When you drive a TVR, it's you and the car against the road. Except if it's wet, when you can find that it's you against the car and the road. So it's a surprise to find the latest, more potent Tuscan S can be had with SmartNav, an optional navigation system, which also spots speed cameras (which is more TVR). What next, electronic traction control?

Not just yet, even though the Tuscan S now boasts a nice, round 400bhp, up 10bhp (the 4-litre straight-six has benefited from some cylinder head porting tweaks learned from the T400R racecar). You'd have to be incredibly sensitive to be able to spot a 2.5 per cent power increase in a car that's already blisteringly quick. I couldn't, but every time we drive this engine it seems to get a little smoother and this one is the best yet.

It's still wonderfully charismatic, blaring a wonderfully guttural, classic straight-six howl as it thumps the Tuscan down the road. The satisfyingly mechanical shift of its five-speed gearbox is sweeter and lighter than others I've tried, too. The optional closer ratios (first is taller, fifth remains the same) help here, says TVR, because there's less speed differential between the ratios.

There's been a switch to Goodyear F1 tyres but the handling feels much as before with sharp steering, a little more roll than you'd anticipate but strong grip. In the wet the Hydratrak diff still seems a little random to me, allowing an inside wheel to spin when you feel there should be enough grip. I'm still occasionally surprised when it decides to hook up both rear wheels, but providing the surface isn't too bumpy, slides are manageable.

For the rest, it's much as before. I'd like it even more if the seats were better shaped to offer decent lateral support, but even so it's hard not to be charmed.