sports car

ferrari 599 xx

2012-05-28T06:56:00.005-07:00

Using Top Gear Maths, we've concluded that DRS makes your life exactly 93.5 per cent better*.

And thus, the new Ferrari 599XX with the Evolution package - that includes a mighty rear wing with a movable flap - makes you a better human being. It's a good thing Ferrari only allows you to operate said DRS on the 599XX Evo seven times a year, because your life would otherwise be spent slipstreaming supercars and gloating mercilessly to your peers. All day long.

Confused? The new Evo is, of course, part of Ferrari's XX programme; that series of set events at special race circuits across Europe where the lucky owners of the XX cars - 599XX, XX Evo and the Enzo-based Ferrari FXX - get to drive their cars and actually ‘work' for Ferrari.

The third round has just finished at Monza, in Italy, and owners were given five driving sessions, helped by a group of engineers and professional wheel warriors teaching them racing lines and the specific handling nuances of their million-pound machines.

Naturally, the ‘work' part comes in the post-race debrief, where Ferrari collate data to help develop its future model range. You had better hope those drivers are good...

Ferrari's XX programme will hit Silverstone on 14-16 September (more details here), so if you want to see the FXX and Evo powering around, there's your chance. Oh, and Ferrari will also be attempting to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the Largest Parade of Ferrari Cars at the same gathering. They're going for over 500 - so if you're a current owner here's your chance to enter the record books. For the rest of us, that's going to be a sight worth beholding...

Porsche 918 Spyder

2012-05-28T06:56:00.002-07:00

To the uninitiated, the addition of a racing-style livery on the new Porsche 918 Spyder merely underlines the hybrid supercar's Nürburgring credentials. But those in the know will appreciate the subtle nod to Porsche's very own 917; a model once described as the greatest racing car in history, and one that took the Le Mans crown two years in a row.

Viewed as such, the addition of this livery is less a reflection of glory, more a trumpeting of intent: this car is serious on the business of performance.

But then we already knew that, because we've already had a shotgun ride in a very, very, very early prototype. Porsche has now released these lovely pictures of its upcoming halo model to let us know the first prototypes have been finished, and unlike the car we got to sit in, sports a body. A full carbon fibre reinforced plastic monocoque. That's good.

You should of course, know everything there is to know about the Porsche 918 Spyder, but if you need a quick recap, click here. It's got a 4.6-litre V8 that revs to 9,000rpm; its got two electric motors; it's a four-wheel-drive, 770hp green machine.

Oh, and about those Nürburgring credentials: Porsche reckons it will lap the terrifyingly green and terrifyingly terrifying circuit in 7m 22secs. That's ten whole seconds quicker than a Carrera GT. Reasonably fast, then.

Porsche Boxster S

2012-05-28T06:55:00.002-07:00

Let's cut to the chase; new Boxster is very, very good. We've been testing the car across Germany for a couple of days and even on the worst backroads the Black Forest has to offer, and it manages to suck up bumps and deliver it's power in way that constantly impresses. It's incredibly grown-up, acting like a big car when it really shouldn't, flipping modes into a fun little roadster when it gets twistier. The suspension really is a bit of a wonder, and the engine in this S revving steplessly sweetly right up to the 7,800rpm - making for many happy faces in the cockpit. It stops on a short dime, using carbon brakes nicked direct from the new 911. Seriously, it'll uncrease your face when you really try. And driven properly you can pick up some serious pace. It's a very, very comforting car to go fast in. Sorry, kind of spoiled the ending there, but you get the idea: new Boxster is better than old Boxster, and old Boxster wasn't half bad.

It comes in two guises, straight Boxster with a 2.7, 265bhp and 207lb ft of torque, or as this S with a 3.4, 315bhp and 266lb ft. The basic format is the same; fabric roof, two-seat roadster with a mid-mounted flat-six and rear wheel drive. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, with the optional PDK weighing in at £1,922. The roof operates in just 9 seconds, is one-touch, good-looking up or down and insulated up to its eyeballs, so it feel as good as a tin-top on the motorway or pootling around the countryside. The super light magnesium frame that forms the top section now acts as the ‘lid' when folded, so there's no separate covering section - saving a 12kgs of weight and visually lengthening the profile in the process; the back of the Boxster now looks a bit less... porky, roof down.

The styling is sharper, neater and not at all like a Toyota MR2 MkIII in the metal. There are new headlights, front end, side intakes and clipped rear end with a Carrera GT-ish ridgeline running through the rear lamps and around the bodywork, neatly hiding a pop-up rear spoiler. It's longer in the wheelbase, but with a shaved front overhang that stops it looking bigger, and there's a tautness to the design - especially in darker colours - that makes it look solid but deft. Wheels are big: standard Boxster comes with 18s, the S has 19s and there are even optional 20s (huge).

The body itself is made from a fairly conservative mix of steel and alloy, but the doors, bonnet and rear luggage compartment lid are all wrought from unalloyed aluminium. Despite more kit, the Boxster S actually weighs some 30kg less than the old version, even with the heavy PDK ‘box.

Ah yes. The PDK. The Boxster S we've been driving has absolutely every option on it.: PDK, PASM, PTV, PCCB, PSM, and Sport Chrono. Adjustable suspension, active engine mounts (previously only seen in the 911), torque-vectoring, intelligent traction control and stability. The PDK is brilliant but a little overwhelming - a great auto, fun when going fast, but a bit uninvolving when you want to really drive the little roadster. Similarly, the new electro-mechanical steering is pin-sharp, accurate and just a little numb. None of this stuff is bad as such, it just feels very mature, much more like you'd expect in a bigger car (like a 911, plucking a Thing From Nowhere). All of which makes for a measurably ‘better' car (more refinement, more efficiency), but just edges the Boxster up a class and away from simple roadster fun.

So it's brilliant, the new Boxster. Still best in class and massively satisfying. But there's a sneaking feeling that a 2.7 Boxster with the standard 6-speed manual might be the more intuitive - and immediately easier to fall for - car. I've just got to get my hands on one to let you know.

lamborghini aventador

2012-05-28T06:54:00.005-07:00

I have seen fear, and it is orange. The keys are in it; the scissor door is open; the engine is thumping away happily in that slightly lo-fi, muted way that cars do when sat on new snow and... everyone is avoiding the Aventador. I've seen a couple of people approach it with eager eyes, look up and down the road, pause for a moment and back away. As if any sudden movement might provoke attack. Then again, if you were here on this -20 degree morning, a full-fat moon still hanging tubbily in the sky, you'd understand.

Access to our ice track is down some distance of hilly, snowy track that has apparently been chewed through by a plough with deliberately jagged edges, leaving bluish knives of ice at the fringes. The margin leaves only three inches of clearance either side of the 2.2-metre-wide LP700-4. Grip is on the low side of marginal, pedestrians adopting a kind of low-gravity shuffle, arms out and fingers spread, like bulky tightrope walkers, and even cars on studs require a little fizz of wheelspin when they pull away. You get the feeling that getting it wrong isn't so much a matter of time, but a matter of the severity of the inevitable. So most members of the Top Gear team are opting for something a little less expensive, obvious and... feral to begin the first morning of the first day. There has been an unseemly scuffle over the keys to the Range Rover. Thing is, someone has to drive the Lambo. We need to find out if four-wheel drive allows you to actually use a car like this in an environment extreme enough to hobble an elk. What - as they so ominously tend to say - could possibly go wrong?

Audi R8 V10 R-Tronic

2012-05-28T06:54:00.002-07:00

Audi hasn't transformed the R8 by adding a pair of cylinders. Not like Porsche transforms the 911 by adding a pair of turbos anyway. No, the R8 V10 is basically an R8 V8 that's faster, a little grippier, and better equipped.

Which means it's the perfect everyday-use supercar. A Gallardo (with which the Audi shares an engine) is too noisy to be more than a special-occasions car. And if ‘everyday' includes the British winter, well you won't want to be getting by on 2WD.

The 525bhp engine has an astonishing spread of power, pulling hard from low in the rev range and getting pregressively and implausibly stronger all the way to an 8,700rpm red-line.

And the magical, predictable, transparent handling of the V8 car isn't messed up by the extra power. This is a car that always seems to be on your side.

The launch price looks high, but at least it doesn't need any extras. The R Tronic and the carbon-ceramic brakes are both a waste of money unless you want to do track days. And actually this isn't a track-day car.

Bentley Continental GTC SS ISR

2012-05-28T06:53:00.002-07:00

Built to celebrate Kankkunen's world ice speed record, this Bentley Conti GTC Supersports ISR is not one for the shy and retiring. Even Bentley describes it as ‘dramatically extrovert'.

Red is the order of the day in the ISR, which is limited to 100 cars worldwide. There are red graphics down the flanks (you can delete these), red inserts in the bonnet vents, red weave in the carbon fibre on the dash. Even the Breitling clock has a red accent. Thankfully, the leather upgrades, like the soft-grip steering wheel and diamond-quilted Alcantara on the doors and seats, are not red. Good.

What's amazing about this car is that even though it's the most powerful Bentley ever - 631bhp and 590lb ft - this Supersports ISR version of the now superseded GTC (a heavily facelifted model was launched recently) still rides and drives with huge refinement. You'd never think it was on 20in wheels the way the car absorbs bumps.

But the ISR version doesn't alter any of these mechanical bits. So all you end up with is an over-the-top GTC Supersports - far better to save the £7,200 premium and just buy a normal version. Especially as the record it commemorates has since been broken.

Audi R8 V10 GT Spyder

2012-05-28T06:52:00.002-07:00

This must be the ultimate Audi R8. Must be, as it wears the biggest price tag - a mighty 158,145 of your British pounds. So it stands to reason the R8 GT Spyder must be a hell of a car, a step up from the V8 and V10, a hardcore roadster to show the likes of the Merc SLS Roadster and Ferrari 458 Spider a thing or two.

The extra cash - £41,435 over and above the standard V10 Spyder - buys you 85kg less, if that makes sense. Audi has cut weight to 1,640kg, which is commendable, although you might be surprised at how the savings work out. The front splitter, rear spoiler and rear bumper together save 5.5kg. Add to that a thinner-skinned bonnet (minus 2.4kg), and you have the same 7.9kg saving as has been achieved by using thinner carpets inside. Yes, all that carbon and aluminium work adds up to the same as having a slightly balder sheep in the footwell. The only major weight-saving comes from the less comfortable - but 31kg lighter - fixed bucket seats.

The GT Spyder ensures you're aware of the weight reduction, thanks to the fact your eye cannot rest on anything that isn't carbon fibre. This is just as well, because aside from that and those moulded chairs, it's hard to tell you're not in a standard V10.

And, yes, that means that you don't really feel the extra 34bhp, liberated by a simple engine-management tweak. The V10 hurls itself down the road convincingly enough, but the smooth, rich, surprisingly relaxed character of the engine hasn't changed. Nor has the noise. The GT neither acts nor sounds like a fire-spitting savage, and part of us is a bit sorry about that.

So, a mild engine upgrade, no new exhaust, no new gearbox. The GT only comes with the R tronic sequential manual, and that's just not good enough when all around have instant-shifting double-clutchers. Full-throttle shifts have you lurching and are bad enough to force you to lift the throttle as you pull the paddle, just to smooth things out.

And aside from a 10mm drop and minor camber change, nothing's been done to the suspension, either. Which means the GT handles and drives the same as every other R8 model. In many ways, this is a good thing, because few mid-engined cars are as supple, balanced and friendly. The GT rides beautifully, has a little warning understeer, sweet steering and is a pleasurable car to drive. But so is a standard R8, and there's the rub...

The R8 GT Spyder isn't a hardcore roadster but a highly expensive trim upgrade, much like the difference between Sport and S line in Audi's lesser models. Yes, it comes with a load of standard kit, including superb ceramic brakes, and only 333 are being made, with just 66 destined for the UK. But, for our money, this is too high a price for the exclusivity.

Range Rover Evoque

2012-05-28T06:51:00.005-07:00

Somewhere in an Austrian Alpine forest, a gravel track winds upwards. It's about one-in-five steep, and this afternoon a few inches of fresh snow have fallen. We're in an Evoque, and every so often there's a blink from the traction-control light, but our progress up the mountain remains steadfast. So far, so Range Rover.

But this is a bit different, because only the front wheels are connected to the engine. This is the new 2WD economy Evoque: simpler, lighter, more economical. But very nearly as good.

There are now three versions of this 2.2-litre diesel engine. The eD4 is the 2WD, with manual transmission only, and it makes 150bhp. The TD4 is also 150bhp, for 4WD, and gets a little more mid-range torque. Then there's the 190bhp SD4, which is the one we've driven in our previous Evoque diesel stories.

At low-to-medium speeds, the eD4 feels pretty well as sprightly as the 190 4WD auto. I'm confident of this judgement by the way, because I jumped straight out of one into the other. After all, the lower-powered car is usefully the lighter. By shedding drive to the rear, it does without a front take-off from the gearbox, a propshaft, a rear diff and rear halfshafts, plus one or two other bits. That takes the weight drop to 75kg. It's only above 60mph, for motorway hills and main-road overtaking, when power starts to be needed to overcome aero drag, that the SD4's extra kick shows up. Sadly the eD4 is a bit of a slug in those situations.

