GIANT TEST WINNER

1 PORSCHE 911

THE GOOD: Style, like 911s, never goes out of fashion

THE BAD: The base Carrera now costs almost £100k – yet that’s not enough to stop it being a clear class winner; road noise now up to 11

THE UGLY: 992 ‘wide body’ no longer the lithe sports car of old; canny options list pushes you to spend like a lottery winner

THE ONE TO BUY: Carrera S with the PDK gearbox for £110k on the nose; the Sport Chrono package is bundled in, but you’ll still pay for the Porsche badges on the wheels to be coloured in

GIANT TEST WINNER

2 ARIEL ATOM

THE GOOD: A beautiful object as well as a thrilling drive; think of it as a modernised Lotus Seven crossed with a high-end sports bike

THE BAD: You’ll need bike-style wet-weather gear if it’s raining. And at least £40k – this is an expensive toy, if a captivating one

THE UGLY: The 4R is even more bonkers

THE ONE TO BUY: Do you really need the 350bhp power upgrade option?

GIANT TEST WINNER

3 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN/BOXSTER

THE GOOD: Sublime handling; surprising practicality

THE BAD: Less characterful than an Alpine; such an obvious choice it’s almost boring

THE UGLY: Flat-four versions sound like a VW Beetle in a duet with Eeyore

THE ONE TO BUY: GT4 RS the most thrilling, Spyder is ace, but flat-six GTS 4.0 is a cut-price GT4 at £73k

4 LOTUS EMIRA

THE GOOD: The first new Lotus in years is fantastically well resolved. Usable, desirable and thrilling

THE BAD: Harder work to live with than a Cayman

THE UGLY: The last petrol Lotus – just as the company gets the financial stability to build on its brilliance

THE ONE TO BUY: AMG-sourced four is an interesting but pricey addition

5 ALPINE A110

THE GOOD: The perfectly formed antidote to a world of excess; a modern classic in every sense of the term

THE BAD: Two boots, neither big, and not much oddment storage inside

THE UGLY: ‘R’ is 34kg lighter – some effort – but also nearly £100k. Too much

THE ONE TO BUY: A110 S adds handling poise for £67,490 but £54,490 base A110 is all you need

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