THE GOOD: The mid-point between a Golf and an RS5: low but not too low; quick but not crazy; agile but no Lotus.

THE BAD: Ultimately a compromise that’s not a great sports car nor much of an all-rounder.

THE UGLY: The world will be a duller place when it’s gone, pending its electric rebirth.

NEED TO KNOW: The TT’s lowly placing here is both completely fair and utterly beside the point. Against the likes of the Porsches and the Alpine, yes, absolutely, this is an inferior sports car. But in terms of being true to itself, the end-of-life Audi TT is still a very good Audi TT; the fact that it’s categorised as a sports car is a matter of supreme indifference to the car itself.

It’s probably the best TT ever, objectively, but objectivity has never been what the TT is about. People talk about it as an example of a show car that went into production with its original purity still intact, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but that’s not quite right, because the first production TT was actually better than the concept, its curves perfected, and somehow it looked right with sensible wheels and real number plates. In the 25 years since then, it’s got less like a Beetle, more like an A5, and more powerful, and better equipped.

The cars currently still available from Audi dealers are Final Edition coupe versions of the TT (194bhp and front-wheel drive) and the more powerful TTS (but the five-cylinder RS is no more). Its ride isn’t great, but the steering is quick, traction very good and the engine just fine, albeit the outputs are from another decade. But the interior is still wonderful – and, gloriously (this shouldn’t matter as much as it does), there’s no touchscreen.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 1984cc turbocharged four-cylinder, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive Performance 316bhp @ 5600rpm, 294Ib ft @ 2000rpm, 4.5sec 0-62mph, 155mph Weight 1420kg

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the TT S, which combines 2.0-litre turbo four with all-wheel drive.

THE GOOD: A convertible BMW, now with a manual ’box – what’s not to like? South of France, here we come.

THE BAD: Still not the last word in handling, though it’s the best Z4 yet.

THE UGLY: Shaking off the nagging sense that the Toyota Supra is the Z4’s edgier, cooler sibling.

NEED TO KNOW: Ever since the Z1, BMW has been trying to crack the small roadster. But the hammer has missed more than it’s hit. There’s been the odd highlight, notably the bonkers bread van in the E36 generation, some hairy-chested M variants along the way. But it’s always lacked the handling delicacy of the MX-5, with a chassis that favours golf club membership over dynamic prowess.

Still, you have to hand it to BMW for not giving up. This G29 is the latest and it finally gets closer to where it should be. It’s been built following a tie-up with Toyota that has been criticised by some but then without it, the car wouldn’t exist at all. So common-sense budgeting gets our approval.

Two engines are available: a 2.0-litre four or our pick, the straight-six M40i. The Z was benchmarked against Porsche’s Boxster, long the class leader, and this version gets closer than you’d think – still lacking the pin-sharp focus of the Porsche but with a far better attempt at being an actual sports car.

Throttle response is good, the engine sounds better than the four in the 718 Boxster (albeit a tad synthesised at times) and the stiff body structure gives the suspension something to hang off.

Is it going to go down as an all-time great? Not likely. But in an era when most are ditching sports cars in general and soft-tops in particular, at least it exists.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 2998cc turbocharged straight-six, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 335bhp @ 5000rpm, 369lb ft @ 1600rpm, 4.6sec 0-62mph, 155mph Weight 1625kg

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s now a manual option.

THE GOOD: Four-wheeled escapism of the most addictive kind

THE BAD: Expensive; comfortable for oddly-shaped humans.

THE UGLY: Ugly is a word we refuse to use in connection with the very pretty Plus Four.

NEED TO KNOW: Like vinyl played on a Bluetooth turntable or a Cotswolds cottage with underfloor heating, the Plus Four is the good old days done right. It looks, feels and smells like a Morgan. But it can also handle a mid-corner bump without hurling itself into a ditch and the steering, roadholding and ride quality are all on a par with the spritely engine. Yes, it’s blustery in the cabin, with more roof-up wind noise than most skydivers are asked to put up with. And oddly for a designed-from-scratch-not-that-long-ago bespoke platform, the ergonomics are slightly bizarre. But this is a wonderfully lively and life-affirming driving experience built around that magic kerbweight figure of just 1013kg. If you’re in any way tempted, get a test drive – there’ll be no going back.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 1998cc turbocharged four, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 255bhp @ 5500rpm, 258lb ft @ 16000rpm, 5.2sec 0-62mph, 149mph Weight 1013kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The Plus Four and Plus Six both use BMW engines, with their names denoting the cylinder count, logically. The Six is gorgeously hedonistic, with a rabid turn of speed entirely at odds with its chocolate-box style, but the four/Four (255bhp and 0-62mph in 5.2sec) with a manual gearbox is all you could possibly need.