It's still a lot of automotive desirability for a small amount of company-car tax. With the efficiencies of a manual gearbox, idle-stop and lighter weight, the three-door Evoque eD4 gets in a 129g/km. Now just look at the design, and cast your eyes around the interior. Even in basic Pure spec (£27,955 for the five-door, another grand for the Coupe), it's hardly spartan.

OK, what else do you lose along with the drive to the back wheels? Well, the handling is still mighty impressive and controlled, and the ride still supple. But it denies you the option of MagneRide damping, which means it's both a little foggier in bends and a little less plush on straights compared with the 4WD with that option.

Ah, well, if you aren't spending on mechanical goodies, that gives you more in hand for trim and entertainment add-ons. I suspect that given the 2WD looks the same and drives largely the same - in the suburbs at least - as the 4WD one, means it's very well targeted for most people's needs 50 weeks of the year. And, as I've just found out, if it's wearing winter tyres, it'll likely get them up to the ski village for the final two weeks.

Audi A4

2012-05-28T06:51:00.002-07:00

At the risk of undermining the very principle of a car review and sending this magazine into a self-consuming spiral, is it possible for a car to be too competent?

Case in point: the superfrugal, eco-tastic new Audi A4 2.0 TDI. If you're after an efficient, premium, mid-size saloon, we can offer few reasons not to buy this entry-level diesel. But, at the same time, we'd sort of prefer it if you didn't. Not because we hate the polar bears and wish to see their natural habitat destroyed (though Frozen Planet's depiction of the fluffy white gimmers as evil seal-murdering bastards has damped our ice-cap-saving instincts) but because, like a goody-two-shoes teacher's pet, the A4 is so irritatingly correct.

For starters, it's so frugal that, with careful driving, filling the tank once should last you until old age. The A4 officially returns 112g/km of CO2 and a freakish 66mpg: until the new 109g/km 320ED arrives in February, that, at least, gives Audi something to boast about.

It doesn't feel like a wheezy asthmatic, either. The diesel is strong and broad, easily capable of hauling the A4's bulk, and smooth with it. If we're nitpicking, the A4 - though a sight better than older Audis - still doesn't ride with a Jaguar's lightness of touch, nor offer the fingertip engagement of that pesky BMW. Most will see the Audi's class-leading, gadget-laden interior and fine motorway refinement as a fair trade-off for a few microns of dynamism.

But the A4 is so coldly, rationally competent in just about every department that it's in danger of turning Audi into the Toyota of the exec sector: a purveyor of cars as white goods: objectively excellent, emotionally cold. OK, so the A4 would be a brushed-steel fridge-freezer not an off-white washing machine, but, even so, it's a machine bigger on function than fun.

Clearly, the diesel A4 will sell in droves, proving that, no, it is not possible to be too competent, and that we are being unreasonable: a shortage of drama is a damning fault in a supercar, but in a diesel schlepper it's probably a bonus. But we never claimed this reviewing process was reasonable or selfless. To keep our roads vibrant and diverse, we'd love you to buy a Chrysler 300C, an Alfa 159 or even a Suzuki Kizashi, inferior though they are. We'll understand if you don't.

2006 BMW Sports Cars

2012-05-28T06:50:00.003-07:00

BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke has long been conceived all over the world as "The Ultimate Driving Machine." The company has proven this statement true in the past years.

The current models of BMW sports car will attest to that statement.

Here are some of the current models of BMW, with their corresponding characteristics.

-BMW M3 2006

Engine specifications:

BMW M3 has an in-line, 3.2 liter capacity engine with a compression ratio of 11.5. It has four valves per cylinder. It promises to deliver 248 KW power and 333 HP at 7900 rpm (SAE).

Brake Features:

The car has electronic brake distribution, brake assist system, four disk brakes with ventilated disks, cornering brake control, and four-wheel ABS.

Handling Features:

BMW M3 is equipped with stability control, immobilizer and limited slip differentia at the rear. The ABS and engine management control the electronic traction.

Aerodynamics Exterior features:

The car has 0.35 drag coefficient, body side moldings, and 3771 lbs. curb weight.

-BMW M5 2006

Engine specifications:

The BMW M5 2006 car has a V10, and 3.2 liter capacity engine with a compression ratio of 12. It has four valves per cylinder. It promises to deliver 373 KW power and 500 HP at 7750 rpm (SAE).

Brake Features:

The car has brake assist system, four disk brakes with ventilated disks, electronic brake distribution, cornering brake control, and four-wheel ABS.

Handling Features:

The BMW M5 is equipped with stability control, immobilizer and limited slip differentia at the rear. The ABS and engine management control the electronic traction. It is also equipped with a responsive suspension.

Aerodynamics Exterior features:

The car has 0.31 drag coefficient and 4012 lbs. curb weight.

-BMW 6-Series

Engine specifications:

The BMW M5 2006 has a V8, 4.8 liter capacity engine with a compression ratio of 10.5. It has four valves per cylinder. It promises to deliver 268 KW power and 360 HP at 6300 rpm (SAE).

Brake Features

The car has electronic brake distribution, brake assist system, four disk brakes with ventilated disks, cornering brake control, and four-wheel ABS.

Handling Features:

BMW M3 car is equipped with stability control, immobilizer and limited slip differentia at the rear. The ABS and engine management control the electronic traction. It is also equipped with an adjustable responsive suspension.

Aerodynamics Exterior features:

The car has 0.3 drag coefficient, and 3814 lbs. curb weight.

With all the features these cars have, BMW truly is the "Ultimate Driving Machine."

Sports Car Brands

2012-05-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

There are many top of the line sports cars in the car market that are available in different price ranges. The prices range from $20,000 for a compact car up to the $1,250,000 price of the Bugatti Veyron that can perform as a luxury car or for racing as well.

Since the sports car was introduced in the world of automobiles, the sports car has become one of the best sellers of every car manufacturer that produces any version of its kind. The sports car is still the hottest seller and one that many car enthusiasts want to own. The desirable appearance and extravagance it portrays makes every sports car stunning in the eyes of any driver. Here are some models that are ‘top of the line’ in the category of sports cars:

1. The Aston Martin DB9 Volante has features similar to the Jaguar, especially their external appearance. There are some similarities between the cars but the DB9 is more classical and the Jaguar XKR can be more handsome if you look at the details very closely. The DB9 comes with a 6-liter and 450-hp V12 engine that can satisfy every driver’s need for speed.

2. The Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is capable of reaching 400-hp with smooth steering wheels and track-ready handling. It is affordable with its price of $50,000. The pricing is low compared to other sports cars that have similar features and performance. The current release of the Corvette is still the fastest in its class and to previous Corvettes that were released.

