Consequently we were pretty excited about the 330Ci Clubsport's arrival, but when a brash-looking 3-series drove into the car park sporting a combination of purple, sorry Velvet Blue paintwork, fussy alloys and a clumsy rear wing we thought there must have been some mistake. The badge on the boot supported our theory, merely saying 330Ci, but on opening the driver's door the kickplate proudly wore the 'Clubsport' logo. Strange.
Opening the info pack only served to compound our fears that far from being a pure driver's car, the Clubsport was merely a Coupe loaded with 'sporty' extras. Worthy of just one hastily inserted page, the sum total of the Clubsport's hardware changes are unique design 18-inch alloys, 15mm lower, stiffer sports suspension and the removal of 20kg of sound insulation to improve the aural quality of the engine.
Cosmetically, there's the boot spoiler (aptly named), Clubsport door sills, sports seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara, and a shortened 'M' gear lever. Oh, and silver aluminium 'cubed' interior trim on the dash, intended, and I quote, 'to create a sense of supreme driving precision'.