

Beyond the cost of repairing your TT, the other point worth noting is how frequently the failure occurs at the most inconvenient time. There were tales of people driving back home in the pouring rain with the window half open, or going out for the night (or further afield) then having to abandon plans and return home because the car cannot be securely parked.

I read through dozens of similar cases, many of them far worse than our own, which made me feel I was one of the lucky ones.

That graunching sound you hear is the frayed cable trying to pass through this plastic pulley.

Many owners report the same graunching noise (as the cable frays and gets stuck in the mechanism), whilst some have experienced both windows fail within a matter of weeks.

Whilst our car is more than 4 years old, many of the cases I came across afflicted nearly new cars, some less than 12 months old, so we’re talking about a design issue rather than natural wear and tear.

What can you do?

The first thing to say is that every car experiences faults at one time or another, it’s unavoidable, but in this instance it appears that if you own a Mk2 TT then you ‘will’ experience this failure at some point in its life.

So, the first piece of advice is to have it checked over at your next service, or if your concerns are more pressing then ask your dealer to inspect your car, but remember they’ll probably charge nearly £100 for the privilege.

Secondly, don’t try and force your window to close. I found one video on YouTube that made me cringe, and when you realise what causes the failure there really is no point in doing anything other than replacing the mechanism.

It won’t fix itself, and if you keep trying to raise and lower the window you’ll strain the regulator motor which will set you back a further £200 or more to replace.

You can see how badly frayed the cable becomes. This will not fix itself, nor will it magically go away no matter how many times you raise the window.

Should Audi recall the Mk2 TT?

Most recalls are made for safety reasons and apart from the risk of your pride and joy being stolen, there’s no safety risk to this failure – this is all about cost and inconvenience.

Audi will weigh up the risk to customer satisfaction and their brand reputation against the cost of proactively fixing customer cars – but don’t hold your breath – most car makers tend to deal with these issues on a case-by-case basis rather than a very public and costly recall.

If you’ve experienced this problem yourself then let us know in the comments below, I can’t promise a quick fix, but it might just demonstrate how widespread the problem has become.

Likewise if you are currently limping around with your window half-open, pay a visit to the folks at The TT Forum who can point you towards the best DIY guides and offer both words of advice.. and their sympathies.

At that age we all had a generic itch – not for cars per say, but for the mobility, the independence, the freedom of being able to slide into something (albeit belonging to a parent) and turn a key. Until then it was skateboarding, biking, jumping on the bus or just plain hoofing it.

Come to think of it, I was probably in the best physical shape of my life just before I hit driving age; I can recant many adolescent, romantic tragedies that ended in the seat of a SkyTrain with a song blaring on my Sony Walkman; and summers seemed to pass more slowly and preciously – perhaps in part because it took so bloody long to commute to the experiences.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t the convenience of driving that left us wanting – we’d roam Greater Vancouver under our own steam like gypsies without giving it a second thought: it was the notion of maturity. Novelty and uncertainty. Self-authored destiny. Adventure.

We’d take the odd sip from this cup before our time. One summer – in fact, the summer before grade nine if I remember correctly – my parents were in Europe, leaving me home alone with my grandmother who had lived with us since I was two.

Under the alibi of watching a video in the basement, three friends and I waited silently until we heard snoring upstairs, then crept outside to the top of our hundred-foot driveway. Like a ninja I gingerly unlocked the driver’s door of my Mom’s 1983 Toyota Cressida (the keys pilfered from the kitchen earlier).

Back then, you could pop a car with automatic transmission out of Park without starting it. Turn the ignition halfway, press the brake pedal and presto – the steering wheel unlocked and you were sliding into Neutral. So, with two friends pushing, me steering and braking, and the other lad whispering directions from behind, we backed Mom’s car out of the carport and down onto the dead-end street below.

As a margin of safety from my grandmother’s bionic ears, we pushed the Cressida to the intersection, all hopped in, rode the brakes without power-assist another block or two down the hill, then fired her up. I can still taste the fear and exhilaration. We giggled and yelped like, well, fourteen-year-old boys.

I was ultra-cautious the whole way but must say that the driving came pretty naturally; I guess riding shotgun to enough track practices gave me the gist through observation. Thank God we knew everything back then, because we had the gall to drive down the main strip of our suburb; through the beach to exhibit our brilliance to the girls; and even to the 7-11 for giant Slurpees and candy, finding a spot right out front not requiring the mysteries of parallel parking.

A block or two after the pit-stop, we were suddenly being followed by a police car; the other guys cowered and hissed at me to drive extra-carefully while I did the math on how old I’d be when they let me out of jail. Mercifully the cop turned off at the next intersection, but that was our omen – we bee-lined it home.

I thought it best to gun the Cressida down our street, swoop onto the driveway at speed, cut the engine halfway up and coast back into the carport. In my own mind it was a successful mission, one that I was actually able to share with my chuckling parents many years later.

I am certain that we snuck the whole thing by my Ukrainian grandmother, for the simple fact that I still exist, and can type the story for you tonight with all ten fingers.

Anyway, little escapades like that only fuelled our desire to legitimately get behind the wheel one day. But one fateful evening the following summer, as I stood over her at the age of fifteen, I realized that my desire was far deeper and more comprehensive than that of my friends… stay tuned.

Ginetta, unlike rivals such as Lotus, Ariel or Caterham, have not produced a road car since the 1990′s, hence the importance of two new road based offerings, spurred on by current owner Laurence Tomlinson of LNT Automotive . Indeed, the success of the little G40 R, and its sibling, the G60 911-rival, could make-or-break the West-Yorkshire based sports car manufacturer.

Should it fail, Ginetta may end up next to TVR in the automotive cemetery with ‘Gone but not Forgotten’ written across its headstone. But for now, there’s everything to play for.

Certainly, with Laurence Tomlinson at the helm, they have an asset highly regarded in the industry, and a man who strikes me as a modern day Colin Chapman. With years of racing experience, Le Mans wins and a keen understanding of both business and engineering, Tomlinson and Ginetta have every chance of making it work, even in such a competitive market.

At Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire we drove the ‘baby’ G40 R, which features lightweight engineering, a Mazda sourced engine and gearbox, a front engine rear-wheel drive layout and very little in terms of driver aids. A pretty car, low slung and dainty in its proportions, whilst still looking muscular, this car looks every inch the race car turned road car that it is.

The 2.0-litre Ginetta G40 R at Silverstone circuit.

Interestingly, this is what sets it apart from its rivals, in that the G40 is a race car adapted for the road by putting in a proper manual gearbox (the race car itself uses a sequential ‘box), road biased seats and seat belts, some headlights and a number plate. If you are looking for a racing experience on the road, it’s difficult to think of anything else that blurs the lines more strongly than the G40.

With a 175 bhp 2.0-litre MZR engine propelling a kerb weight of just 795 kg, the performance of the G40 sits somewhere between a Lotus Elise and an Exige, with the 0-60 sprint taking 6 seconds and with a top speed approaching 140 mph. If you are bridging the gap between the Elise and Exige, the numbers make sense and it feels suitably quicker than an Elise S in a straight line.

On the track

Out on track, the car feels lively, and will make you work to get the best out of it. Its unassisted, slightly un-communicative steering at low speeds comes alive and offers useful feedback as you begin to make more flowing progress. Without brake servos, the rock solid brake pedal takes some getting used to, and it can be very easy to lock the rear wheels and end up provoking ‘polite pirouetting’ if you are not used to this kind of race-derived braking. Properly managed however, the brakes offer excellent retardation and resist fade out on the circuit.

The G40 R’s handling balance is good, but the chassis is less forgiving than a Caterham Seven or Lotus Elise in terms of gradual breakaway of grip. Turn-in oversteer can be difficult to correct if you are not quick enough or in tune enough with the G40’s un-assisted steering, however once your brain catches up, you realise truly rapid progress can be made on track, using the excellent grip and precision provided by the combination of its soft-compound road tires and a well balanced chassis.

Should you consider buying one?

With the ex-Farbio based G60 sports car was being rolled away (with a minor electrical malfunction that prevented us from getting behind the wheel), responsibility fell on the G40 R to impress and prove that Ginetta has what it takes to produce as good a road car as it already does with racing cars.

Ginetta G60, the £68,000 911-rival based on the Farbio GTS. Ginetta acquired Farbio in March 2010 with its founder, Chris Marsh, continuing the sportscar’s development under the Ginetta name.

Whilst we feel that improvements could be made to the interior trim quality and some of the exterior paneling, the car we drove was a pre-production model and we’ve been promised these will be sorted before customer deliveries commence.

If that’s the case, then Ginetta have produced a balanced, race-honed road and track car that, although only produced in small numbers, we expect to give established cars from Lotus and Caterham a run for their money. In fact, we’d go so far in saying if you’re looking for a fixed roof sportscar ably suited to the inclement weather here in the UK, then the G40 R has few rivals.

Certainly, the driver appeal is there, and if Ginetta continue to dial in their race derived understanding of dynamics into all future road cars, we expect Ginetta to become a serious contender as a producer of lightweight track cars for the road.

The G40 R will cost just £29,950 when deliveries commence in 2012, which makes it something of a bargain compared to the £68,000 G60 sportscar. The company has set itself the modest target of 100 cars, all of which will be supplied to UK customers.

How did I arrive at such a preposterous conclusion? After all isn’t this just a 135i with a re-mapped twin-turbo six engine and a fancy body kit?

Well, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is “I’ve just been given a free lunch” and 1 signifies “I’ve been screwed”, the 1 Series M Coupé is a 12. And a half. Seriously.

Setting off from the short-stay car park at Inverness Airport, after collecting the keys to our pumpkin-hued baby M-car, the first thing that struck me was how well the 1M fitted. Like a well-designed pair of jeans, I felt immediately at home, the steering felt crisp and attentive, the exhaust burbled away purposefully – I knew right away that the 1M and me would get along just fine.

Then 50 yards beyond the car park exit and we meet our first roundabout – time to find out if this is really an M-car. If you’ve had the pleasure of owning (or driving) an M-car then you’ll be familiar with this moment – the empty roundabout. Whilst extensive testing and development on the Nürburgring might represent the serious side of the M brand, for most of us outside of a track day, the humble British roundabout represents the best opportunity to feel the genius that’s gone into creating the variable M differential – a device so simple (in theory) but essential in pitching the tail of an M-car sideways under throttle… and keeping it there.

The 1M passed the test with honours. Not since the iconic M3 CSL has an M-car been produced that rewards such a side-window navigation style of driving. The M differential deliver the perfect tag-team performance alongside the 1M’s quick and responsive steering, meaning that anyone (not just the slide-heroes) can enjoy the 1M’s perfect 50:50 balance.

Rather than continue eulogising about the 1M’s talents, not least because there are so many that by the time you read this article all remaining 1M’s will have been sold, I thought it would be more useful to just focus on the reasons why you’d wish you’d got your cheque book out and secured one for yourself.

So here goes. Just hum along to the tune of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and by the time I’ve finished you should be ready to pick up the phone or search the classifieds for your own little piece of M-heaven.

The Sweet Spot

Gallery

My objective when inviting Andrew along was to gain a real honest-to-goodness customer’s perspective on the new M car – sometimes it’s easy to be overly critical when working with cars on a routine basis, so Andrew’s first impressions would be useful in judging whether BMW had got it right with the kind of people they really need to impress.

You can read our review on the new 1 Series M Coupe in our article, In the studio with BMW’s 1 Series M Coupe, and you can also now view our video (below and also on SkiddPlayer) from the day which hopefully gives you an idea of what we were seeing at the shoot.

By the way, this pristine 1 Series M Coupe that you see in the pictures will eventually be heading to the crusher after it’s been victimised in a series of development tests by BMW. It seems such a crime to destroy such a gorgeous looking car, but it’s all part of the development programme – I’m sure there’s a Bugatti Veyron out there somewhere that’s been through the same ordeal.

