So you couldn't blame them for taking an evolutionary path with each subsequent generation — at least nothing like the giant radical leap it took with the current 7-Series.

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Despite widespread concern that the new 3-Series would be corrupted by an overdose of BMW's notorious 'flame surfacing', the final product has taken the restrained approach.

Not that it doesn't divide opinion. While the side and rear profiles are certainly elegant, if not a little too conservative at the back, many find the front view perhaps a little too fussy and uncoordinated.

We are however pleased that BMW hasn't tampered with the winning formula that resides beneath the skin, in fact this aspect is even further improved with E90. As before, drive is to the rear wheels and near-equal front and rear axle loads have been achieved, but the chassis has been refined even further.

Wider use of aluminium for the suspension components cuts down on weight, while the new five-arm rear axle allows for even better agility.

This is our third fling with the new 330i, the prior two being a race track experience and a recent multi-way test, and each time we've been spellbound by the car's cornering poise. In fact, it's almost subliminal.

The three is amazingly responsive and agile, it goes where you want it to and the rear end will even pull off a well-controlled drift if you push it hard enough. And yet it's so composed. Despite having run flat rubber, it absorbs bumps and irregularities on the road with little fret, even during hard cornering.

With all this brilliant chassis wizardry, you need an engine capable of exploiting it with some verve, and the latest version of BMW's ultra lightweight 3-litre staight-six Valvetronic unit doesn't disappoint. That said, our latest test unit, fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox, could not quite match the performance figures attained from the Steptronic automatic version we tested earlier this year. The gearbox shifts smoothly and purposefully and engine response is brilliant, yet the 330i didn't feel as quick through the gears as we'd expected.

Despite the car being almost 50mm longer and 10mm taller, interior space in the new 3 has not grown by the margin we'd expected. A quintet of tall adults will definitely still feel the squeeze in this car and the headroom is not that good for either rear or front passengers, even if the latter adjusts them to the lowest position via the manual levers — another downer in a car costing R350K.

While the 330i represents good value, and indeed it's a steal when you consider the combination of performance and dynamic finesse you're getting for the price, it's definitely not packed with every gadget and convenience you could think of. But it's a tradeoff that many enthusiasts will happily make, while gizmo freaks will be able to spec the car up to their hearts content — and bank balance's detriment.