THE GOOD: It’s a rear-drive, inline-six two-seater with a manual gearbox.

THE BAD: Looks and feels like a BMW from two generations ago.

THE UGLY: Getting clouted by something flying out of the boot under heavy braking.

NEED TO KNOW: The tin-top brother of the BMW Z4 certainly has plenty of shared componentry, not least huge swathes of the interior. However, there’s enough Toyota here to give the Supra a distinct character that’s not too far removed from its predecessors. Yes, it’s shorter and no longer a four-seater, but it still errs on the softer side of the sports-car spectrum.

Don’t get us wrong, there’s great pleasure to be had overwhelming the rear tyres, and turn-in is positive, too. The straight-six feels right at home in the Supra, although the four-cylinder is cheaper and a little more agile. Just don’t expect much in the way of steering feel or the outright precision of a Porsche Cayman, whichever engine you pick.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 2998cc turbocharged six-cylinder, six-speed manual Performance 335bhp @ 50000pm, 369Ib ft @1600rpm, 4.6sec 0-62mph, 155mph Weight 1577kg

THE ONE TO BUY: Although the 2.0-litre feels a little crisper on turn-in, the Supra suits the straight-six and you can’t have the manual with the four-pot.

THE GOOD: That V8 sound and performance; handling is much improved.

THE BAD: Not the sharpest auto or steering; interior’s a little lacklustre.

THE UGLY: The price doesn’t make it a performance bargain any more.

NEED TO KNOW: The iconic muscle car turned sports car, the latest Mustang features a load of performance engineering that will make many other cars on this list jealous as Ford hopes to widen its appeal beyond America. As well as making the Mustang more athletic in the corners, Ford has also updated the interior with some proper 21st century technology. Plus, all that V8 blood and thunder remains intact, channelled to the rear axle, of course.

Fun and feisty, the Mustang doesn’t take itself too seriously. Buy it’s not cheap and Europe’s best will show it the way home when the driving gets serious.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 5038cc V8, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 493bhp @ 7250rpm, 418lb ft @ 4900rpm, 5.2sec 0-60mph, 165mph Weight 1811kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The Dark Horse with a manual, even if it’s only to get all of the performance goodies.

THE GOOD: Rapid acceleration and eye-widening cornering speed with the AMG soundtrack we love.

THE BAD: Bigger and 270kg heavier than its predecessor.

THE UGLY: Gaining all that flab for two tiny rear seats and a bigger boot.

NEED TO KNOW: It might share a name with the car it replaces, yet the AMG GT is a very different proposition. Instead of a never-ending bonnet with a small two-person capsule plonked just in front of the rear axle, the driver is pushed forward by the addition of two tiny rear seats and a much bigger boot.

Underneath is the platform that underpins the SL, meaning four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer and active roll control to keep the portly two-tonne kerbweight in check. It’s very capable and has a rear-wheel-drive mode if you hate rear tyres. But it does feel as if AMG has been copying the Porsche 911’s homework.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 3982cc twin-turbocharged V8, nine-speed dual-clutch automatic Performance 577bhp @ 5500rpm, 590Ib ft @ 2500rpm, 3.2sec 0-62mph, 195mph Weight 1970kg

THE ONE TO BUY: Premium Plus gets all the chassis tech you need, and avoids the shouty fixed rear wing of the Performance.

THE GOOD: Gorgeous V8 engine; gorgeous ride/handling balance; gorgeous.

THE BAD: Hefty and on its way out.

THE UGLY: Interior quality not breathtaking. Thirsty, particularly the four-cylinder P300.

NEED TO KNOW: Jaguar is changing, as we’re told repeatedly, and that means the F-Type is on its way out – there’s no place for a sports car/GT in New Jaguar’s all-electric, super-premium future.

