by: Colin Goodwin Oddball, but fun Up to £30,000 Grinnall's fortes Dry out? Try it out

To build a car with this much power and performance is not particularly difficult. There are plenty of ways to get three, four and even five-hundred horsepower these days. The really clever bit is to build a car that has ultimate grip and handling for the track but that is also comfortable and supple on the road.

This is where Grinnall has really hit the spot. Conventional double wishbones are fitted to the front of the car and trailing arms to the back. Trailing arms, thanks in part to the old Beetle, have a rather bad legacy. Done right, however, as the Scorpion's are, they work well and have several advantages, such as constant rear wheel camber.

Best get your goggles on

Grinnall is talking about eventually offering simple doors and a roof, but I'm not sure if that's really necessary. Wearing goggles is a recommended for eye protection, but the low perspex screen does a great job of reducing wind buffeting. Wearing a crash helmet in a road car is both a hassle and also sends out the wrong message to other road users.

There's stacks of room in the Scorpion's cockpit, though some will find the lack of side bodywork rather unsettling. The seats are fixed in position with both steering and pedals adjustable. It feels as though you're sitting quite high up, but that's probably due to the low sides.