The Customer’s Viewpoint

Prior to our session last week we’d reached out to the main global BMW forums to ask people what they were most interested in finding out about the new 1 Series M Coupe. Many questions centered around whether it’s powerplant was unique (sort of), what colours will be available (see Andrew’s words below) and its price (£39,990 OTR here in the UK). Until last Friday we knew very little about the specification and options available for the 1 Series M Coupe, so naturally most people’s enquiries were aimed at filling this void.

The response since these details were revealed has been unsurprisingly positive, BMW’s video released a day before has already racked up nearly three-quarters of a million views and the discussion boards have been filled with chatter about BMW, this new 1 Series M Coupe and the future of M cars in general. Either way it’s been a great launch so far for BMW and we’ll have more to share with you before the cars first public appearance at Detroit in January.

But enough of my preamble, let me share with you Andrew’s thoughts later that evening, after he’d returned back home..

It’s all about Cars and Photography..

When I first set eyes on the 1 Series M Coupe, I spontaneously grinned. I’ve not done that when looking at a road car, for a long time – and especially not one within my price range. The last ones to trigger such a reaction were probably the Renault R26.R, and the M3 CSL.

I joined the photo shoot last week for two reasons; firstly because I have already placed an order for a 1 Series M Coupe and this was probably my one and only chance to see a car before taking delivery and secondly to lend SkiddMark my support as a photographer – I’m a semi-pro hobbyist, covering such motorsport events during 2010 as the FIA GT Series and the major European 24 Hour races – so this was the perfect opportunity to indulge two of my passions – cars and photography.

We were up against the clock, following on from the Autocar, Whatcar and PistonHeads and with BMW’s delivery driver eagerly waiting to load the car back on the transporter, time was in short supply. Our priority therefore was to quickly capture a set of images for publishing later that evening, but it was a struggle to remain focused whilst my thoughts were consumed as an enthusiast and a customer.

First impressions? Well, the 1 Series M looks just right – I was a bit worried that the arches might seem a little too exaggerated, but they’re not, and certainly at the front, they help stop the 1er looking so ungainly (the main criticism of my current runabout – a 123d Coupe).

On that matter, the new front headlights help smooth the front, and combined with the bumper and its monster splitter, make it look more grown-up than the standard 1 Series.

When the engine was first started, I was innocently crouched behind the car taking photos of its rear, and I was initially quite shocked at the sound it produced – it was almost offensively loud, before settling down a more reasonable deep-chested thrum. It doesn’t sound like a typical turbo-charged motor at least not in my experience – and whether this is due to some clever exhaust tweaking, or just its natural sound, I don’t mind at all – it certainly sounds like a seriously tuned motor.

There are plenty of nice touches both inside and outside the 1 Series M – including the ///M logo embossed into the front headrests, orange stitching offsetting the alcantara and dark black leather or that aggressive front snout. Some may quibble at the mock vents behind the front wheel arches – they’re actually designed to produce air curtains around the front wheels reducing aerodynamic turbulence – or at the exhaust valance being plastic, not Carbon fibre as it was in the M3 CSL, but I think to do so would be to miss the point of this car. It is BMW’s entry-level M model after all.

At the end of the day it’s 180KG lighter than an E92 M3 (1495KG vs 1680KG) , costs about £10K less, and still packs 335bhp…so given that I used to own an E92 M3 and an M3 CSL, I see the 1 Series M Coupe as something of a bargain. I suspect this is one of those cars that will generate plenty of smiles for its owners.

Prior to the photoshoot I was thinking of specifying my own car with Saphire Black metallic paint, but having seen the Valencia Orange, I’ve certainly changed my mind.. .the colour is really eye-catching, but not in a gaudy or tiring way but because it looks so rich and classy – I’d expect at least 60-70% of buyers will do likewise choosing the unique Valencia Orange, rather than the other two alternatives – Saphire Black or Alpine White.

Criticisms?

I don’t have many really – my main one is perhaps the seats, whilst attractively trimmed with their orange stitching, they’re essentially the same frames as in my current M Sport 123d. I would personally prefer the more deeply bucketed BMW Performance seats, and hope it’s possible to specify those with the requisite orange stitching.

I also wish there was a carbon fibre roof available… there was talk of that being an option, but I suspect that was just idle forum chatter, however it would really suit the car (especially contrasting with the Orange), and I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more if it were an option.

None of those are really criticisms though, just my personal preferences. Spending the afternoon in the company of the 1 Series M Coupe has left we wanting to drive it even more – I’ll start by scheduling a regular phone call with my dealer to chase up the delivery date for my own car and in the meantime I’ve got a great collection of photos showing how my own car will look when I collect it next May.

As I write these introductory paragraphs we’ve yet to meet the new M Coupe – we’ve talked with many of you during the last few days about what you’d like us to discover and we’ve soaked in the anticipation and excitement from the many discussions on the main BMW forums and blogs.

It would be fair to say that the 1 Series M Coupe has already struck a chord with enthusiasts – BMW’s ethos of going back to its roots and rediscovering the purity of the iconic E30 M3 is just what the doctor ordered, although in the 25 years since this first M3 appeared on the scene a lot has changed. Cars have become bigger, heavier and more filtered in their responses.

BMW’s M Division CEO Dr Kay Segler has already responded to critics by saying it would be impossible to build an E30 M3 in today’s marketplace, but he believes that his team have produced the next best thing in the new 1 Series M Coupe.

If you remember before taking over at BMW’s M Division Dr Segler the man in charge of Brand Management at Mini – we interviewed him 12 months ago when he explained that his vision for the M-brand is “Childhood automotive dreams realised”, which explains why he’s been so visible in the build up to the 1 Series M Coupe’s launch – I’m sure he would freely admit to feeling like a kid in a sweetie shop and can’t wait for customers to get their hands on his latest creation.

His close involvement in the project even extends to performing in his own video – you can see his latest cameo performance below.

But enough of this preamble, we’re off to see the car for ourselves and will show you what we discover later on today..

