At last my frustratingly busy work life has returned to some level of sanity and I've had the time to drive and appreciate my M Coupe again.

It's nearly a year of ownership for Coupe mark II now which means things like MOT's and servicing need to be sorted out but I think I'll leave them as late as possible in my usual way.

One thing I have done this month is have a new set of tyres fitted (Goodyear Eagle F1 GS3's) and the difference in handling is massive. My old Bridgestone Potenzas were quite a hard compound and made every bump a spine, and suspension, jarring experience. The new Goodyears seem a lot softer so, in best layman's terms, bumps which used to go bang now go thump. After having the tracking and balancing redone to correct a mechanic's error and setting the tyres to the correct pressure the handling and road holding are much easier to live with. Though the understeer is still there so I think I'll have to invest in a strut brace to tighten the front up. I've still got a slight vibration at 60 mph so either the tyres are still not balanced correctly or my steering rack is on the way out, so watch for later updates on this subject.

My Coupe has also been in to the BMW main dealers this month to finally get the rear wiper fixed. This turns out to be a common problem on M Coupes with the boot door hinges kinking and snapping the rear electrical loom meaning that the wiper dies. Luckily my Warranty Direct warranty covered all the work which came to just under £300. What this little stay at BMW also meant was that I was given not one but two courtesy cars as it needed two visits to fix it.

The first was a three litre X3 automatic which really surprised me. Like most auto enthusiasts I'd read in lots of magazine and websites that the X3 was about as much use as Jade Goody but I actually got on quite well with it. This was apart from just after I picked it up I nearly collected a vectra on a dual carriage way as I hadn't yet got use to the glacially slow kick down but once it had been mastered I was able to chuck the X3 round corners and roundabouts with ease. So it was all aboard the Bimmer bus for a hoon around some country roads.

The second courtesy car was a brand new (<100 miles on the clock) three litre 3 series. This, like the X3, had a deceptive turn of speed, but which lacked the involvement and drama of my M Coupe. It was, however, a very comfortable and competent cruiser and the sixth gear meant that high speeds were effortless. I was left feeling rather detached though due to the lack of information fed back through the steering.

When I got my M coupe back it was like the return of a very dear friend; the acceleration and noise were pleasant reminders of why I'd plumped for it over standard BMW's in the first place. I drove it back from the dealers as if I'd stolen it and arrived home with a Cheshire Cat-esque grin from ear to ear.

I still absolutely love the car despite its Oliver Reed-like drinking habits and find myself making excuses why I need to visit people and places in little villages so I can have a good thrash round some country lanes. A & B roads are where the car comes into its own, and all you need is second gear. The twisties are despatched with ease and the straights devoured with gusto, as redline in second gear sees speeds of about 70mph.

The new tyres have meant that the back wheels are now much happier to follow the front rather than trying to overtake them and wet roads no longer require a pants change when you get home. However even with tyres that boast superb wet abilities I still ease back when the heavens open as I have no wish to repeat my earlier arboreal experiences…