TRACK NOTES

This is a BMW 3 Series, so it’s going to perform with a high level of dynamic assurance thanks to its excellent weight distribution and rear-drive chassis. Factor in the 330e’s plentiful torque, responsive throttle and clinical gearbox and you have a machine designed to rise to the occasion of Millbrook’s hill route.

And then the rain came. Where grip could be found, our test car exhibited good balance and the DSC was refreshingly sympathetic from the perspective of a keen driver. However, our car was also over-wheeled and too firmly sprung and the limits of its chassis were reached regrettably early. As a result, the front axle often washed wide of apices and the rear struggled for traction with the application of any meaningful amount of lock. Look to the M Sport springs and run-flat tyres for the reason why. It’s a car at the mercy of the weather, to be sure.