3. The Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Roadster comes with a power ignition hardtop, which is a modification from the previous SL design. It is probably the most extravagant aspect on the design. However, the most awesome feature in this car is its mechanical features that come with a V12 engine and produces 604-hp. The car can blast you away in a glimpse because of its speed.

4. The Jaguar XKR Convertible is a ‘looker’ with its external appearance. Its awesome look does not end there. The mechanical features resemble the other great features of the car. Compared to other versions of the Jaguar, the XKR is highly tuned and has a 390-hp V8 engine that generates the great performance of the sports car.

There are far more sports cars that can be categorized as ‘top of the line’ in their class and in their price categories. Other sports cars that can be classified as super exotic cars include the Ferrari F430, Porsche Carrera GT, Cadillac XLR Star Black Limited, BMW 645Cic, and the Lexus SC 430.

cars Convertible Incredible

2012-05-28T06:49:00.001-07:00

What can be more appealing than driving a convertible? Convertible sports cars, with their sleek and sophisticated looks, are much in demand in the market. For someone who is hoping to snag his own top-down, here are some of the models he needs to consider:

2005 BMW Z4

Sure, this baby is expensive - hey, it's a BMW - but its dynamics and features pretty much explain the price. This German sports car makes a statement as it speedily cruises along the highway.

2005 Audi TT

High-performance, power-engined and invigorating, the 2005 Audi TT always garners an excellent rating in car reviews. With its awesome windscreen, roll hoops and headlamps, the driver cannot go wrong with this one.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette

Over time, Chevrolet Corvette has proven itself with its remarkable power. Now in its sixth generation, the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette is smaller than its older counterparts, but better. With a horsepower of 400, it can go from zero to 60 mph per hour in four seconds. Unbelievable! This makes the Corvette a staple in any summer.

2005 Lexus SC 430

The Lexus SC 430 is inspired by, no less than, the French Riviera. This car can go from coupe to a raging roadster in a span of 25 seconds. It is stylish, glamorous and powerful.

2005 Mazda Miata

This model is pretty affordable for its look and power. This is very dependable and dynamic and it will knock the driver ‘off his feet’. With its reactive suspension and immense horsepower, this convertible sports car is one for the books.

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle

Charming and cute like any other Beetle, this monster-engined convertible promises an adventurous ride on those lazy summer afternoons.

Jaguar XK8 Convertible

Great design, awesome interior, and technologically-advanced, this convertible can bring out the best in every driver. Its speed can go up to 155 mph per hour and the acceleration? Zerp - 60 mph in just 6.7 seconds. Now that's truly incredible!

2006 Cadillac XLR

This is a top-of-the-line convertible sports car, which promises "capacity like no other." It is almost $78,000 but who cares? This is probably the best in the market now.

2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster

Test drive this car and see that it is more amazing than its previous version.

All these convertible sports cars are undeniably worth the money and the effort to maintain them.

Aston Martin DBS

2012-05-28T06:48:00.002-07:00

The irony of ‘special edition' supercars is that you end up with a car less special, statistically at least, than if you'd specced it yourself.

To wit: simply sticking to visual options - wheels, paint, leather, - there are some 31 billion possible combinations (we've done the maths) should you choose to configure your DBS to the last detail. Many do, some with disastrous consequences. For better or worse, you can be fairly sure your magma red DBS with cream-on-purple seats is unique.

The DBS Carbon Black is not unique. It is, however, rather stunning. Maybe it's a ploy by Aston Martin to save taste-challenged DBS owners from themselves.

See more pics of the DBS Carbon Black

Though mechanically identical to the, ahem, normal DBS, the Carbon Black gets an enormous amount of very shiny black stuff as standard: a bespoke black paint job with a ‘metallic twist', black gloss wheels, a black-on-black-on-black interior, and side strakes rendered in carbon fibre.

The effect is magnificently sinister. If you find the DBS over-jewelled, with too many bells and whistles ruining the elegance of the DB9's original lines, step this way. It looks like a stealth jet, although this quality is impeded somewhat by the cortex-shattering V12 soundtrack.

Don't trust yourself to do a decent job of speccing your DBS? The Carbon Black provides a vital service. But be prepared for the day you pass an identical DBS on the street. Oh, the shame!

Mazda 3 MPS

2012-05-28T06:47:00.005-07:00

This is the facelifted Mazda 3 MPS. And it has heated seats. Which seems a little unnecessary, because it's quite possible you'll create your own warming matter involuntarily.

It's not the naked speed that'll cause it. It's more the traits familiar to anyone who has ever driven the 260bhp, FWD MPS: a distinct reluctance to respond to changes in direction or velocity with much composure.

OK, this is old news: the MPS has always been a bit of a handful. Even though it manages 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, there's far too much power running through the front wheels. 256bhp from a 2.3-litre turbocharged four cylinder, to be precise.

In its latest guise - the facelifted second-gen model, which arrives in the UK early next year - Mazda's done its utmost to ensure that those rather large numbers are turned into something other than noise and tyre smoke. There's a stiffer bodyshell, improved aero and re-tuned dampers, which are specially tailored for European roads.

None of which have made much difference. Once it gets to 3000rpm (not a lot happens before) you'll have to relinquish some control. Just like the last one.

Firstly, it torque-steers tremendously. Possibly because there's 280lb ft of it. Then there's the understeer - even with the traction control on you're afforded just enough slide to get yourself alarmingly close to the nearest ditch. Finally, there's tramlining. Lots and lots of tramlining. The combination of which means it claws itself down the road on its own psychotic terms.

That said, if you don't drive it like an ape, it's actually a pretty composed thing. Because it's The Sporty One, the suspension's a bit lower and it's been stiffened, but it still rides smoothly, the seats are relatively comfortable and there's room for four actual humans. Sober black plastics - all of which feel excellently nailed down - and a snazzy Bose sound system feel incongruously grown up, too.

It looks pretty respectable as well - the only visual differences from the standard 3 are a bonnet scoop, 18-inch wheels, some chrome trim rings around the fog lights, a slightly larger rear spoiler and concepty slatted grill.

But it isn't respectable. It's mildly terrifying. And that actually makes it quite appealing. OK, so it's not artfully tailored to smashing lap records at the Nürburgring and it'll be a bit hopeless on track. But it'll manage boring stuff superbly, you won't look like a buffoon driving it and it has the power to make you want to soil yourself. We can't really recommend you buy one in this hot-hatch era of Corsa VXR Nürburgrings and Clio 200s, but we won't blame you if you do.

MINI Countryman driven

2012-05-28T06:47:00.002-07:00

The Mini Countryman will split opinion. For some this is the quintessence of automotion, the answer to their every wish and whim. For others it's a cynical culmination of ideas, where pointless fancy and overt consumption collide.

