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And as soon as we've been tooling around for a few hours of mixed driving, it becomes obvious that there isn't a duff car here. There are, however, four cars that deliver on exactly the same design brief in totally different ways. Each car brings an almost unrecognisable experience, as if each saloon were designed for a different bespoke customer.

The way these cars operate and handle makes you want to Frankenstein the ultimate super-saloon from various bits because, though all are brilliant, none is perfect.

The Lexus has one of the most astonishing drivetrains of its generation - lightning quick and bizarrely competent.It rides like a limo, can cope with the day-to-day more comfortably than anything else here and (I think) looks fantastic.

But it isn't without its faults: it bongs and dings and twitters at every little thing. The exhaust tips don't actually connect to the exhausts themselves - which you can see clearly if you follow the car at night. Lexus says this is to disperse heat at the back bumper area, but it's a bit of visual fakery that, whatever the reason, cheapens the car. The steering is so wrong for Europe that it makes me want to scream. It can be a hooligan, but the edginess has been worn away by relentless perfection. I like a bit of edge in fast cars, it makes them more human.

Everyone emerges from the C63 sporting a slight sheen of sweat and a look of relief. This really is an amazing car from Mercedes, which has raised its game to the point where you don't have to make excuses for a big AMG.

This thing has character in everything it does. If it rode better and had the Lexus's gearbox and BMW's steering, I'd be in love. But it doesn't, so I'm not. Not entirely, anyway.

Of course, the RS4 is probably the most sensible, but it's also the easiest to access. Never has a car been this much fun and been so safe, or so fast. Where the Merc wants to bite your face off, and the Lexus is a bit disinterested, the RS4 walks a magic tight-rope. But you can't play so easily as with the RWD cars, and in these perfect few hours, its been a small but important thread that's been missing for the RS.

Which leaves the BMW. It's not the most hardcore of the cars here, nor the fastest. It's got a dull interior and an almost anaemic lack of torque. But it is inspiring.

Happy to go fast, happy to go slow, easy to play with, surprisingly satisfying in attack mode. The balance and poise and steering is what attracts you to it, and the longer you spend, the more you come to appreciate the true breadth of its talent. So who wins?

Well, after much deliberation, endless circular conversation and several pints of strong cider, the answer is: nobody. There is no 'best' in this group. I've tried to isolate a winner, but it just can't be done. Each has strengths and weaknesses, some that you'd be prepared to live with more than others, but they're not necessarily deal-breakers.

For me it goes like this: I want a C63 to play with, because it makes me feel like a 17-year-old, but it'd tire me out if I drove it everyday. I want an RS4 day-to-day, but think I'd hanker after something more throttle-adjustable now and again. The M3 is the best all-rounder, but I'm not really into the M3 image and ubiquity.

So there's the Lexus. Brilliant, exciting, slightly mad Lexus. It's flawed. It's not for the hardcore among us. But for some reason I'm drawn to it. Drawn to the technology, drawn to the fact there'll only be 150 in the UK per year. Drawn to its oddness.

So, for once, I'll leave the choice of what to take to you. Last one back to the UK isn't trying hard enough