Need to Know

If you read our recent 2011 X3 First Drive then you’ll already be familiar with our Need to Know (NTK) segment, which is basically a cut-to-the-chase summary of the stand-out characteristics that make this car what it is – a ‘cheat sheet’ if you like. This is what you should look out for when examining the 1 Series M Coupe more closely..

The details

The sporty character of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé is expressed by its dramatic exterior design, with widened wheel arches, exclusive 19-inch Y-spoke M alloy wheels, and dual chrome tailpipes. A discreet rear spoiler lip generates additional downforce and a rear apron with side openings echoes the look of the front air intakes to ensure the look of sporting intent matches the car’s sporting ability. L-shaped rear light clusters with two light banks fed by LED units complete the M car look.

There will be just 3 paint finished to choose from – Alpine White non-metallic, Black Sapphire metallic and the exclusive Valencia Orange metallic. Valencia Orange was the colour of the car we shot in the studio this afternoon and it’s another one of BMW’s classic paint mixes – if you know your BMW paint colours then rather like Interlagos Blue or Vermillion Red, this is a burnt orange with lamp black mixed with the metallic flakes, so it’s great at showing the body’s lines and undulations and looks great in either low or bright light. Having seen the car today we now understand Dr Segler’s excitement when he described it as a ‘must have’ colour. It really is stunning, not as hard to live with as the E46 M3′s unique Phoenix Yellow but at the same time unlike any other car colour on the road.

The BMW 1 Series M Coupé is fitted as standard with twin corona bi-xenon headlamps, and LED-fed positioning lights. A hallmark M-branded feature is the elongated chrome gill element on the front wheel arch, while the door mirrors are from the E92 BMW M3, but tuned for the specific aerodynamic characteristics of the 1 Series M Coupé.

Paintwork. In an age where manufacturers such as Porsche consistently seem produce boring paint colours, it's good to see BMW yet again bringing out a future classic. Ladies and Gentleman I bring you Valencia Orange.

We counted 7 M logos on the car, 2 on the side gills, one on the rear, two on the front seat headrests, one on the instrument dials and another on the gear stick. You’ll therefore be in no doubt that you’re sitting in an M car. You’ll also be in little doubt that you’re sitting in something very special. The standard sports seats in Boston leather feature Kyalami orange stitching and hold you tightly but comfortably. It’s a shame in some ways that BMW chose not to fit a variation on the BMW Performance seats, with their Alcantara trim and more deeply bucketed shape, but then most owners will be running their cars every day and would probably prefer leather trim.

The interior is exclusively modelled for the BMW 1 Series M Coupé, with an M leather steering wheel and the use of Alcantara with Kyalami orange contrast stitching on the door trim, door inserts, handbrake and gear lever gaiter and instrument binnacle cove. The M logo is also embossed in the front of the headrests. You’ll see from the photos that the alcantara extends to the dashboard, which is a nice touch and adds to the overall upmarket feel of the 1 Series M Coupé.

Engine and Drivetrain

Rather than the ground-up bespoke engines of previous M models, the 1 Series M Coupe uses a development of the powerplant found in the 135i and the 335is. In some respects that’s a shame – when you open the bonnet there’s nothing more impressive than in any other BMW besides the ‘Powered by BMW M’ badge, which in some way cheapens the impact.

At its heart though is still a high revving, in-line six-cylinder engine with twin turbocharger, direct injection technology and double VANOS variable valve timing to develop a maximum output of 335bhp. Such performance equates to a highly desirable car that takes just 4.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 62mph. The BMW M tuned twin-turbocharger technology used consists of two relatively small turbos which, because of their low inertia characteristics, are active even at low engine speeds, ensuring no turbo lag, yet a peak power output which is achieved at 5,900rpm.

The 2,979cc engine is flexible though, with a maximum torque of 450Nm produced from as little as 1,500rpm. A flat torque curve for swift in gear acceleration sees peak torque maintained up to 4,500 rpm. This figure can then be increased by another 50Nm when the car is under full throttle by means of an overboost function.

What these figures don’t tell you is just how good it sounds. We were in a studio, so let’s make allowances for the acoustic reflections that would have added to the bassy thrum, but this is not how a 135i normally sounds. The silencer system developed exclusively for the 1 Series M Coupé generates a sonorous sound with a permanent yet unobtrusive sound, deep and purposeful with a characterful popping sound on the overrun. We recorded a video this afternoon, so you’ll get to hear it for yourself when we publish this tomorrow.

Rear Bazookas? Check. Yes the 1 Series M Coupé really does sound as good as it promises.

As we’ve become accustomed to in the past decade the M engineers have designed two engine maps for the 1 Series M Coupé, activated by a button on the steering wheel. In standard mode the power curve is optimised for torque with a more flexible character to the engine’s performance delivery, but in M Dynamic Mode (MDM) the throttle response faster and the engine sound alters to produce more intense changes in frequency.

The cooling system of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé has been designed for constant high load, high speed track driving, through the use of an additional separate radiator and a specific air duct to deal with the increased thermal stress which can occur when driving on the race track. The intercoolers for the turbochargers are visible behind the scoops of the front spoiler and it’s these that cooling is directed towards rather than the brakes.

The efforts made in optimising performance and efficiency are also reflected in a newly developed dual-mass flywheel. Its lightweight construction benefits the engine’s efficiency and it also has an increased solidity which is able to cope with the six-cylinder engine’s high level of torque. This has been combined with a newly developed 6-speed manual transmission, specially designed to work with high-torque engines. The transmission is operated using a very short-shift M gearshift lever, clothed with some tactile alcantara trim.

In addition, EfficientDynamics measures such as brake energy regeneration and needs-based control of auxiliary units ensures a recorded combined fuel consumption is 29.4mpg and CO2 emissions are 224g/km.

Chassis

The chassis of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé has been thoroughly developed using BMW M GmbH’s usual Nurburgring development process. Light weight is of course vital and the latest M car tips the scales at just 1,495kgs courtesy of its extensive use of aluminium. The double pivot front axle and the five-link rear axle are made almost entirely of aluminium. Tubular stabilisers, axle links made of forged aluminium and aluminium shock absorbers round off the lightweight construction concept.