The new Mini has always been small. Not on the outside, but inside, where intelligent design packaging took a backseat.

The Clubman first endeavoured to answer the problem, to make a more practical, family-oriented Mini, and failed spectacularly. In the style of an errant Olympic downhill skier perhaps: so dreadful to watch that you couldn't tear yourself away.

So now the turn of the Countryman, a Mini by name, but not by dimensions. Here, at long last for many, is the product they have been yearning for, a car that capitalises on Mini's distant heritage, maintains its current kudos and yet still offers a practicable solution to the challenges of modern life. Like breeding and grocery shopping and having legs. For the interior of the Countryman is massive, not just by Mini standards, but by standards set in segments for larger cars. Mini claims that the Countryman's boot is bigger than that of a Golf, and that its rear space is more generous than the BMW X1. Big achievements in big-ness.

The flipside of this ought to be that the Mini is no longer mini, and therefore shouldn't drive like a Mini is meant to. The Mini men clearly got very nervous about this and have spent a great deal of time trying to assure themselves, and us, that the Countryman is every inch a Mini in the dynamics department. Does Mini protest too much?

On first inspection the Mini is, well, an opinion splitter again. Is it a bit ugly? From some angles it seems odd, and its unprecedented size and ride height play havoc with your Mini preconceptions. But it's probably one of those cars that will quickly start to look right on the road, in part due to its inevitable ubiquity, and in part thanks to that strong brand identity and some deft design touches. That odd downward kink at the rear of the roofline, for instance, enables the Countryman to maintain Mini's trademark floating roof without it looking uncomfortably long. And the overall effect is undeniably clever. Here is a car far larger than anything else from the Mini stable, but still possessed of that small car appeal, that cheekiness and vim that became its USP some 60 years ago.

Inside, Mini's maturation is all the more overt, and impressive. After years of ignoring the criticism, the designers have finally dispensed with the crappy silver plastic trim around the instruments and integrated them into a meatier, soft-touch dash material that looks and feels far more premium. And in the back, where every prospective Countryman buyer will be heading first, it's genuinely impressive. There's real head and legroom, and the rear seats can be adjusted back and forth to create more space in the boot as required.

Mini's first four-door will be offered as either a four-seater, with these two adjustable rears and masses of elbow room, or as a slightly more practical five seater - bit more of a squeeze, but spacious nonetheless. If you plump for the four-seater, however, you get a central rail that runs from front to rear of the cabin, onto which you can clip any number of functional aftermarket options like a storage box, armrest or iPod holder. Mini is also running a competition where punters are challenged to design an accessory to clip onto the centre rail, and the top three ideas will be put into series production. If you fancy a stab at this go to minispace.com for more details. We're currently patenting a clip-on Keira Knightley. Journeys will fly by.

A professional declaration needs to be made here. So early was TopGear's access to the Countryman that Mini HQ wouldn't let us drive it on the road. Our car, a top-spec 184bhp 1.6-litre Cooper S, was production standard, but for Our Eyes Only and as such we can't tell you with any certainty how well it will cope with stuff like motorway cruising or our crummy, crumbling B-roads. But the handling circuit on which we could drive the car divulged quite a lot, and all of it good. The Countryman does drive like a Mini should, with its transverse engine keeping the weight well behind the front wheels, making the nose lively and responsive to steering input. And despite a 10mm increase in ride height there is a conspicuous absence of body roll in tight, fast corners.

And a potential boon for the Cooper S, and Cooper D alongside it, is the option of Mini's ‘All4' four-wheel-drive system. The Countryman remains in essence a front-wheel-drive car, but with this £1,220 add-on it will send up to 100 per cent of drive to the rear wheels as and when traction is lost. The system works as both safety feature and performance tool, providing excellent levels of grip and go in conjunction with Mini's suitably non-invasive traction control.

A proper drive across a back road will be a better test of the company's claims that the Countryman is genuinely as capable as its excellent two-door offering, but until that time the signs look good.

The semi-SUV status of the Countryman seems a bit contrived, however. Marginally more ride height, a meatier kerbside presence and the option of a loose interpretation of four-wheel drive on the most expensive models does not add up to the basic assertion, one you can be sure will be made by many a proud owner, that this is ‘the 4x4 Mini'. It's not. And at £16,000 basic, rising to £22,030 for the all-singing Cooper S, it's not a cheap car either, however you choose to define it.

But as lifestyle statements go, the Countryman is an attractive package. It's genuinely practical, seems thus far to be a good drive, is a highly desirable product in what is arguably a rather indifferent segment of the market, and should hold onto its value better than many of its less exciting rivals. Image conscious suburbanites, ones with new families and cash to burn, are bound to flock to the Countryman. Expect to see hundreds parked outside gastro pubs for sunny Sunday lunches, the rear seats littered with boutique baby toys and old copies of Vogue. This is a car that embraces your middle age while at the same time keeping it at a comfortable distance. Irritating artifice to some, the definitive solution to others.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

2012-05-28T06:46:00.005-07:00

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a far better car than the 147. That may be no great revelation - the 147 has been knocking around for a full decade now, and has long been usurped by younger, lither rivals - so here's a bigger one: the Giulietta might just be the best car that Alfa has built in its 100 years of existence.

But it isn't a better Alfa.

Sounds nonsensical? Stick with us. While the Giulietta does all the proper, grown-up car stuff - build quality, refinement, economical engines - better than just about any of its predecessors, it comes at the expense of Alfa's essential... Alfaness. Character. Passion. God-give-me-one-now-and-to-hell-with-the-residuals desirability. The Giulietta is an easy car to admire and like,
but not one that grabs you lustily by the man-parts.

It must be conceded that we don't have the ideal conditions in which to fall helplessly in love with the Giulietta on our early test drive. As we arrive at Alfa's Balocco test facility, just off the Milan-Turin road in northern Italy (Mi-To, reads the sign pointing to the motorway), rain is falling with a weight and ferocity that suggests someone's done something massive to upset Him/Her/Them Upstairs. A Golf remains a Golf no matter what the weather, but an Alfa somehow requires big blue skies and shimmering warmth. Shallow, perhaps, but hey, it's an Alfa. Shallowness is somewhere near the top of the CV.

Through the rain, our white test car looks every inch the big brother to the Mito. Normally we'd steer clear of discussing aesthetics at any great length, because (a) you have eyes and (b) someone keeps casting Kirsten Dunst in films, so clearly taste must be subjective. But Alfa has always relied on visual oomph to sell cars, so forgive us a few demi-objective points. First, the Giulietta is massively colour-dependent.

