Built by Lotus using that company’s unrivalled understanding of composites of carbon fibre and aluminium, VX220 is really a grown-up sport car that delivers driver satisfaction through the bucketful. The lower-powered of the two engine options is smooth and torque-rich, whilst the turbocharged variant is merely stunningly quick.

Handling is slightly softer than its looks suggest, but nevertheless it can be designed to corner similar to it was on rails around each bend. Tremendous fun, along with a great way of running a niche car with big company back-up.

The vehicle is intended as a weekend warrior, for flying off the cobwebs following a hard week, but there’s a healthy proportion of their owner base that think about the mid-engined machine sufficiently practical for everyday use.