With chassis technology derived directly from motor racing, a power-to-weight ratio of 227hp/tonne has been achieved. The footprint of the car is bigger than a standard BMW 1 Series Coupé with it being 55mm wider than the BMW 135i Coupé and the width of 1,803 mm is the result of BMW’s optimisation of the front and rear axle to enhance driving dynamics.

As standard, BMW 1 Series M Coupé comes with Variable M differential lock, compound brakes, DSC with MDM and M Servotronic. The Variable M differential lock responds to differences in rotational speeds in the rear wheels, redirecting torque within a fraction of a second for optimum traction and maximum thrust on slippery surfaces and when accelerating out of bends. It’s the same unit that’s worked so well in recent M3 models, so expect the 1 Series M Coupé to be another great M car for driving sideways…

Brakes. Not Bremos unfortunately, but they look more than up to the job. BMW's sliding calliper system has come a long way since the E46 M3.

Whilst you’ll hear about the 1 Series M Coupé’s M-specific high-performance brake system, you may be disappointed to hear that it doesn’t come with the Brembo 6-piston calliper setup available for the regular 1 Series via the BMW Performance catalogue. The discs are inner-vented and perforated with a diameter of 360mm at the front and 350mm at the rear, and we’ve no doubt they will provide impressive stopping power. BMW’s sliding calliper design has come a long way since the E46 M3, they are now extremely light and stand comparison with the best high-performance systems, so until we experience the 1 Series M Coupé on track let’s give the M engineers the benefit of the doubt.

Rack-and-pinion steering is fitted with Servotronic hydraulic power steering while the Dynamic Stability Control system that includes elements such as an anti-slip control function (ASC), the brake assistant Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), a drive-off assistant, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), an anti-fading function and a dry brake function are also standard. As usual the driver can activate M Dynamic Mode (MDM) on the instrument panel, raising the point at which the driving stability control system intervenes and the full system can be switched off leaving the driver to control the car’s stability with his (or her) right foot.

Conclusion

So for the time being, that’s it. We’ll follow up tomorrow with our first impressions from spending time with the new 1 Series M Coupé, as well as that all important video that we shot.

At a glance

Photo credits: Andy Mulholland, Red Square Media for the studio shots and BMW AG for the road images.

Photo gallery

Before I tell you about the new X3, I should first declare my interest (although not bias) in BMWs – I’ve owned nearly every X-model since they first appeared in 2001 and currently run an X6 35d with an E83 X3 3.0d elsewhere within our extended household. So you’ll not hear any banal ranting or anti-SUV rhetoric from this corner of the interweb – I ‘get’ them and enjoy their multi-purpose capabilities, so let’s move on.

From E83 to F25, a transformation in more than just size

Forgive my use of BMW nomenclature, E83 refers to the first-generation X3 built between 2003 and 2010, whilst F25 is BMW’s internal code name for the new X3.

Starting with the bleedin’ obvious, yes the new F25 X3 is larger than its predecessor but this is the first time an X-model has actually lost weight in the transition – the new X3 weighs in 25kg lighter than the E83 X3 despite it’s increased size and additional standard equipment.

More for Less. The new BMW X3 is 83mm longer and 28mm wider than its predecessor, yet it's 25kg lighter has a higher standard specification and costs less.

BMW needs this new X3 to succeed. In its busiest year (2005) BMW were shifting more than 18,000 X-models in the UK, but sales have declined steadily since those heady days falling to less than 50% of this volume in 2008. Since the X1 arrived on the scene last year those numbers have taken a swift upturn, but the new X3 will need to pull its weight – traditionally BMW has sold more of the larger X5 here in the UK, but will be expecting the X3 to overtake its sibling now that it’s large enough to fit most people’s needs.

The segment in which the X3 competes is of course dominated by the Land Rover Freelander, which has built up quite a following since its launch in 1997. BMW’s immediate targer however is Audi’s Q5 and will be aiming to sell around 5,000 BMW X3s in its first full year to match it’s Ingolstadt neighbour. That’s still less than a third of the metal Land Rover will shift in this sector, but well ahead of Volvo’s XC60.

Need to Know

If you’re anything like me then before you choose to buy a car you’ll read a stack of reviews, then seek the opinions of other people who’ve driven the car. What you need therefore is a framework, a checklist if you like, to help you gather these insights and make your own mind up. In SkiddMark we call this your Need to Know (NTK), so before I describe what the X3 is like to drive let me tell you what to look out for.

What’s it like to drive?

The route of our test took us from Innsbruck in Austria south-west to the ski resort in Sölden, covering around 200km in total. We followed a mix of twisty alpine roads and autoroutes, venturing through a few villages along the way. First thing that struck me was how much quieter the new X3 has become, all of the cars we drove were fitted with 17″ Pirelli W210 Scottozero 2 winter run-flat tyres and despite this the new X3 cruised along like a 5-series. It retains its predecessor’s lower driving position and you’d be hard pressed to initially notice the increase in size.

The first car we jumped into was the xDrive20d SE Auto and it wasn’t until later in the evening that I realised it was fitted with BMW’s new 8-speed transmission – to be honest you’ll hardly notice those extra gear ratios, there’s no hunting between gears or overly-frequent changes. Unlike some of BMW’s other X-models the xDrive20d SE Auto is denied any steering-wheel paddles, so you’ll have to resort to the selector stick, but it’s a very intuitive process and we were soon making swift manual selections when the need arose.

We spent an equal amount of time in cars fitted with the six-speed manual transmission and most of the time preferred its more driver-oriented feel on the twisties, the only downside was the familiar glut of torque when pulling away from a junction in 1st gear. If you spend more time commuting through towns and motorways then go for the 8-speed auto, otherwise we’d opt for the manual and save ourselves £1,500 – the shift quality is clean and direct and suits the 2.0d engine well.

Our test cars were fitted with Variable Damper Control (VDC) – a £910 optional extra, Variable sport steering (£370) and Performance Control (£120). VDC incorporates electronically controlled dampers which adapt to road surface conditions and the style of driving, you can either leave it in Normal to sort things out itself or manually influence the damper settings via Drive Dynamic Control, choosing between Sport and Sport+ modes.

