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

The roads are drying nicely. It's time to grovel beneath the Scorpion IV's dashboard and find the magic boost control knob. Let's go for the full cream experience and go straight to the maximum. The result is quite staggering. We're talking Premier Division performance here. Above and beyond that offered by mere Porsche 996 Turbos and Ferrari 360 Modenas. Like a big superbike, the Scorpion's acceleration takes your breath away. Full throttle produces such an unnerving response that it can be held only for a few seconds at a time. Only a lunatic would want for more or get bored with what he has. Certainly on the road.

This car is an early example and Grinnall has pointed out some areas in which it will be further tweaked and improved. One is the brakes. They work pretty well already but the balance from front to rear is not quite right and there's a distinct feeling that with adjustment there's more braking power to come.

'Heaps of room' in cockpit...

The Grinnall Scorpion IV is a niche car within a niche: an incredibly quick track weapon that's also civilised enough to get you to a track without wearing you out, and not make a pleasant Sunday's motoring feel like an endurance test.