But if you can find an F-Type for sale, consider bringing it home with you. You have eyes, so we won’t bore you with how beautiful it is. You have ears, too, and if they haven’t yet heard the P450’s V8 at full cry, Dynamic mode gleefully lobbing crackles and bangs into the exhaust soundtrack like a kid chucking firecrackers, then, well, they’re missing out. Sure, expressing a love for engines like this one is becoming frowned upon at a rate unthinkable just five years ago. But chances are you will find this car bewitching, as much for its exuberance and charm as its cultured power delivery – a lusciously linear and usable seam of drive that chimes in from no revs and persists to the redline.

But the F-Type’s qualities don’t end there. The ride and body control, particularly under duress on lumpen roads, are remarkable, the damping and springing working to both keep the car’s chin off the floor and this not particularly lightweight two-seater convincingly tied down. The steering, too, is confidence-inspiring; direct and largely slack-free, if a little short on actual feel. If there are dynamic frailties, they’re an auto gearbox that, while superb 95 per cent of the time, undoubtedly lacks the drama and shift speed of a good twin-clutcher. P300 four and P450 V8 are very different in character. The P300 is the tactile sportster and the V8 the grown-up quasi-GT.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 5000cc supercharged V8, eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive Performance 444bhp @ 6000rpm, 429Ib ft @ 2500rpm, 4.6sec 0-62mph, 177mph Weight 1818kg

THE ONE TO BUY: We’re torn. Of the last cars available it’s between the keep-it-simple P300 and the P450 V8.

THE GOOD: As exhilarating as an adrenaline injection straight to the heart.

THE BAD: Looking sideways at the underneath of lorries when you’re waiting at lights.

THE UGLY: Packing for the weekend.

NEED TO KNOW: Like stepping back in time – in a good way. Ever since Caterham took over the rights to the Seven from Lotus in 1973, the firm has consistently punched well above its weight. Which is a very good thing because no one has ever accused Caterhams of being flabby.

The range goes from the Seven 170 to a Seven 620 via seven other steps, each one somehow managing to occupy its own little niche without ever treading on the ones above or below. Every single one is the last word in handling excellence – there are house flies that corner more lazily. It’s impossible not to feel connected to every aspect of the car and chassis. Unassisted steering keys you into the road while even the turbocharged engines react minutely to throttle inputs. And no wonder, as the heaviest Caterham on sale is just 610kg.

Luxuries are limited and the pedal layout requires anyone with feet larger than a size nine to drive in socks, but that’s not the point. You want comfort, go and buy an SUV. But if you want to feel alive a Caterham, any Caterham, is the answer.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder, five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 84bhp @ 6500rpm, 85lb ft @ 4000rpm, 6.9sec 0-62mph, 105mph
Weight 440kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The Seven 170 – if you’re going to go basic, you might as well go all-in.

THE GOOD: Gorgeous, hugely powerful, stonking new interior.

THE BAD: Not a 911 – or a natural track performer. Wide!

THE UGLY: That weight figure, mainly; 656bhp is a lot of power; but 1700-ish kg is a lot of weight.

NEED TO KNOW: Aston’s flat-out reinventing itself as the Maranello of the Midlands, or the British Porshe. Chairman Lawrence Stroll is spending big on tech and the right people, for the road-car outfit and the F1 team, and we’re reaping the rewards. The DB12 is a sensational GT and the new Vantage is a powerhouse – massively powerful, hugely charismatic and now with an interior you don’t have to constantly apologise for.

Not the last word in on-the-limit sophistication or track-ready tactility, buy a Vantage to go fast, look great and make a lot of noise on your favourite roads.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 3982cc twin-turbocharged V8, eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive Performance 656bhp @ 6000rpm, 590lb ft @ 2750rpm, 3.5sec 0-62mph Weight 1700kg (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: For now there is only one.

THE GOOD: Looks great, handles even more so – including on lumpy British roads, and much more usable than the Elise and Exige ever were.

THE BAD: You sit too high, V6 sounds industrial unless you’re redlining it. The four-cylinder version’s auto is dim-witted.

