It was the exhaust note that had the hair on my arms stand on end, a muted throatiness from the chromed tailpipes as the 4.8-litre V8's 16 outlet valves rid the engine of its unwanted gases.
Emission laws being what they are, though, the so-called rubbish that is let into the air from the BMW 650i Coupé is clean, very politically correct, as is the Europeans' wont - even if we're not sympathetic down here down south.
Then, of course, there's the 650i's Chris Bangle lines: that bootlid lip that upset most when it first appeared on the 6 Series' conservatively tailored four-door brother, the 7.
On the 6 Series it finishes the car, balancing the leading edges of the long, sloping, sculpted nose. Elegant, but purposeful, and complete in my car's case with fat 19",concave spoked alloys and their respective 245-40 and 275-35 Bridgestone Potenzas.
That's 11 inches of rubber at the driving end (the end below that controversial lip, by the way).
But you have to remind yourself that that rubber has to get 360 stampeding horses - otherwise known as 270kW - transferred to the road.
That's a lot of oomph and is complemented by a healthy 490Nm of torque for a short while, that is from 3400 to 3750rpm. After that the emphasis returns to the horsepower as the engine quickly climbs to its 6300rpm power peak.
Despite the "intelligence" of the traction control, the rear of the 650i twitches under harsh acceleration, the fascia warning light flickering as the throttle eases off to allow grip to return.
I was reminded of, I think, Nico Rosberg's Williams going into a barrier - or perhaps it might even have been erstwhile BMW driver Jacques Villeneuve - after the traction control gave way.
You see, Formula 1 has that facility (it has to have) that you can simply boot it once you've hit the apex. If it is defective, you're in more trouble than if you turn off the 650i's DTC.
None of us will ever get to handle an F1 experience but those of you who have R765 000 and change could live it in the 650i with its six-speed Steptronic semi-auto gearbox that was my car's preferred option.
At the other end of the scale is the roadholding of the 650i. It's a big car at 4.82m but weighs in at a respectable 1640kg thanks to all its luxury and safety equipment.
McLaren designer Gordon Murray left all those extras off his 380km/h, middle-seated F1 because he felt their value was outweighed, well, by their weight.
Sport-ratio steering
It's a mean machine on the road and handles like a smaller car with its predictable rear end and accurate Sport-ratio steering (two turns lock-to-lock).
The 650i is inspiring on the road; you feel like a real driver thanks to the endless list of driving aids.
It stops in a hurry with its huge and ventilated discs that, other than BMW's renowned dynamic stability control, have assistants in brake standby, dry braking in the rain, fading compensation and soft-stop.
Baffle the sales person at the dealership and ask for an explanation.
As iconic as the 650i might become, it's not a McLaren F1, despite the latter being powered by a 6.1-litre V12, but it's still a car for you and me, if we've the tin to take the financial strain.
Very, very quick
And it will still sprint from rest to the 100km/h in 5.5sec - which is very, very quick - and run to a governed 250km/h.
Among the giveaways when it comes to performance is the return of an analogue temperature gauge, mounted below the rev counter and off-setting the fuel gauge below the speedo.
Fuel consumption is huge, especially if you've a penchant for hitting the loud pedal, something I couldn't resist. That translated into my average figure of 14 litres/100km, considerably more than the official 11.1.
Small price to pay (pun intended) for a glorious machine.
My 650 came with a keyless-go system, where, with such a key (an oblong effort) in your pocket, you simply place your hand on the handle and open the door.
Body-hugging leather seats
Once in that snug, body-hugging and power-adjustable leather seat, you touch something which proclaims "start-stop engine" which sets the fabulous V8 alight.
Engage drive and off you go, using satnav or just listening to your choice on the LCD-displayed radio-CD-DVD. It's still the iDrive mouse that controls it, something I've become more familiar with over its complicated life with the blue-and-white propeller badge.
The BMW 650i Coupé gives the well-heeled a very classy, quick and stylish option with this near supercar. I say that because supercars are heavily priced and, while three-quarters of a bar is not small beer, the 650i is not a "small" car.
It has all the sorts attributes but toned down enough to take in all the luxury and spec of its sedan brother.