A two-door BMW coupe tipping the scales at nearly 1.7 tons with a tank of fuel on board and no occupants? This needs to be good. When I gather myself, one initial thought is that the M240i xDrive ...

Most significant are the chassis tweaks, with BMW claiming the updated chassis ... these figures put it a tenth behind the Volkswagen Golf R in terms of acceleration, but a 168mph top speed ...

The new BMW M135, VW Golf R and – a later addition to the niche – Mercedes-AMG A35 we’re pedalling over a damp North York Moors might be those cars’ much-altered descendants, but they ...