Even on the Sport+ setting the ride was still perfectly comfortable, the only discernable difference being the tighter body control. As well as damping behaviour, VDC can also adjust the character of the accelerator, engine response, power steering weight, DSC response thresholds and even the shifting dynamics of the automatic transmission, so it’s a clever bit of tech and much more than just a ride control system.

BMW's Variable Damper Control (VDC) system can alter engine response, steering weight, DSC thresholds and of course damping behaviour - it's a £910 option on the X3.

Variable sports steering reduces the degree of steering movement necessary to turn the front wheels in various conditions including parking, cornering and swerving and unlike those early systems BMW first fitted to the E60 5-series, we really couldn’t tell it was fitted. Performance Control is a new feature for the X3 and sees power distributed electronically between the rear wheels depending on loading to effectively act like an electronic differential. It’s a poor-man’s version of the mechanical torque-vectoring system fitted to the X6, but unlike in the X6 it does little to quell understeer when pushing on. For £120, we’d choose it, but we can’t honestly say that we noticed its contribution to the X3′s driving dynamics.

When pressing on through the twisty Tirol roads the X3 was supremely balanced, demonstrating that wonderfully neutral feel that BMWs are so good at delivering. Left-right-left turns could be taken quickly with the only limiting factor being the grip from those winter tyres, the X3 never lost composure and the front-end remained planted and extremely predictable despite the many downhill hairpins that we encountered.

Was it enjoyable to drive? Yes, in so far as any 2.0d SUV can be – we reached our destination earlier than planned so perhaps it’s not the best car for sightseeing, but its 181 bhp 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine never struggled on the steeper climbs and always punched confidently out of the corners – it’s a car you can drive just like any other sporting BMW, so there’s no danger of brand dilution or any reason to question the evolution of BMW’s DNA.

The E83 X3 always looked a little awkward on the road, felt cheap and plasticky for a BMW and made you seek out smoother roads – the new F25 X3 reverses all of those traits, adding better value, greater efficiency all in a more attractive package.

The order books have now opened and at £30,490 OTR we’d expect it to swiftly become one of the most popular models in its sector. If you currently own an E53 X5 and have been considering a change, then we suggest you take a look – the X3 is now the X-model of choice for most people with easily the broadest appeal of any SUV/SAV produced by BMW to date.

At a glance

Picture gallery

We caught up with Jack during a test session at Silverstone to see what makes him tick, talk about his plans for 2011, and find out what he thinks about performance road cars. To make things a little more interesting, we brought along a BMW 335i M Sport fitted with the full complement of BMW Performance Parts to see what someone young but extremely capable thought of BMW’s take on spicing up one of its most sporting models.

It will come as no surprise to find that with over 300bhp and a spine tingling exhaust upgrade, the BMW 335i M Sport was to young Jack’s liking. Thanks also to a brief demonstration from Jack of what this car will do, I can attest to his complete lack of fear behind the wheel..

We brought along most 17 year old's dream of a tuned BMW to help break the ice with Jack

During our time with Jack, we learned about his unswerving focus and dedication towards his ultimate goal of F1. Jack is different to many drivers at this level in there being no fountain of cash behind him – he’s supported by the Racing Steps Foundation who fund his progression and review his performance at the end of each season before deciding on whether to invest further in his career. That’s quite a lot of pressure to handle at such a young age, so it’s rewarding to find that he has been short-listed for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2010.

You may already recognise Jack from his TV appearances next to Jake Humphrey and Eddie Jordan during this year’s BBC F1 coverage, something Jack speaks more about in our chat below. What was most refreshing about speaking to Jack though is that despite the obvious media training he has received, there’s an independent minded, articulate and witty guy that shines through.

Jack’s Racing Career.. [ please click to open]

The Past

Like most young racers, Jack's career began in karts - he became British Junior Champion in 2006.

You won many titles in karting but what was the moment you decided “I want to be a professional racing driver?”

I guess it was in 2006 when I won the British Junior Championship – I was 13 years old. That feeling of winning at the peak of junior racing in the UK is one that can’t be bought. A lot of work and preparation is done by a lot of people and when that comes together and you win, like I said it’s a feeling you can’t buy.

That’s when I decided this is what I wanted to do. In the grand scheme of things, winning the British Junior Kart Championship versus Formula 1 isn’t very much, but that initial spark gives you the energy to keep pushing as hard as you can all the time.

2010 saw you race in the European Formula BMW Championship, talk us through the season in terms of highs and lows.

I had a pretty good rookie season in 2009 which led me into 2010 on a good footing. I had a fantastic season really, we were competitive at every race – our weakest race was at Spa and we still finished 3^rd and 4^th which wasn’t too bad! We had 7 wins out of 16 races, 8 poles, 7 fastest laps and were on the podium 13 times so it was a close championship.

With those statistics it can be hard to understand why you didn’t win it because in any other season I would’ve run away and won it with races to spare, but I was obviously involved in a very tough fight. Unfortunately I saw the championship slip away as I got pushed off track at the penultimate race of the season at Monza.

How did it feel going into the final round leading the series and then losing it all?

Despite missing out on the 2010 European Formula BMW title Jack believes the season has made him a better racer

A lot of hard work is done in the year and as soon as I was in the gravel I knew it was over – we’d gone from 9 points in the lead at the start of the race to sat in the gravel and 21 points behind. It was going to take a miracle to win the championship, luckily I won the race the next day so that maybe took the shine off the championship for the other guy, which is … [laughing] maybe not very nice!

But we had the last laugh and obviously we wanted to win the championship as that goes without saying, but in a different way I learnt a lot as a driver and I think at the moment that’s the most important thing.

The biggest thing that I learned was how to handle the increasing levels of expectancy. If you’re not fast, people begin to wonder why. As a driver you want to do well for your sponsors, everyone involved and most importantly for yourself. In this second season, being able to deliver under pressure when you know you need results to secure backing for 2011 is what I learned the most.

