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Very hard to fault. The 231bhp 3.0-litre pulls from idle up to nearly 7000rpm in one mellifluous surge, its deep initial notes climbing to a hollow, powerful-sounding bellow. It fluffs and pops as you throttle off, too, which is very cool. Six gears help make the most of the ample power, but there's so much urge from low revs that it could make do with five. The 192bhp 2.5-litre is similar, only the engine note is a little more hushed, a smidgeon smoother, and there isn't as much pace to go with it. It comes with a five-speed manual, which will be familiar to drivers of other BMWs. It's heavy, smooth and precise in its action, whereas the six-speeder is a little more mechanical in feel. Standstill to 62mph takes the 3.0-litre just 5.9 seconds; the 2.5 requires and extra 1.1 seconds to complete the dash.
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