THE UGLY: The stupid, plasticky cover over the starter button

NEED TO KNOW: Lotus’s last ever combustion car needed to be rather good – particularly as it was doing the job of replacing the Elise, Exige and Evora all in one. And, for the most part, Lotus has managed exactly that by developing a usable, fun and sweet-handling sports car that can be compared to Porsche’s 718 Cayman or Alpine’s A110.

Despite the Geely takeover, the Emira still truly feels like a Lotus. It has a squat stance on the road, even managing to look light on its wheels, and it still uses a Toyota Camry-based V6 powerplant that delivers some serious grunt that can easily keep up with a Cayman GTS 4.0. But now you can have one with an AMG-derived four-cylinder that’s almost as quick and lighter than the V6 – albeit one with an AMG-derived dual-clutch transmission that doesn’t seem to know it’s not in an A45 any more.

One of the biggest improvements, though, is how user-friendly the Emira is even compared to the Evora. The interior feels like a major step-change for the brand, with plush materials and technology that isn’t from a 2000s Ford thrown in for free. There are niggles – namely seats that are far too high for tall drivers and a tacky, plastic cover over the starter that feels like an endless fiddle.

Even so, the Emira is a properly powerful, sweet-handling and engaging sports car that won’t entirely make you feel short-changed compared to an Alpine or Porsche.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 3456cc supercharged V6, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 394bhp @ 6800rpm, 310lb ft @ 2700rpm, 4.5sec 0-62mph, 180mph Weight 1455kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The V6, if only to get the heavy-set manual ‘box. While the four still feels quick, it and the auto ’box need marriage counselling.

THE GOOD: Timeless, excellent, beautiful.

THE BAD: Could be faster, could be a little more controlled when you push it.

THE UGLY: The RF version’s folding hardtop.

NEED TO KNOW: For so long the default sports car, the MX-5 soldiers on in its one-car crusade to prove that, as often as not, less is more.

It’s hard not to be immediately swept up in all the stuff the Mazda does so well. You sense, too, that this is a car engineered by people who quite like driving. It’s there in the steering, which is tighter and sweeter than the GR86’s, and in the gearchange, which again shades even the Toyota’s, if not a Caterham’s.

On the road the Mazda exudes a gorgeous weightlessness, with a lightness of touch and a pervasive and consistent driver focus that swells your heart with happiness. Not particularly comfortable living on the ragged edge, this MX-5’s body control might be a big step forward over the wayward early 1.5’s but it still rolls markedly in this company. The upside is a fabulous suppleness, and with the hardtop stowed and a few revs on the tacho the Mazda is addictively good, combining a decent chunk of the GR86’s essential rightness with the always delightful bonus of a roof that disappears.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 1998cc four-cylinder, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 158bhp @ 6000rpm, 148lb ft @ 4600rpm, 6.5sec 0-62mph, 136mph Weight 1127kg

THE ONE TO BUY: 2.0-litre roadster, please.

THE GOOD: It’s America’s 911: pleasant every day and a hoot when you’re on it.

THE BAD: Long waiting list for a right-hand-drive example; image.

THE UGLY: Florida rental-spec electric window switches.

NEED TO KNOW: Put aside all your preconceptions – the Corvette Stingray absolutely belongs at the sharp end of this list. Yes, it still has a pushrod V8, and the dual-clutch box can be a little juddery when moving, but it deals with battered tarmac with a level of sophistication that plenty of European cars could only dream of.

In case you missed it, the ’Vette is now mid-engined… although it still sounds more NASCAR than high-revving Euro V8. It also has coil springs on each corner, not a transverse leaf spring for each axle, and while the C5 Corvette was available in the UK in the ’90s, the C8 is the first model to get its steering wheel officially on the right-hand side.

Performance is plenty strong enough given the sub-£100k price, and it’s an easy cruiser with a supple ride and surprisingly efficiency. Select a racier drive mode and the chassis sharpens up, giving genuine involvement and fun on your favourite ribbon of road.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 6162cc V8, eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive Performance 475bhp @ 6450rpm, 452Ib ft @ 4500rpm, 3.5sec 0-62mph, 184mph Weight 1730kg

THE ONE TO BUY: Both the coupe and the convertible can go topless, so pick the latter for electric removal and replacement.

THE GOOD: Pretty; quick; affordable; indecently good fun.

THE BAD: Limited availability; cheap inside.

