WHEN BMW’s M division gets its hands on a car, the result is usually something pretty special.

The new Z4 Coupe is the latest model to get the M treatment, and the boys haven’t lost their touch, as discovered.

Oh Lord, what have you done BMW, you bad, bad people? Cars just shouldn’t be this much fun to drive.

It seems to have come to pass that the only way cars give feedback to the driver is through the nagging flash of the traction control and driver safety system lights whenever he or she tries to enjoy themselves.

So to build a car that talks to you through the steering wheel and the seat and really, really is fun and rewarding to drive? Well, what will the other manufacturers say?

BMW’s Z4 coupe is an exciting departure from the norm.

Based on the Z4 Roadster, it retains the strong, muscular look and flowing lines of the drop-top which make it look like a car which means business – and it does.

In 3.0 litre guise the Z4 is enough fun – particularly when you switch it into Sport mode when it becomes a mass of exciting twitches and thrills.

But that wasn’t enough for the boys from Bavaria.

BMW’s M division specialises in producing sporting variants of the firm’s models which quickly pass into motoring legend, and the Z4 M Coupe is certain to follow the likes of the M3 and M6 into the hall of fame.

It is quite simply a beast – a car that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up through the sheer thrill of being behind the wheel.

From the moment you slip into the driver’s seat and get your hands on the chunky leather steering wheel the anticipation of what is to come gets those driving juices flowing.

Fire up the 343bhp straight six engine and you get an eye-widening yowl from under the bonnet.

Standstill to 60 disappears in 4.7 seconds (go head-to-head with a Porsche Boxster S and you’d only see that in your rear-view mirror) and top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.

The handling is up to the job too. Following many thousands of miles of evaluation on the legendary Nürburgring, engineers from BMW M decided to equip the Z4 with conventional hydraulic assistance. In their expert opinion it offered a firmer steering feel.

They were right. You can follow the road through the wheel and the seat of your pants as the suspension set-up allows the driver to feel they are in control, rather than the electronics.

The engine note as you go through the revs and the gearbox never drops below the simply exciting.

Even if you are caught in a line of sedately moving traffic, the engine burbles away nicely in the background, almost as if it is chuckling away to itself in anticipation of you hitting the accelerator at the next stretch of open road.

The interior is smart and roomy. The high curved roof not only makes the car look sleek and helps with the aerodynamics but it provides an unexpected amount of headroom in the cabin.

There are plenty of cubbyholes and, surprisingly for a Sports Coupe, a decent amount of boot space.

There is certainly enough for luggage for a weekend away for two and enough to get a week’s shopping for two home from the local supermarket.

A lower front valance with large air intakes dominates the frontal view, while the power bulge in the bonnet, created by two sharp front-to-rear crease lines, also highlights the potential of the high-performance.

At the back, BMW M’s trademark four exhaust tailpipes protrude from an aerodynamic rear diffuser that ensures the car stays firmly planted on the road.

At around £40,000, the Z4 M is not cheap. But then, owning a piece of motoring mastery never has been.

If you believe yourself to be a real driver’s driver, you’d be a fool to miss out when it goes on sale next month.

FACTFILE:

BMW Z4 M Roadster

Price: £42,795 - on the road
Insurance group: 20
CO2 emissions: 292g/km
Performance: Max speed 155mph/ 0-60mph 4.7s
Fuel consumption: (Combined) 23.4mpg
Standard safety features: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, DSC
Will if fit in your garage? Length/Width/Height(mm) 4091/1781/1290.