Cabin uninspired, zero depreciation, powered hood brilliant.Price: pounds 34,095: Power: 204bhp 0-60mph: 6.5sec. Top speed: 140mph.Renault SpiderPricey French funster is modern version of no-frills sports car. Originally sans windscreen (protection was by bug deflector and helmet), Renault’s expensive image car now bows to convention Stunning looks, huge presence, great handling and grip. High weight blunts performance of 2.0-litre Clio Williams engine Cockpit utilitarian Hood is unacceptably basic.Price: pounds 25,950 Power: 150bhp 0-60mph: 6.9sec. Top speed: 135mphToyota MR2 T-barMid-engined, curvy and snug. Twin-seat Toyota too mainstream, too compromised to rival Elise on flair, whoopee, agility.

Stronger on comfort, civility, equipment, safety and reliability. Performance nothing special for the price; hard-edged engine potent but frenzied Handling now ultra-safe rather than super-sensitive. With roof panels off, cockpit is semi-alfresco.Price: pounds 23,225 Power: 173bhp 0-60mph: 7.8sec. Top speed: 130mphTVR ChimaeraNot the fastest, most expensive TVR (the way-out Cerbera grabs those accolades), but arguably the best, especially with tweaked 4.5 Rover V8.

Huge performance easily tamed, brakes and handling up to the job, steering quick, grip strong. Quality not to Porsche standards, but competes with authority as cut-price supercar. Lovely noise, cosy cockpit, natty headgear.Price: pounds 32,950 Power: 285bhp 0-60mph: 5.0sec est. Top speed: 155mph est.Westfield SEiGHTBig 3.9 Rover V8 engine, tiny, Lotus-inspired lightweight chassis; unite them and you have the fastest shoebox on wheels Original SEiGHT was as loud as it was fearsome Latest version is quieter,easier to live with Devilishly fast pocket rocket, more toy than transport Low on creature comforts, high on excitement Can be bought as DIY kit.Price: pounds 25,950 Power: 200bhp 0-60mph: 4.5sec Top speed: 135mph.. As I write this, my ears are singing.

They have been singing since late last night, which is when I returned from a long and fast journey in a very small car. It was a sophisticated very small car, well dosed with today’s technology (electronic fuel injection, a catalytic converter, an airbag, side-impact bars), and furnished in luxurious fashion with wood veneer and sumptuous fabrics But it was still noisy and bumpy, because it was a Mini. A new Mini, all plushed up as even the cheapest Minis now are, will cost you pounds 8,995. This is clearly a lot of money for an ancient design with fundamental shortcomings in smoothness and silence, even if it has been updated to suit some modern demands, and it is also a lot of money for something so small But that is not the point.