Lotus

Revered East Anglia-based builder of hardcore lightweights still basically true to the ethos by which Colin Chapman originally made them famous. Pleasingly unsullied by the governance of Proton and the odd run-in with GM, Lotus stands alone as the flag-carrier of scalpel-sharp, track-biased performance icons.

  • Lotus Elise gallery

    Elise

    £27,450 - £34,450

    Rarely achieved mix of track cred and lusty looks. You can scare the pants off your girlfriend and then get a glimpse of said pants while she's struggling to get out.

  • Lotus Evora

    Evora

    £49,600 - £60,300

    The Evora is another great driver's car from Lotus but it's not the upmarket 2+2 it wanted to be and probably needs to be at this price.

  • Lotus Exige gallery

    Exige

    £35,550

    Too easy to get in and out of the Elise by taking the roof off? Here's the answer - a fixed-head, bewinged mega-version. Not even Houdini could have got in here.