Model tested: BMW 320si (limited edition of 500)
Price: £24,975 on-the-road
0-62mph: 8.1 seconds
Top speed: 140mph
Relevant links: BMW 320si news article / BMW 320i review / All BMW road tests.

Customers of the limited edition BMW 320si started taking delivery last month and this was our first opportunity to drive it. I must admit that when the press release arrived in the office I was not all that excited by this car. After all, the 3 Series chassis is capable of handling a lot of power and the extra 23 horses liberated over the regular 320si won't make headlines. A couple of laps of the Hill Route later, I came away smiling...

As such, the 320si is a 320i in M Sport guise, including a sports suspension, sports seats and exclusively for the si, 18-inch alloy wheels mimicking those of the World Touring Car. The real work has gone on under the bonnet though. You can read the full article above for the in depth detail, but essentially the engine was completely reworked to allow for higher revving and a higher peak power figure.

On the track, in the dry, the traction control systems can be completely disabled and the 320si just flows from corner to corner with the characteristic 3 Series poise. This is accompanied by a throaty roar from the new engine. Sure, it is not actually very quick on paper, but it is still a lot of fun. BMW have not really advertised the car's existence in the UK as yet, which would explain why the 500 limited examples are not all sold out yet. Motorsport fans in particular will find it hard to resist the fruity exhaust note and carbon fibre cylinder head cover.