I REMEMBER the first time I drove a Lotus Elise it completely blew me away.

And then about two months later, I was lucky enough to drive one on a circuit and was able to act the hooligan in complete safety.

What a revelation! This is one of the most enjoyable cars to drive on the road and shows just how good road-holding and handling can be.

It's absolutely marvellous, with immense grip, the most superb balance and an excellent modified MG F or Toyota Celica engine mounted behind the seats and driving the rear wheels.

There have been a huge number of different models, with 1.6, and two different 1.8 engines.

But even the Rover-sourced 1.6 gives 0-60 miles an hour in a supercar six seconds and the 1.8 Rover unit brings this down as low as 4.9.

Acceleration is extraordinary, considering the standard 1.8 engine only produces 120bhp. It's only marginally slower than a Porsche 911, and more powerful versions are even quicker.

: Mazda MX5