70 NISSAN SKYLINE R33 GT-R
Slightly softer-edged and less aggressive than the subsequent R34, and none the worse for that, the R33 Skyline takes no prisoners. Considerable raw power drives a chassis that shares many characteristics with the current GT-R. Through a compelling mixture of prodigious push and PlayStation-esque all-drive chassis wizardry, it conjures blinding cross-country pace.

Layout: Front-engine, 4wd engine: In-line 6-cyl, 2568cc, turbo Power: 276bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-60: 5.4sec Years: 1997-99

69 KOENIGSEGG CCX
Full-bore acceleration in second and third is a torque and fury fest that would lay waste to a Murciélago LP-640. Phenomenal brakes, too. The chassis has mighty grip and good basic balance but it’s trickier. You don’t have to dig too deeply into your reserves of car control to snap the tail back from a small slide but drifting isn’t advisable. One of the most exciting cars a great deal of money can buy.

Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive engine: V8, 4700cc, s/c Power: 806bhp Top speed: 241mph 0-60: 3.9sec Years: 2006-

68 TVR SAGARIS
That the Sagaris has eye-watering acceleration is no surprise. The quality of its chassis, on the other hand, is. The Sagaris is actually less sensitive to camber changes under braking than the T-350 it’s based on, and less physical effort is required to hustle it along a poorly surfaced country road. Yet the ride, although a little harsher and ‘more obvious’, hasn’t fallen apart. With the Sagaris, TVR nailed it.

Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 6-cyl, 3996cc Power: 406bhp Top speed: 185mph 0-60: 3.7sec Years: 2005-07

67 MINI COOPER S
The original ’60s Cooper S would no longer be considered fast against the clock but, subjectively, it feels as if it’s running on Tabasco. There’s a sense that there is no lost motion between your hands and the front wheels. The ride is hopeless, the driving position worse, but the Cooper’s hair-trigger sensitivity to small steering inputs can’t be matched by today’s front drivers. Modest grip but massive fun.

Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1071cc Power: 70bhp Top speed: 99mph 0-60: 13sec Years: 1963-64

66 FERRARI 250 GTO
This is where Ferrari got serious about road cars. The 250 GTO upped the ante on all fronts, but especially performance, handling and, well it’s impossible to ignore, drop-dead gorgeousness. Designed to win races, the GTO packed a 3-litre V12, an all-syncro 5-speed gearbox and disc brakes all round. It did win, too, taking its class at Le Mans in ’62 and the Nürburgring in ’63 among others.

Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V12, 2953cc Power: 300bhp Top speed: 170mph 0-60: 6.0sec Years: 1962-64

65 PORSCHE 993 GT2
Representing the 993 iteration of the 911, the GT2 weighs just 1290kg, 210kg less than the contemporary all-drive Turbo. So it’s seriously quick, wth 0-60 in 3.9sec. But it’s the way the GT2 marries the light, responsive feel of the RS with Turbo-plus-afterburner grunt that’s so delicious and compelling. It’s both extreme and addictive. You marvel at the speed but you revel in the feel of the thing.

Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive Engine: Flat-six, 3600cc, twin-turbo Power: 430bhp Top speed: 184mph 0-60: 3.9sec Years: 1996-99

64 AUDI RS4
It isn’t so much the way the RS4 hits its savage accelerative stride as the way it sustains it gear after gear – huge, linear thrust meets an intoxicating V8 bellow from the exhausts. Impressive, too, the way the RS4 carries speed through bends, and with so little roll. It steers precisely but isn’t edgy. For once, the 4wd isn’t intrusive, it just seems to extend the reach of the remarkable performance.

Layout: Front-engine, 4wd Engine: V8, 4163cc Power: 414bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-60: 4.5sec Years: 2006-08

63 PEUGEOT 306 RALLYE
The combined force of the 306 Rallye’s simplicity, handling, ride, slick six-speed gearbox and zesty engine far outweigh its few shortcomings. As an everyday proposition, it’s fast, fun and, thanks to a great ride and decent refinement, easy to live with. But it’s also one of the great drives, irrespective of price. Six-speed zip with attitude meets a front-drive chassis of extraordinary quality. Brilliant.

Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1998cc Power: 167bhp Top speed: 137mph 0-60: 6.9sec Years: 1998-99

62 BMW E92 M3
It’s the sheer depth of the M3’s talent that’s so remarkable. Its point-to-point pace is dazzling but, more than that, it makes the process feel special. Partly it’s down to the free-revving fury of its V8. But it’s also the accurate, agile, finely balanced and biddable chassis. Faint echos of the original (E30) M3’s precisely adjustable cornering balance can be detected. And if calling the angles with the tail seems a bit gratuitous, the M3’s body control is so remarkably flab-free, it’s hard not to indulge.

Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 3999cc Power: 414bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-60: 4.8sec Years: 2007-

61 RENAULTSPORT CLIO 200 CUP
It’s when the road starts asking questions that would cool the pace of lesser hatches that the Clio 200 Cup comes into its own, remaining unfazed and continuing to cover the ground at an astonishing lick while maintaining a fine balance between sheer speed and throttle-induced entertainment. The now genuinely punchy Renault has a lithe, sinewy athleticism and a renewed sense of fun.

Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1998cc Power: 197bhp Top speed: 141mph 0-60: 6.6sec Years: 2009-

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