IN THIS FEATURE Is it really the world's fastest saloon? Still British in character Streaks like a Vulcan bomber Considerably better than you

But unlike most other limos, which are only good at purring about the place and keeping hairdos unmussed, the Flying Spur needs no excuse at all to go streaking across the landscape like a Vulcan bomber. And it's not just a dry road, straight line machine, either. I drove it in some truly horrendous weather along winding roads and up and down the side of the mountain and it while it wouldn't give a Mitsubishi Evo VIII much to worry about, for a 2.5 tonne leviathan it coped admirably well. Its four-wheel drive system made it feel about as composed as any car I've ever experienced in such conditions, while its precise and well weighted steering, excellent programmable suspension and probably the best brakes ever fitted to a four door saloon made it both easy and fun to handle.

Still, the car is far from perfect. You might think a 20 gallon fuel tank sounds a trifle excessive but, in fact, it's close to inadequate fitted to a car more than capable of returning single figure mpg figures. Officially it'll typically do 16.0mpg, giving a practical range of around 250 miles, but if you're using the car as its makers intended you can knock a 100 miles off that with no problem. It's true that owners happy to spend £115,000 on a car such as this are unlikely to be bothered by the fuel costs, but having to stop every couple of hours will likely irk them more.

The 2.5-tonne Flying Spur sprints to 60mph in 5 seconds

There is also too much wind noise for a car of luxury aspirations, no rear vanity mirrors and an annoying habit of soaking the legs of passengers who climb into the back after the car has been left standing in the rain. I didn't appreciate the drenched right leg of my M&S jeans, so who knows what a Versace-clad woman on her way to the Oscars might think. She's not going to be impressed by the absence of rear vanity mirrors, either.