Those sharp creases down the bonnet simply become lost in darker shades, making the front end look too tall and shapeless. Secondly, though you'll have spotted the resemblance to the new Megane and Astra about the rear-end profile, the Giulietta's is a far more subtle backside, the cutaway swage lines taking a lot of the bulk out of what could look like a fat arse. The jewellery is gorgeous, the LED rear lights tracing a lazy, unwinding delta towards the central badge, the handle-free rear door as elegant as ever.

But, for our ha'pence worth, that big upright grille lacks the intrinsic elegance of the Brera and 159's slinky front end. OK, the Giulietta looks a lot more distinctive than the Audi A3, its most obvious rival, but is it properly beautiful? For us, not quite. Not yet.

Same story in the cabin. Nice, but not irresistible. There are flashes of loveliness in here. The row of ‘horseshoe' switches below the central control panel are soft-touch and beautifully damped, the vents on the centre console slimline and classy, and the leather looks like it would taste of finest Argentinian fillet if you licked it. Just a few more flashes of originality would have raised the Giuletta's interior to proper ‘need one now' levels, but too much of it is over-familiar: the steering wheel switches are straight off a Fiat Punto, the plasticky glove-box door seems to have been nicked from a Doblo van. Of course, all premium manufacturers indulge in a degree of parts snatching from their cheaper cousins, but it all depends on where you hide 'em: the Giulietta's borrowed bits remain too exposed.

Right. Enough navel-gazing. With the rain now reaching such ferocity that it can't be long until the ground bursts open like a split balloon, or simply floats off into the Mediterranean, a sodden little lump of Italy bobbing towards North Africa, we sweep out of Balocco and in search of sunshine, lakes and a decent road.

We find the latter... and the Giulietta's fizz. It might not be genuflectingly beautiful, but it doesn't half drive well. The Giulietta sits on an all-new modular platform that will underpin a whole bunch of future Alfas and Fiats, and gets aluminium multi-link rear suspension. Alfa admits the 147 sacrificed too much comfort in the pursuit of sportiness, and says this set-up strikes a better balance.

And, by jove, they've cracked it. With the ‘DNA' switch - the button that allows you to adjust dampers, differential settings and throttle response on the fly - set to sharpest ‘dynamic' mode (an action which also causes a nice little G-meter to pop up on the satnav screen, making us very happy indeed), it's sublime, deliciously supple and controlled. As far as it's possible to tell on drenched roads, it clings on nicely, but can be easily coaxed into cheeky, controlled wet-roundabout slides.

There's an almost organic quality to the Giulietta's steering that makes your A3 feel lifeless, your 1-Series feel over-brittle. On a good road, it's everything an Alfa should be. Fun.

Unfortunately, such dynamic loveliness does draw attention to the Giulietta's surprisingly soulless engine. We're driving the 167bhp version of Alfa's 1.4-litre four-pot petrol engine, which features Fiat's clever new ‘MultiAir' variable-valve tech. Until the 235bhp Cloverleaf edition turns up later in the summer, this is the most powerful Giulietta available. There's a detuned version of the same engine available, too, packing 118bhp - essentially the same engine we've driven, and admired, in the new Fiat Punto - and a pair of diesels.

Objectively, grown-uppedly, the top-spec petrol is excellent. It'll do 0-62mph in under eight seconds, which is frankly quicker than a good-sized hatch with a 1.4-litre engine has any right to be. Equipped with stop-start, it'll manage 49mpg and just 134g/km of CO2: impressive figures. Yes, things are a bit dead below 2,000rpm, but it hardly feels like a tiny petrol engine with a fat turbo attached: power delivery is smooth and progressive, the boost barely noticeable.

So what's the problem? In noise and character, it's soulless: a modern Euro-spec turbo four-pot, all gentle turbo whirr overlaid with a dull drone at high revs. It doesn't fizz round the rev gauge with intent. In the A3 or Golf, we would regard this as a fine engine. But in an Alfa - a brand that should sweat, bleed and occasionally urinate petrol - it doesn't quite fit. It wouldn't take much to inject a bit of soul, a hint of exhaust crackle would do it, but for now you'd be better off with the bigger diesel.

And that's the problem. By mature road-testy criteria, the Giulietta is a fine car. Rear passenger space - always a gripe in the 147 - is now on a par with the five-door Golf, and the boot is of a decent size with a nice flat loadspace. At speed, it's very nearly as quiet and refined as the A3. Great, brilliant, but it leaves us just a bit cold. Would you sell your family pets to the local kebab vendor to pay for one? Meh.

You could argue, quite fairly, that we're trying to both have and eat our Battenburg here. We spend years moaning about the unreliability and flimsiness of Alfas, and then as soon as they build a solid, refined car, we moan that it's characterless. The Giulietta is now a genuine Golf and A3 rival, and, though prices are yet to be confirmed - Alfa has announced only that the Giulietta will start at around £17,000 - it should be competitive. But if you want something that's like a Golf, we'd guess you'll still buy a Golf. Alfas have always catered to the more petrolheaded market, but this one doesn't. Not quite.

Alternatively you could argue, again quite fairly, that our eyes have got it all wrong: that the Giulietta is the most desirable car you've ever seen. Maurice certainly would. Maurice is possibly the most excited elderly man in Europe. At the end of our test drive, we park up the Giulietta in a sodden town square on the banks of Lake Maggiore, its waters frothing and foaming as if Godzilla is soon to rise in apocalyptic rage. Maurice comes literally skipping from his little grocery store, clapping and clasping a Giulietta brochure as he splashes through the rain.

"Bella, bella, bellissimo," he chants hypnotically, stroking the car and beaming like he's just downed a morphine smoothie. In a conversation that could generously be described as bilingual, and more accurately as ‘pointing and repeatedly shouting', we establish that he has achievement the purchasement of a Giulietta that commences its arrival upon the second Saturday of the May-month. Bought a Giulietta - 1.4-litre, 118bhp petrol in white - without having driven it or even seen it in the metal, just a couple of photos on the internet. Yowch. That's commitment.

For us, right now, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta just hasn't reached that level of desirability. The Cloverleaf - which will arrive in the summer, packing meatier visuals and, with any luck, a more engaging powertrain - should help matters. Until then, we're impressed, but not in love.

AM Zagato

2012-05-28T06:46:00.002-07:00

Our first experience in the Koenigsegg Agera R was mired in fear; a fear borne out of piloting a very expensive and ludicrously powerful one-off hypercar...on ice. Starting the thing and basking in the guttural bellow of its 5.0-litre V8 would, you might think, provide a tempting come-on - a flirtatious beckoning. It did not. It sounded - in the words of TG's Tom Ford - "like a sawn-off at close range".

