That’s what I told my colleagues when we arrived at Batangas Racing Circuit. It was my first time to drive on the race track, and experiencing that with a 120i made it all the more special.

Back in 2004 it was newly released, so too was the video game Gran Turismo. My editor at the time had a crazy idea of comparing results between video game racing and real life. Because of the game’s frightening realism, we wondered if anyone who’s played the game with some frequency could improve his driving skills in real life.

Of course to do this, we had to have a very controlled experiment. We were to pit a gamer against a racer, using the same car for both the Gran Turismo test and for real life. Each would have a series of laps to accomplish the best time. The car was to be a BMW 120i. The battle ground would be Gran Turismo’s Trial Mountain track (a difficult course that carves through a mountainous area with several elevation changes yet packed with high speed corners) and the Batangas Racing Circuit. The competitors would be myself and professional race driver Kookie Ramirez.

First came the video game test as Kookie and myself did our best to set our fastest time. Kookie came blazing through the corners, jumping over the curbs and coming very close to the track’s characteristic cliffs at some points. I followed and, at first had struggled to inch closer to his time. It might have been over there and then had I not decided to jump over the curbs as he did to beat his time by only half a second.

Then came the real racing component where Kookie and I were again set to challenge each other in real life. We both had our practice runs, of course, and I did my best to learn the track with as little time possible. Kookie went out and set a blazing fast time. Even in a heavier 1-er, hardly prepared for the race track, it was a only five seconds off the typical touring car lap time.

Once my turn came, I decided to use the same strategy, slowly inch toward his time and let it go all out in the last. Of course, racing the same car in real life is very different. For one, the car feels much slower, the turns, scarier and the sensations, much more intense. There’s so much to think about like finding the right point to turn in, the right point to brake, and of course, the overwhelming fear of crashing the car and having to pay for it. Still I pushed harder, jamming the throttle just a little bit earlier with each lap, jumping over curbs and ignoring the tire squeals as the next turn approaches. By the time I crossed the finish line, I had hardly put up a fight. My best time was four seconds slower than Kookie’s, proving only that there’s no better training than in a real race car. Despite that, Kookie came over and gave me a pat on the back. "You put up a good fight," he said with a smile, and though I lost, the adrenaline from the 120i still kept me in high spirits.

Four years after and I find myself in the same car and in the same track. Fated perhaps, or just about right for a reunion? I take a peek in the car and find much of the quirky yet characteristic one series design cues like the oddly shaped mirrors and the start stop button are still there. New sidings and a different interior design scheme update the car’s look. On the outside, are redesigned head and tail lights, a new look for the front fascia, and more gorgeous wheels.

I take the car for a leisurely lap around the track and it’s still a luxurious drive despite being the smallest in the BMW range. The car is quiet and the engine pushes it along with very little difficulty. There’s hardly any noise penetrating the cabin, even at higher speeds and the sound system can drown that out with a concerto just by upping the volume on the wheel. The suspension gives a bit of a stiff ride but at high speeds and on highways, it becomes clear why they’ve done this. Bumps and imperfections on the road, lane changes or emergencies hardly upset the car, and feels like it’s planted on the ground even running through the worst of pot holes.

I turn up the excitement with a quick step on the throttle. It reveals just how hairy-chested this little car can get. The transmission drops to a lower gear and the engine revs with the typical BMW note. There’s more power now as the engine has been upgraded to pump out 170 horses. Turn in with a jerk and the car seems to want keep turning. The tail seems happy to oblige but is always kept in check thanks to the traction and stability control. The car takes corners with such verve and commitment. What felt like stiff suspension on road feels somewhat soft on the track. A few laps around the track and ideas of having this as a weekend race car start popping into your head.

At first, it seems like a conundrum why BMW would add such a small car to their range and a hatchback at that. After a few laps, it suddenly becomes clear, the 120i is a clever deception. Sure it looks harmless, hardly even looks fast. Yet anyone who’s driven it knows it’s one of BMW’s best sleepers (performance cars whose looks hardly reveal it). Four years after it was first released, and it still manages to surprise. It’s a sports car, no doubt, one of the most cleverly disguised ones you’ll ever see.