THE UGLY: Getting hold of the best sports car Toyota’s ever made is like finding the lost city of Z. 

NEED TO KNOW: On paper, the GR86 is an evolution of the slightly underwhelming old GT86. But on the road the GR86 is so much more than that. Agile, quick and ludicrously good fun, it’s a cut-price 911 GT3.

There’s more good news. There’s an infotainment system that works, very comfortable and heated seats, and a modest boot. And shortly after the first roundabout, navigated with the rear axle floating subtly wide of the path described by the front, it becomes clear there’s real magic in this Toyota, the slightly synthetic steering offset by the sweet action of the six-speed gearbox, the languid, controlled ride, a semblance of torque (no turbos here, remember, just a 2387cc flat-four) and the burgeoning sense of a beautifully calibrated chassis.

Find a road worth driving and the GR86’s flow is little short of spellbinding. The front axle bites with conviction (something the GT86’s never really did), there’s actual mechanical grip thanks to the Michelin 4S tyres (something the GT86 never really had) and an urgent, free-revving engine with which to overtake, build speed or play (which, again, the GT86 conspicuously lacked). The fluidity with which you can guide the GR86, manipulating its attitude and line with wheel, brakes and throttle, is a joy, and surely the reason we’re all here.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 2387cc flat-four, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 231bhp @ 7000rpm, 184lb ft @ 3700rpm, 6.3sec 0-62mph, 140mph Weight 1275kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The one you can find for sale.

THE GOOD: Tiny, beautiful, lightweight, French.

THE BAD: Impractical, uninspiring engine, not a Porsche.

THE UGLY: Explaining time and again that it’s not an Alpina (they make German saloons, not French sports cars).

NEED TO KNOW: Arriving out of nowhere to make buying a Cayman a slightly more nuanced decision than it was previously, the A110 is a showroom-fresh sports car from another age. Lightweight and softly-sprung, it is the antithesis of everything modern performance cars have become: over-powered, overweight, overwrought.

Super-simple and made mostly of aluminium, the A110 weighs next to nothing. This boosts every aspect of its performance, because there’s less car to accelerate, turn and slow, and also allows the chassis to be softly sprung, which in turn gives the car its agile, athletic, cat-like feel over the bumps and potholes. 



Compared to the pinned-down, tightened-up feel of most modern performance cars, the Alpine feels loose; it moves around and dances over subtle changes in camber. It actually needs steering down the road with delicate hand movements, rather just pointing and firing like a bullet. It’s not a playful car, in the sense that it’s not a slidey-sideways wet-roundabout headbanger – at the limit it will always push wide at the front. But it’s very satisfying to drive neatly and quickly, a compact little rocket for a late-night blast home.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 1790cc turbocharged four-cylinder, seven-speed DCT automatic, rear-wheel drive Performance 249bhp @ 6000rpm, 236lb ft @ 2000rpm, 4.5sec 0-62mph Weight 1102kg

THE ONE TO BUY: The standard car. The top-spec R is sensational but mega money.

THE GOOD: Pretty much everything, really – absolutely stellar handling no matter which one you choose, useful day-to-day, strong values, fantastic performance…

THE BAD: Even after a good few years of getting used to them, the four-cylinder models (the versions leading up to GTS) still don’t really stir the soul.

THE UGLY: Both cars go electric imminently.

NEED TO KNOW: The 911 pretender. Or perhaps, as each new generation of 911 gets heavier and more complicated, the car the 911 should have evolved into? No matter what side of that fence you sit on, the fact that Porsche’s 718 Cayman and Boxster twins get compared so regularly to their bigger sibling shouldn’t remotely be considered an insult.

Yes, there was the four-cylinder wobble when they first launched, where we all had to get used to Porsche’s smaller sports car twins sounding like Beetles again. Even so, the pair have outshone everything else aimed at the same buyers for years, offering such natural handling characteristics and a set-up that feels familiar for everyone from sports-car novices to grizzled ex-racers.

