Mercedes-Benz SLR

Power is enormous too, 626bhp from an AMG developed 5.5-litre supercharged V8 ensures that there's near endless acceleration. It'll reach 60mph in under four seconds and double that speed in under 11, all while offering space in the boot for plentiful luggage. Mercedes sees its role as a 'GT for the 21st century', which it manages reasonably well. But it's tricky to get settled in, the automatic gearbox proving too eager to kickdown and the brakes and steering very sensitive, too, neither offering the sort of relaxed experience you'd expect of a GT, nor the scalpel sharpness of a supercar. At over £314,000 many might consider the SLR as a pointless excess, but as a technical showcase it's undoubtedly impressive. More useable on a day-to-day basis than its similarly fast and expensive alternatives the SLR is a special car indeed, though whether it's worth almost three times as much as Mercedes' own wickedly quick SL65 depends entirely on whether you own the bank or are merely a customer.