A couple of weeks with the Z4 over Christmas put it in context. With a multi-skinned roof, heated glass rear screen, heated seats and a furnace mounted somewhere in the dash, you'd barely know you're in a soft top. But it was with a sense of relief that I freed the VXT from its snug garage despite the wind and driving rain outside. I'd enjoyed the Z4's engine but little else and I hoped the VXT would be the perfect tonic.

A few hundred yards was all it took. The slightly soft throttle response and stringy gearbox action could be improved, but the chassis shines so bright that you rarely notice the negatives. It's a truly special sports car. Northampton Vauxhall dealer W Grose has looked at the water ingress into the spark plug housing; it looks like it was simply rain-water penetrating the seals. So, if you're thinking of a VXT you'll need a garage or an umbrella wedged over the engine cover whenever it rains...