BMW 1-Series

And as you can see, it's a sleek machine with an angled rear window that slopes down to meet the bootlid. It gives the car a completely different look from the other three and five-door models in the manufacturer's current range.

When the finished car is revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, it will have the same restyled headlights, kidney grilles and bumpers as the recently revised 1-Series range.

Positioned as the sportiest model in the line-up, the Coupé will be offered with BMW's punchiest en-gines, including the 130i's 3.0-litre straight six-cylinder petrol unit. There is also the possibility of a potent 135i, featuring a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0, as well as a 2.0-litre 120i variant with stop-start technology. This switches off the motor when the car is stationary in traffic. Sales of the new Coupé, to be priced from about £24,000, will start in the UK in 2008. A Con­vertible is in the pipeline too, and will also arrive next year.