The Present

Next year you’re going to be racing in British F3 with top team Carlin Motorsport, backed once again by the Racing Steps Foundation (RSF). What does the RSF do for you and how has testing been so far?

Jack was in relaxed mood with us as he told us about his intentions to win the 2011 British F3 Championship

The RSF are a fantastic organisation that support young talent, who without their financial support would not be able to do what they do. I was lucky to be picked up in 2009 by them and I’m in no doubt that without their support I wouldn’t be here – I’d still be karting. Their support is phenomenal and they give all their drivers the tools they might need to one day reach F1.

So far in British F3 testing I’ve been right on the money

British F3 testing’s been really good so far, right from the first day. I’ve been right on the money and the RSF have been responsible for putting me into F3 with Carlin and the team have been as good as I thought they would be. They’ve been so professional and you get the impression they’re only in it to win – as a driver it’s imperative to be part of that kind of environment.

For 2011 I think we’ve got to be in a position to fight for the championship. That was the goal this year and that’s certainly going to be the goal for next year. There are quite a lot of second year drivers staying on but the goal is probably to win the championship. I’ve got a great team behind me and I don’t see why we can’t.

You were recently nominated for the prestigious Autosport BRDC award – how did that feel?

It’s quite an honour really. People in motorsport know how prestigious it is and whilst you don’t really focus on it, you know if you have a good season you could be nominated. I think in a way it’s nice that people recognise the work that’s gone into the season because you don’t just turn up to the track and drive fast, a lot of preparation goes in to make it all happen. So to be nominated and then reach the final six is a fantastic honour.

Your media profile has increased this season after a few appearances during BBC’s F1 coverage, what’s that like and does it make you realise this is all really happening?

Touring the world with the F1 paddock has allowed Jack to meet many of his hopefully future rivals

To be involved in the Formula 1 paddock has been absolutely mind boggling. I mean you arrive and there are just so many personnel there, trucks, hospitality units, everything. It’s kind of intimidating really, especially in my first year where I’d gone from racing at the highest level of karting and then go to the biggest motorsport stage in the world, that’s quite a jump!

I was quite lucky to be featured on the BBC a couple of times and it helps cement that desire that I definitely want to be there, and the will to do whatever it takes to get there. That little taste of what it’s like has been awesome and to have that all the time would be (and I know this is such a cliché) a dream come true.

The Future

What are your career goals from here on in?

Long term I obviously want to become Formula 1 champion …

Next year we want to try and win the championship, we’ll have to see obviously but that’s the goal and I’m going to try and make it happen. For the long term, we obviously want to be F1 champion. I think it’s important to be the best prepared driver you can be and then go into F1, not be the youngest champion but just be the most worthy.

F1 has so few seats available and now it looks like you need to take a large budget with you as well to get an okay seat, not even the best seat, so we’re keeping our options open at the moment but still pushing to get into F1.

Okay so let’s say that F1 didn’t happen for whatever reason, would you consider racing in other disciplines?

I think this is the glorious thing about motorsport; there are so many different avenues you can go down. I think DTM is quite an obvious championship but you could go to America or do Sports Car racing. You’ve got to push in one direction at any one time and just see where that takes you.

Apart from the adoring young girls throwing their telephone numbers your way, what are the best (and worst) parts of being a successful racing driver?

Jack's already developed a cunning tactic to keep away female fans ...

Well I have to carry a long stick around all the time to beat them away! No seriously, I think for me – and I don’t know about other people – it’s the coming back from a weekend knowing you were the best. If you’ve won, you were the best that weekend. Is the glamour of it one of the best parts? Well I imagine it gets more glamorous as you move up as at the moment I think we’ve drawn the short straw! I think it’s just that inner feeling of knowing I did a really good job this weekend and there’s not many opportunities in life where you get do that

Racing is massively time consuming. I sacrifice a lot for my racing but I know the rewards and returns will make it worthwhile.

Conversely, it’s very time consuming. Massively time consuming actually. I do sacrifice a lot for my racing but you need to and what I’d say is over some of my friends is that I know what I want and wish to achieve and okay, whilst that might be hard to get there, the rewards and the returns will be much greater. There are a lot of hard things like getting up at 5:30am to go to the gym, going before school and then after too, that’s hard and doing it all week takes it out of you. I’m also in my final year of A-levels and fitting in school with all of this is quite challenging!

What advice would you give to young drivers who want to emulate what you’ve achieved so far?

That’s quite a challenging question to answer. Generally you’ve got to be good in all areas. I think you’ve got to specialise in one particular area but the other areas have got to be better than average as well because there are so many people trying to get those few seats, so you’ve got to stand out and show “you should sign me because of these reasons.” It’s everything, things like people skills and talking to the media is all important too, so I think you’ve got to be an all-rounder and that’s really hard.

[reveal title="Jack's interest in Road Cars" ]

The Road

You seem to have been around in the racing scene for a while, but you’re still only 17 – what was it like learning to drive a road car despite racing cars every other weekend?

That was quite a bizarre feeling! Obviously I was already racing cars so I could drive road cars, but I wasn’t too refined at the little things. My instructor didn’t give me too much jip, but the thing I struggled most with is that you go away for a race weekend and you’re pushing so hard all the time and then you come back in the mind-set of driving on the road … it’s something I wouldn’t say was difficult but it was definitely something I was conscious of.

Jack was impressed with both the comfort and performance of the BMW 335i Performance Parts

What do you currently drive?

I’m very lucky that BMW gave me a 1-series, because I don’t know many people who have such a good first car. On the road it’s a really good car to drive, it holds the road really well and the 1.6i engine has enough grunt to get about quickly if you need to – and obviously I don’t do that! – but genuinely it’s a really nice car.

This BMW 335i today though is awesome! It’s pretty fast, you can obviously tell it’s got all the extra bits on it and the brakes are really good – I love the BMW brand anyway, so I’m just a very lucky boy right now.

What do you look for in a road car?

