A TAD aggressive, distinctly flash and sharp suits - whether male or female. These are adjectives or accessories that are generally associated with BMW.

The marque that has come to epitomise the upwardly mobile is pretty universally accepted for its engineering prowess and dynamism, but there are those who are deterred by an image that's perhaps a shade too extrovert, too in-your-face for some.

But I've got news for you. Deep within its huge line-up, there's a just-revamped model that has all the athleticism and power that's so appealing about BMW but the persona and the styling doesn't shout ‘look at me'.

In fact, you could very easily mistake the 335d Coupe for one of the lesser models. Even the fact that the model shape has been around for some time works in favour of the serious driver who prefers not to draw too much attention.

Yes, the 335d is a diesel, but it's one that masks its green credentials well and delivers even more mid-range punch than the mighty M3.

It's so quick that an electronic limiter cuts in at 155mph. Sixty-two mph comes up under six seconds which puts firmly in the premier league.

All this, plus around 40mpg sounds a bit too good to be true. Well, the catch is the M Sport version I drove clocks in at a hefty £40,205 making it a pretty pricey grand touring coupe. You can, however, pick up a more standard SE version with fewer bells and whistles for four grand cheaper.

The latest mods to the coupe include a slightly remodelled nose complete with wider trademark ‘kidney' grille, new sills and rear air dam. The changes, like the car itself, are subtle but serve to keep it up-to-date. To my eyes, it remains one of the more elegant coupes available whatever the price.

It's reasonably practical, too. There are four proper seats, entry into the rear seats isn't limited to limbo dancers and the sensibly shaped rear boot can absorb 440 litres of luggage which is more than many saloons.

You might wish for more cabin stowage space as the side door pockets are too narrow for most of the rubbish I need to haul around with me.

But this is a coupe...a sports car, so let's dwell more on the fun of driving. With masses of torque, the effect of flooring the throttle is like being hit by a sledgehammer.

Overtaking manoeuvres via the automatic gearbox are completed in a trice as the 3.0-litre turbo diesel utilises its huge reserves to power forward.

There's a somewhat gruff distant mechanical snarl under full acceleration but generally the cabin remains quiet. You can discern the familiar and somewhat less-than-sport diesel note at tickover, but after that it fades away.

Huge 19-inch wheels shod with ultra-low profile rubber help provide tenacious cornering together with all the latest electronic dynamic aids.

Suffice to say the Beemer goes where it's pointed almost no matter the speed. There's the bonus, too, of a steering system that allow the driver to know just what's going on at ground level.