And total reliability was very much what I got with both M3s. During eight months of ownership nothing went wrong or threatened to go wrong. Okay, the Cab's multichanger initially skipped badly but this was immediately rectified by supplying dealer (for both cars) Wood in Hampshire, which was therefore left with only the two oil changes to deal with in its usual efficient and friendly fashion, the cars returning spotless inside and out on both occasions.

So, it was left to two punctures - one for each car - to make the only ripples in the otherwise mirror-smooth pond that is BMW motoring. In both cases I used Kwik Fit's mobile service, which I can heartily recommend to those of you who've got better things to do than spend the odd hour or so kicking your heels and thumbing through two-year-old copies of 'What Car?' down at your local tyre fitters.

Both cars were excellent long-distance companions, the Coupe in particular crunching through some vile winter weather, steady as a rock even at eye-widening speeds. The Cab was only marginally louder in terms of wind noise and actually benefited from slightly less road noise, almost certainly due to running on the standard 18in wheels as opposed to the Coupe's optional 19in jobs - more of which later.

Strangely, although very comfortable on first acquaintance, the seats gave rise to little aches and pains surprisingly early on long journeys. The upgraded Harmann Kardon stereo in the Cab was a definite improvement over the Coupe's standard system and worth the extra pennies even to a hi-fi Luddite like me.

There was a disappointingly high level of buffeting roof-down in the Cab, particularly for anyone reasonably tall, even with the seats set as low as possible. I must admit, though, that I didn't have BMW's wind deflector fitted so can't comment on how this might have improved matters. The hood was simplicity itself, requiring only the flex of a single digit to operate, with no centre catches or suchlike to hinder the process. Rear three-quarter vision is bad in the Cab compared with the Coupe but 'Park Assist' helps avoid those embarrassing 'where did that post come from?' situations.

Can't say I was very impressed by the brakes. Fine, although strangely grumbly at times on the road, they faded to near uselessness after six or seven laps of a Goodwood trackday, billowing smoke on return to the paddock. Honed at the 'Ring? Hmmm... Apart from the brakes, the M3 (Coupe) was fun at Goodwood with lots of opportunities to listen to the fabulous straight-six howl; a useful tip is to try dropping the rear seat-backs in the Coupe, as the boot acts as an amplifier. And it was quite comical to witness a supposedly quick Exige pull out to overtake exiting the Goodwood chicane, only to end up 50 yards back by the end of the straight. Yep the M3 certainly has grunt but, sadly, a couple of corners and braking areas later, the Lotus was long-gone.

So what about this 18in v 19in wheel debate, then? Since I originally mentioned the subject I've driven Coupes and Cabs on both 18 and 19 inchers and spoken to a lot of M3 owners on the subject - thanks for your comments guys - and there's no doubt that the driver's wheel of choice is the 18in. The 19 corrupts the chassis response, dulling its reactions and actually reducing grip on uneven B-roads to the extent that even the more flexible Cab on 18s is superior to a 19in-shod Coupe in the same conditions. If you're about to spec your new M3, tick the box marked 18in.

However, if you've already got an M3 on 19s don't shoot yourself; we're talking degrees here and you've still got a blinding car.

As I've already mentioned, in day-to-day use an M3 is extremely easy to live with and crushingly competent. Ultimately, though, for me this is the M3's biggest problem and why this is an end-of- term report. It's a character, or lack of it, thing. My Clio V6 had some and so did an Impreza before that, but the M3 hasn't.

Frankly, unless you're power-sliding 50 yards up the road out of roundabouts or hitting ballistic speeds on the motorway, in normal everyday driving my M3s felt no more special than any other well appointed but lesser 3-series. I felt virtually compelled to be a hooligan to remind myself that I was in something different. The M3 is a fantastic all-rounder in which you can indulge in the sort of B-road antics that make you snigger. But the depth of involvement and satisfaction was never there. The slightly light, wooden steering and the fact this is still a relatively heavy saloon with a modified chassis, conspired to deny me the flowing, point-to-point buzz I was looking for.

My final moments with the car summed up everything. I just handed over the keys and walked away, no backward glance, M3 itch scratched. Great car, but it never got under my skin.

So the M3 replacement has got to give a better B-road hit. Be a pure driver's tool while offering total daily usability, peerless build quality and reliability, and feel special. Sounds like it will be German again, then. Maybe just two seats, possibly mid-engined. Can't wait...