It wasn't over-the-top styling, nor a throaty bark from ridiculously large exhausts, nor a massive set of racetrack-like wheels that rammed home just what sort of car this really is - it was the gearchange.

It has a very short throw, nothing particularly unusual about that perhaps, but it was the precision needed to operate it that caught me out. This is a roundabout way of saying I fluffed the first couple of changes, thankfully in an empty company car park, so no one was around to witness my early ungainly progress in BMW's most unlikely supercar.

The German company is the master of understatement, but this is taking it too far. Discreet is hardly the word for one of the hottest compact cars on the planet.

The little thriller's vital statistics are awesome 265 horsepower, 0-62mph in a whisker over six seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph yet most people walk past without giving it a second glance.

Only the small chrome badge on the rear 130i gives any clue to the efforts to which BMW's engineers have gone to shoehorn the world's lightest six-cylinder petrol engine underneath the bonnet.

That 3.0-litre, straight six powerplant delivers simply electrifying performance and huge driving pleasure. Drive it gently and the 130i is a quiet, comfortable, thoroughly practical round-town car.

Push harder and the engineers' efforts to tame an awesome engine become nerve-tinglingly clear. Combining masses of power, rear-wheel drive and a perfect balance of weight is something for which BMW is justifiably famous. They offer all the ingredients for exceptional agility, directional stability, and steering precision.

The newly-developed, five-arm, rear axle ideally supports the sporting overall set-up of the car, at the same time raising roll comfort and helping to ensure precise wheel guidance.

The BMW 130i is the only model in the 1 Series to be fitted exclusively with the latest generation of Dynamic Stability Control. Its main aim is to cut the car's stopping distance, and at the same time to maintain directional stability when applying the brakes in a bend.

The system also applies the brake pads lightly to the brake linings at regular intervals in wet weather, to provide a "dry braking effect" and to prevent the usual delay in the response of the brakes otherwise encountered in wet weather.

All this advanced technology, which is of course unseen, comes with a high level of practicality, with four doors, a large tailgate, and a roomy, useful interior. There are no spoilers, no flared wheelarches and no jazzy graphics. In fact even your granny might like it.

Auto facts BMW 130i SE

  • Price: £24,745
  • Insurance group: 17
  • Fuel consumption (combined): 30.7mpg
  • Top speed: 155mph
  • Length: 422.7cm/166.4in
  • Width: 175.1cm/68.9in
  • Luggage capacity: 11.6 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 11.6 gallons/53 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 221g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage