About this car in Barcelona

Barcelona has its own way of looking at cars: a bright supercar draws stares on the Passeig de Gràcia, a well-chosen saloon earns respect. The M3 Competition in Tanzanite Blue sits in the second group. Four doors and four real seats make it ready for dinner with friends in Sant Gervasi, and the BMW Individual paint shifts between blue and violet in the evening light along the seafront.

In town it is a usable size, though the Eixample's chamfered junctions and dense traffic reward patience, and inside the Rondes the ZBE may require foreign cars to be registered: ask us first. The 530 hp straight-six belongs on the open road. Montserrat's rock spires are an hour north-west; Girona's old Jewish quarter and the Dalí Theatre-Museum at Figueres make a full cultural day up the AP-7, where the 120 km/h limit keeps the 3.5-second sprint for slip roads.

Late May and early June bring Primavera Sound to the Parc del Fòrum, and in late September La Mercè closes central streets for the city festival, so time your pick-up accordingly. We meet you at Barcelona-El Prat, Barcelona Sants, the cruise terminal or your hotel; the handover point is fixed when you book, and insurance comes with the rental.

• 530 hp M3 Competition in BMW Individual Tanzanite Blue
• Four doors for dinners and days out to Girona or Montserrat
• Handover at El Prat, Sants, the port or your hotel