Firing the engine up is done via a push button starter, and the thunderous exhaust rumble that comes with activating the car lets you know that you’re sitting behind a massively powerful beast. There’s 265 horses hiding in there, waiting for a flex of your right foot to set them loose.

It’s a beast when you want it to be, with the silky smooth six-cylinder engine revving cleanly to its peak output level at 6,100rpm. It does it all without the help of forced induction, and consequently there’s a less torquey kick from the low end, unlike what you’d usually get from a turbocharged engine.

But make no mistake, it’s viciously quick with a 0-100kmh sprint time of 6.2 seconds and a top speed that has to be held in check by the 250km/h electronic speed limiter.

BMW arguably makes some of the best automatic gearboxes in the business, and in the 130i the six-speeder shifts almost immediately with each driver input when in sequential mode. With an unladen weight of 1,475kg it’s not a lightweight car. But the strong, solid-feeling chassis allows all that power to be sent accurately to the rear wheels, and once in motion the 130i feels like a car half its size and weight.

The M suspension package tracks the road with laser accuracy, punishing sloppy driving but rewarding the keenest masters that take the wheel.

Despite all that power, it’s still a gentle little thing to drive along leisurely. Leave the gear lever in D and the car cruises silently when you want it to, which makes it great for sneaking up next to unsuspecting boy racers before immediately blowing them away.

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