09 Jun 09
Tesla Roadster (2009-)
Until this Californian beauty came along, we had written off electric cars as a form of automotive penance, an experience to endure rather than enjoy.
With just one gear, two pedals and a complete lack of V8 soundtrack, the £91,000 Tesla Roadster doesn't look promising at first. And then you press the throttle and your EV prejudices are blown away.
The Roadster is astonishingly quick, easily quick enough to see off most Porsches with its 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds, but stranger than that is the near-silence that goes with the warp-speed pace. Stranger still, we don't miss the engine noise.
To top things off, the Tesla's intoxicating pace is accompanied with fine handling, making the little Roadster a revelation of evangelical proportions.
Bentley Arnage T (2006-)
There are few more surreal experiences in the automotive world than full-throttle in an old-school 500bhp Bentley.
Whether it's the gentlemen's club surroundings, or the polite 'clink' of the lead crystal whisky glasses in the drinks cabinet, nothing prepares you for the full impact of the Arnage T's monumental 738lb-ft thrust.
Turn the ESP off and smoky, near-100 metre burnouts are the order of the day, making the big Bentley one of the most civilised muscle cars ever made.
Lotus Elan (1962)
Classic cars can be terrible things to drive once you've pulled off those rose-tinted spectacles. Happily, we can make an exception for the Lotus Elan.
That's because, back in 1962, it was one of the most technologically advanced cars money could buy and is still an astonishingly good drive today. This is due to its lightweight construction, all-round independent suspension and delicate and precise handling. Its Cosworth-engineered Ford lump also likes a rev and helps it crack 120mph.
Shame the brakes aren't up to much, but this is one classic car you'll remember until the end of your days.