So quite an introduction, then. Thankfully for Geneva show goers, their first approach of the Koenigsegg Agera R was less stressful. There, on the show floor, replete in blue and nestled into a peaceful slumber sat the 1,115bhp Swedish hypercar. And because we're a little bit scared of it, we decided a sleeping Agera R is a non-violent Agera R, and thus were able to bring you some pictures of it.

Elsewhere, in this rarefied, cosmic stratosphere occupied by ludicrously expensive hypercars was the Aston Martin V12 Zagato; Aston's Golden Anniversary present, to itself.

Based on a V12 AM Vantage, the Zagato rekindles over 50 years of history between the two famous firms, with the first DB4GT Zagato racers appearing as early as 1961.

Each V12 Zagato takes 2,000 man hours to complete, features a hand-crafted aluminium and carbon fibre construction with a design penned by AM's Marek Reichmann and his team in Britain. You're looking at a £330,000, 510bhp limited-edition supercar with nice red stitching and a big Z badge.

Corvette C6 Grand

2012-05-28T06:45:00.005-07:00

As card-carrying members of the Real Cars for Real Men Driving Club (free back-wig with every membership!), we should champion the Corvette Grand Sport convertible. We should accept its lack of (a) technology, (b) a steering wheel on the correct side and (c) an even vaguely acceptable interior as proof of a commendable refusal to pander to the whims of mollycoddled 21st-century softies.

But truth is, in the midst of a British winter, a left-hand drive, rear-drive V8 convertible is, as our stateside cousins would have it, a pain in the fanny.

The Grand Sport is, essentially, a meatier version of the basic Corvette C6, bringing it, in both focus and appearance, closer to the hotter Z06 - but somehow without the handling nous that that model unquestionably has. Weird.

Retaining the C6's 431bhp V8 but with the Z06's lower ride height and beefed-up suspension, it at least rides with more composure than Corvettes of old, but this is a crude thing by modern standards.

Sitting on wider tracks and wearing tyres the breadth of dinner platters, the Grand Sport's steering chases every fissure and puddle, always threatening to spit you backwards and give you a nice, shiny, new Armco bow tie, just for kicks. Factor in a front splitter that'll chin-butt even the trimmest of sleeping policemen, and the Grand Sport starts to look like more hassle than it's worth.

Back in the old days, before the sterling's Zimbabwean-dollar devaluation, you could justify a Corvette on price grounds. But the Grand Sport costs over £73,000, which is a lot of cash for swathes of pound-shop-grade plastics and a satnav system that makes Pong look cutting-edge.

But then, but then. Get one dry, clear day, drop the roof, find a few miles of clear road, wind that V8 all the way out and trust the Grand Sport won't kill you. Then, for an instant or two, amid the churning of 6,162 cubic centimetres of naturally aspirated goodness, the brawny 'Vette clicks into place: a big-screen blockbuster from an era when men were men and crashes were fatal. If you can handle the discomfort for those 10 minutes of Eighties entertainment, knock yourself out. Otherwise, that 911 Cabrio looks mighty tempting...

BMW 3 Series driven

2012-05-28T06:45:00.002-07:00

Let's start with some facts, because we'll admit that the BMW 3-Series, especially in 320d guise, might not be the most exciting car you can read about on the web right now.

But it is one of the most important. Your mates who have proper jobs, ones that involve company cars, will want to know about the sixth generation BMW 3-Series, and it's your duty to tell them what they need to know.

If this needs to be communicated briefly, via Twitter or somesuch, just tell them it's the best car in its class. Still. Because it is. If you want to go into much depth, begin with increased dimensions (93mm longer, 9mm taller etc) and go on to discuss how the new lower nose design has improved both aerodynamics (0.26Cd for the most air-cheating models) and pedestrian safety.

Of course it's not a revolutionary leap forward. This is a mainstream car that sells in massive numbers - when it goes on sale in the UK next February it needs to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. We can't see it alienating many. With the exception of the pointier front end the exterior is entirely fine. Nothing radical, just a good freshen up. Same indoors, too. BMW has been bolder with materials, folding them into more interesting shapes, yet the ergonomics are excellent and the quality and design is fully up to scratch.

Seven engines will be available, four diesels and three petrols, although on the launch just two were present, a pair of 2.0-litre turbos, one petrol, the other diesel. The 328i is the new engine, a four cylinder turbo that replaces the old naturally aspirated straight six of the 330i. No, it's not as charismatic, and yes, that does matter as there's now one less reason to buy petrol instead of a more sensible diesel. It's got plenty of grunt though, as in 242bhp and 0-62mph in 5.9secs and growls in a vaguely interesting way as it homes in on the 7000rpm redline. Look, it's an impressive engine for its combination of power and efficiency (44.1mpg), but it's not especially memorable or lovable.

Same goes for the 320d, except you should be doing 62.8mpg. You won't be, you'll be getting about 50mpg, but you'll be enjoying sub-120g/km of CO2 and 181bhp along the way. That's enough for 0-62mph in 7.6secs and although the diesel isn't a miracle of refinement and aural suppression, it's plenty good enough to bear comparison with the best out there.

Special mention also goes to the eight speed automatic gearbox worn by every car on the launch. I can't report on what the standard-fit six speed manual is like, but the auto (likely to cost around £1,400) is terrific. It has many ratios to choose from, but manages to slink through them all rapidly and unobtrusively.

A good drivetrain isn't the be all and end all of this car though. Granted, it would be a shock if BMW had ballsed up the ride and handling, but it really hasn't. Quite the opposite. The rear wheel drive saloon drives smoothly, precisely and rewardingly. The steering might not be the last word in feedback, but the weighting is so good and the nose so responsive that it's never an issue. And the thing's just so well balanced and agile. For a mainstream car, it's brilliant.

And we're not just talking about the petrol here. Sure, the 328i has a bit more about it if you're really going for gold, but the 320d isn't far behind and the one we drove rode marginally better on its smaller 18-inch wheels. Both, though, are mighty capable motorway devices: quiet, stable, smooth and all the rest.

The 3-Series, all seven engines and five trim levels, arrives here next February, to be followed in the autumn not only by new body styles (estate leads the way, followed by coupe and cabrio), but also a hybrid model and, for the first time ever, a 4wd version. Now that really will put the cat among the Audi pigeons.

Golf GTI Mk VI

2012-05-28T06:44:00.005-07:00

With the incoming Focus RS monopolising REM sleep for most of our hot hatch devotees, the Mk VI VW Golf GTI might have slipped unnoticed onto our streets this summer. But it won't for two reasons. The first is that it is very good. The other, that it's been styled in the way that an RS aficionado would approve of. That he might have done himself, in fact, through mail order catalogues and Superglue.

