THE Lotus Elise is absolutely stunning to drive - a revelation in how good a car's handling and road holding can really be.

It's a ‘back to basics' sports car, with few mod cons and a tiny boot that will just hold a couple of small weekend cases.

But the first time I drove it I knew in minutes it was one of the best sports cars on the market.

On road or track it is marvellous, with brilliant handling, amazing road holding, the most superb balance and Toyota's high revving 1.8 MR2 engine mounted behind the seats and driving the rear wheels.

Light weight means that just 134bhp is enough for supercar acceleration - with a zero to 60mph time snapping at the heels of Porsches - and the most powerful models have 220bhp.

The hood is reasonably easy to use and later models have a few more creature comforts for those who use them as everyday transport.

There's no power steering, but it's only heavy when parking or manoeuvring. Comfort is much better than you would think in the lower order cars and there's traction control to keep you safe in the wet.