And, just like the 911, the 718 range features such a breadth of variants that it’ll accommodate any taste. Regardless of engine – even the warbling four-cylinders – every Cayman or Boxster steers, shifts, brakes and dances through corners like a dream. And it proves the platform it’s based on can carry significant power and performance attributes on its shoulders without feeling like you’re reaching the car’s dynamic ceiling. Whether it’s a 2.0 Boxster or a Cayman GT4 RS, these are cars created to make you smile.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 3995cc flat-six, six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 394bhp @ 7000rpm, 310lb ft @ 5000rpm, 4.5sec 0-62mph, 182mph Weight 1405kg

THE ONE TO BUY: A manual GTS 4.0 – a masterpiece of a six-cylinder engine and arguably the best value of all the models, whether you choose a Cayman or Boxster.

THE GOOD: Stomach-churning speed, wonderful feel and interaction.

THE BAD: Costs from around £80k, but can be optioned beyond £140k…

THE UGLY: When it rains you get soaked. And at times the performance is borderline terrifying.

NEED TO KNOW: Remember those radio-controlled cars that you used to play with as a kid? Well, imagine one of those, full-scale, with a tuned Honda Civic Type R engine in the back and you’re pretty much there with the Atom 4R. The Somerset-based company doesn’t fritter its time away on ‘normal’, but this 400bhp track-ready weapon is undoubtedly the most extreme of the lot. 

You can have all manner of hardware installed on the 4R; Öhlins dampers, AP Racing carbon brakes, a six-speed sequential ’box and even ABS (yes, they’re not savages) – but the bottom line is a car that weighs just 700kg and thus puts out more bhp per tonne (571 to be precise), than a Ferrari 296 GTB. It’s unhinged, and you will adore it.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 1996cc 16v turbocharged four-cylinder, six-speed sequential manual, rear-wheel drive Performance 400bhp @ 6500rpm, 396lb ft @ 4500rpm, 2.7sec 0-62mph, 170mph Weight 700kg (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: The 4 is hardly sensible, so just go full-bore with the 4R.

THE GOOD: The car, the myth, the legend. The definitive sports car for most of the last 60 years, and for good reason – it’s sensational.

THE BAD: They’re all expensive, new or used, thanks to aggressive pricing increases from Porsche and strong residuals.

THE UGLY: The seven-speed manual option isn’t as wonderful as you’d wish. So, swallow your pride and go with the paddleshift PDK gearbox option – it’s so, so good.

NEED TO KNOW: Every generation of 911 has grown bigger, more complex, more refined. For some, the 992-gen car, launched in 2019 (with the 992.2 update, including the fantastic new e-boosted GTS, just arrived), is the point at which Porsche’s icon jumped the shark, from true sports car to GT.

But they’re talking nonsense. Yes, the 911 can now happily play the smooth-riding distance tool, with little rear seats and a front boot. But when the mood takes, it is also a more thrilling sportster than ever. It punches harder – just 3.5sec 0-62mph in the Carrera S with Sport Chrono pack – and turns more effortlessly.

Twirl that lovely little leather wheel and the wider front tyres bite. The 992 centre-pivots like 911s always have, but now handles more like a good mid-engined sports car. It’s more obedient and settled, and more accurate to your wrists’ instructions. Right up to the last-gen 991, 911s would typically understeer at speed. A quick lift-off would obediently turn in the nose: 911s have long been cars steered as much with the accelerator as the wheel. They dance, they jig, they serenade and they charm, and they’ve never felt like any other sports car on the limit – and no surprise when so much of the weight hangs over the back axle.

But successive 911s have felt less and less like rear-engined cars – and that’s a good thing, too. This one, in Carrera S guise, is as neutral as a good mid-engined Ferrari. It’s superbly balanced at speed, and yet it still has that brilliant and unmatched rear-weight-biased ability to put its power down fast and smooth; it fairly slingshots out of corners.

The days of 911s wilfully and worryingly wagging their tails behind them are now firmly banished. Yet you always know you’re in a 911. The lizard-down-a-drainpipe agility, the way you can use the brakes and throttle to delicately control the car at speed, the grip, the corner-exit speed, the wailing flat-six…. There is no other sports car like it.

KEY DATA: Powertrain 2981cc flat-six, eight-speed DCT automatic, rear-wheel drive Performance 444bhp @ 7000rpm, 391lb ft @ 2300rpm, 3.5sec 0-62mph, 191mph Weight 1405kg

THE ONE TO BUY: Short of the mesmerising big-ticket S/T, we’d be very, very happy with a PDK Carrera S.