WE CAN understand the sceptics out there who sum up the new BMW 1 Series Coupe as just a cynical extension of the gifted but still patchy hatch that begat it. But this is not quite the same car to look at, sit inside, or drive. Far from feeling constrained by its rear-wheel drive BMW bits like the hatch is when compared to cheaper rivals, the Coupe soars with them, from the strong and smooth six-cylinder engine applications to the a design and philosophy that – for many fans of the marque – has been absent from the company’s mainstream line-up since the E30 3 Series grew up in the early 1990s. And sure enough, calling the E92 Coupe a modern 2002 is probably selling the resolutely forward-looking 125i and 135i Sport well short.