Volkswagen has taken the truly excellent Mk V GTI and tweaked it in various vital respects. The engine is slightly lighter, but provides more power with better economy. It now has a limited slip diff to better harness that extra power, and an adaptive chassis that does comfy, not so comfy, and sporty at the touch of a button. The exhaust note is also astonishing and surely unprecedented in a 2.0-litre German hatchback.

So far so good. Positive progress. But the new GTI has also been restyled in a fashion that seems intended to deprive the aftermarket modders of much in the way of Sunday afternoon fun. New grille, headlights and fog lights at the front, new side skirts and wider, symmetrical exhausts at the rear. The wheels have also had their inserts painted black. None of this looks bad per se, but it's all a teeny bit like a first date in Nandos. Mind you, the Focus RS driver is in the Chicken Cottage.

Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

2012-05-28T06:44:00.002-07:00

You a bit lost on Maserati's model range these days? Well, here's a tip - remember that anything with an 'S' in its name means that it packs the new 4.7-litre wet-sump V8. Without an S, it's the older 4.2 V8. Easy so far? Good.

So the top two-door Maser is the GranTurismo S, which comes with Sky Hook adaptive electronic suspension and that fantastic engine, along with the brilliant flappy-paddle robotised manual gearbox derived from the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Much better than the earlier flappy-paddle arrangement that blighted the first of the new-shape Quattroportes. The gearbox in the GranTurismo S coupe is mounted as a transaxle at the back of that car for better weight distribution. Still taking notes? OK then.

Now, to the point - the top four-door Maser (and in my opinion the best Maser of all, and probably the greatest sporting sedan in the world) is the one you see here - the new Quattroporte Sport GT S.

We've just driven it and the planets have aligned - a few apparently minor changes have turned the Quattroporte into something almost other-worldy in its excellence. No flappy paddles, but a decent normal six-speed automatic box by ZF mounted up front - same unit as in Jags, Mercs and BMWs. And no Sky Hook suspension, just a really brilliantly honed harder and lower setup. And it has a Sport button, which makes some flaps open in the exhaust to let it come straight out of the pipes and avoid the twisty bits of the muffler. It sounds better than pretty much every other car on the road, Lambos and Ferraris and Porsches included. Honestly.

Not an easy car to spot, this one. But it's worth spotting, because you should bow low and be humble in its presence. The grille has concave dark vertical fins, the headlights have dark inserts, the 20in wheels are of a new multi-spoke design, the exhaust pipes are of a new dual-oval shape and that's about it over your normal Quattroporte S. The Sport GT S is a sleeper, and better for it.

Looks good, doesn't it? And it drives even better. The gurus at Maser have really sorted this car, making the most of its weight distribution - 49% front, 51% rear, or 'perfect', in a word. How can a big front-engined car do that, I hear you ask? The clue is looking at a profile shot and seeing that extended nose, especially the long bit between the front of the front doors and the wheel arch. That extra length means the engine sit entirely behind the axle line, so it's effectively a mid-engined car.

It goes hard, it corners hard, it sounds hard and it has all the Italian style you could wish for. This car awaits the new Porsche Panamera four-door unafraid. I suspect the Porsche will have its work cut out to beat it.

Mazda MX-5

2012-05-28T06:43:00.002-07:00

The MX-5 really has no genuine competitors in the market at the moment. Which makes it easy to scoff gently at this mid-life facelift as doing just enough to stay ahead of the game, but that'd be unfair. Why radically change something that's spot on already?

So, for 2009 the MX-5 gets a mildly revised front end with a slightly pointier grille, to bring it in line with the rest of the Nagare-d range. It looks good. Sharp.

The engines have been revised, too - though the power output of both the 1.8- and 2.0-litre units remain the same, fuel consumption falls slightly, while emissions are down a few percent. Nothing big, but all good news.

For the first time, there's the option of a paddle-shifting automatic gearbox, but quite frankly you don't want it. Not when the six-speed manual is a thing of such absolute loveliness, short of throw and precise of travel.

And it's only the six-speed manual (when mated to the 2.0-litre engine) that benefits from the very best bit of the MX-5's facelift: the ISE. That's short for Induction Sound Enhancer, a through-bulkhead tube that, in Mazda's words, ‘gives the power unit an even more exciting sound'.

It might strike you as a bit gimmicky, but it makes a real difference. There's a smooth, zimmy engine note that, when you've got the roof down - which you should do, all the time - adds a really satisfying kick when you blip the downchanges or just stamp the MX-5 to the redline (which, incidentally, has risen by 500rpm to 7500rpm).

Out on the back roads, as you'd expect, the MX-5 is still a brilliantly satisfying thing to drive. The 2.0-litre ‘Sport' model, with tougher shock absorbers, a limited slip diff and lovely new bucket seats, is the best of the bunch: perfectly flat and neutral through the corners, but not so stiff that you'll be coughing up pieces of your lower spine the next day. The steering feels just a fraction sharper than before, while the traction control will happily let you get a bit heart-in-mouth before reigning things in.

Hardcore sceptics might moan that the revisions to the MX-5 don’t lift it from its hairdresser realms, and that Mazda should offer a properly lairy MPS version. But, in truth, the MX-5 doesn't need any more power. It's dead on, just as it is. Swallow your masculine pride and embrace your inner metrosexual. It'll thank you for it.

Peugeot 308 cc

2012-05-28T06:42:00.002-07:00

It's a funny-looking thing, this new 308 CC. Some people will probably love it - the sort who think snorty, pug-faced dogs are ‘cute'. Others will hate it. But there's no denying it will make people look twice. And that's important in a car that's bought almost entirely for posing.

Luckily, you can forget about the styling once you're inside, because things start to look better. There's a real feel of quality in there, from the satisfying thunk as you close the door to the leather-lined dash (on this GT trim).

And it's quiet too. With the roof up, it's easy to forget you're in a convertible as the folding metal hardtop keeps you isolated from the world outside. The turbocharged, 111kW 1.6-litre petrol engine is quiet and unobtrusive, and on the smooth roads of our test route, tyre roar was almost nonexistent.

Couple of problems, though. With the roof down, you just don't feel like you're in a drop-top - the long windscreen sweeps right back over your head, so you have to crane your neck back to see the sky. People in the back will enjoy the cabrio experience more, provided they're not lanky as legroom is tight.

And unlike the 307 CC this car replaces, it doesn't drive like a wallowing pig. But pick things up and there's no disguising its 1.5 tonnes, especially if you drive flat out with the roof down.

It's not designed for driving hard, though. And when you consider Peugeot plans to undercut every single competitor with the price of an entry-level 308 CC, while offering more standard kit, this ugly beast starts to look a little more attractive.