The BMW 135i was supposed to be the shorter wheelbase mini-M3 we'd wanted since the E30. It wasn't. But the 340 hp 1 Series M Coupe's a step in the right direction. BMW unwrapped it for us early.

To hate on the current 135i Coupe is to complain about the kind of driver-focused RWD car enthusiasts cry they want. To like it is to accept it for its heft. To love it probably involves some of the self deception you'll no longer need if you step into the wider, faster, lighter (just 3,296 pounds) 1 Series M Coupe.

It's a car with spunk. And by spunk I of course mean the N54 twin-turbochared N54 with 340 hp and up to 369 lb-ft of torque in overboost mode. Transmission choices? Why have choices when you can have a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission? All this leads to a 4.7-second 0-to-60 mph run and an 8:12 Nürburgring time.

An ultimately driving machine you actually want to drive. Novel concept.