I think you’ve got to look for endurance really because with my 1-series I’ve only had it 5 weeks but I’ve covered over 4,000 miles already, so I need something that’ll get me from A to B. I wouldn’t say it has to be quick, but just quick when you need it to be but more importantly comfy because doing a lot of travel, I don’t want to be uncomfortable in the car. There’s a lot to look at but it’s just got to be right for you and ensure it’s no more powerful than you can control…

Despite a love for speed, Jack maintains that going fast on the road doesn't interest him

When Fernando Alonso was at Renault he famously drove an ordinary Megáne on the road, rather than supercar, because no road can replicate the buzz of racing in F1. Do you consider yourself a quick road driver?

No, not really. I genuinely don’t drive that fast on the roads. I know my abilities and I know that if I ever needed to drive quickly I could thanks to years of experience I have over and above that of my friends, but you can’t drive fast on the roads because you can do a lot of damage not only to yourself but to other people and I definitely wouldn’t want that on my conscience and I’m sure others wouldn’t either.

What are your dream road cars?

Oh, good question! Well I think the Bugatti Veyron is quite a cool car, but I’d genuinely like a BMW M3. Also I guess just to own a Ferrari would be awesome but I have little bit of an obsession with AC Cobras. I really like heavy muscle cars, I loved the Dodge Viper, just an awesome car and that would also be one of them.

I don’t know, there are so many good cars available but I’d love to have a Cobra with big meaty wheels, I’d just love it! I think it’d be funny parked in the paddock, I’d have to get a cowboy hat as well to top it off.
[/reveal]

The BMW 335i M Sport with BMW Performance upgrades

Although Jack only got to enjoy a couple of hours in the 335i M Sport, we held onto the car for a few days to understand what it’s like to live with this half-way house between a standard 335i and M3. The car we drove is a 302bhp 335i M Sport fitted with all sorts of flash goodies from the BMW Performance parts catalogue, as standard this car is available for £38,215 OTR but with the full-fat spec as tested our car tipped the scales at a heady £53,897 OTR.

From the moment we collected the car at BMW’s HQ in Bracknell we knew this was going to be one of our less discreet road tests, thanks to the striking Alpine White paintwork and stripy BMW Performance decals that hugged the sides of the 2 door coupé. Coupled with the raw and throaty BMW Performance exhaust system (a must have £995 option), it became obvious that the BMW Performance upgrades were more than just superficial.

These 19" double spoke light alloy wheels are a cool £3,200 per set

Our test car was fitted with a six speed manual rather than the SMG system, something which pleased me as I like to be fully involved with the whole experience of driving and BMW’s short throw ‘boxes allow just that. Other interior upgrades that were noticeable at standstill, were the lashings of carbon fibre and the soft figure-hugging bucket seats (a £3,641 option, gulp!). Those in the rear get the more luxurious yet less sculpted leather seats. After many hours of continuous motorway driving the bucket seat proved comfortable for my 6″4 frame and yet tightly hugged my body when pressing on down B-roads, an balance that’s often difficult to achieve.

With the simple and intuitive (despite what ‘experts’ may say) iDrive set up and ready to go, inserting the key fob and pushing the start button is a glorious occasion every time. The sound of the twin-turbo straight-6 is far throatier than you’d expect, with a conspicuous growl as the car idles at around 1,500rpm before relaxing down to a slightly more sedate 900rpm once warmed up. When Jack first fired up the 335i his face was like a child on Christmas day, before sarcastically commenting, “Yeah, it’s definitely got nothing on my 1 series!”

On the move itself, the car isn’t as mean and as intimidating as the low speed sounds would suggest, with the M Sport more than happy to cruise along in 6^th at low revs. The weight of the sports steering wheel could be judged as heavy, but I found it immersive and it allows you to be firm and precise when cornering, providing good feel for what the tyres are doing.

Performance Parts bucket seats and the sports steering wheel give this car a greater focus than a standard 335i

If you want to push on then there’s plenty of fun to be had – especially in 2^nd and 3^rd gears, partly because that’s where the exhaust note is most audible and also because in any gear higher you’re deep into licence-losing territory. The 335i is fitted with two small turbos which spool up quicker than one large one, which means that lag is minimal unless you’re completely out of gear. Given how forcefully the power arrives I would recommend leaving DSC switched on, as I often found the traction control light illuminating quite energetically when exiting a damp roundabout. You’re missing very little by leaving it on, as it still allows plenty of fun to be had without getting in the way.

As a driving experience I cannot fault the BMW Performance enhanced 335i M Sport. It sounds great (numerous passers-by of all ages gestured approvingly to hear it blipped at traffic lights), the ride with the sports suspension kit is firm but not unpleasantly so and ultimately it will vanquish most things on the road should you feel so inclined. The question on my mind before seeing the car was “who it’s for?” and “is there really a market for such costly upgrades to a car which is already so impressive as standard?”

BMW 335i M Sport with BMW Performance Parts

Having now lived with the car, the 335i M Sport is certainly made more desirable by the BMW Performance upgrades, although if I was specifying my own upgrades from the BMW Performance catalogue I would give the grey racing decals and carbon boot spoiler a miss, yet definitely keep that gorgeous sounding sports exhaust. I like the idea of a stealth 335i that unassumingly slots into traffic but when I choose to push on, it’s there to do so, but with all the additional Performance Parts only being visible to just me. And of course with that exhaust, audible to everyone.

Jack Harvey moves onwards and upwards into British F3 in 2011, racing with the Carlin Motorsports team, so we let 17-year old Jack get behind the wheel of the 335i to see if we could spot the tell-tale signs of a future champion.

Jack fought a close battle for the 2010 Formula BMW crown with Josef Frijns, narrowly missing out to the Dutchman at the Monza season finale. He still finished the season with a tally of 7 victories, 8 pole positions and 13 podium finishes so you’ll not be surprised to hear that he is among the favourites out of six nominees for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.

We’ll publish our interview with Jack and his impressions of the 335i in the next few days, but meanwhile I thought you might like to guess whether Jack enjoyed his stint behind the wheel.

Listen to the following sound clip and imagine how you’d have felt driving it. At 17..

AUDIO SAMPLE – BMW 335i

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  BMW 335i Coupe fitted with the BMW Performance silencer system.