You will probably reply: ‘supercar’. After all, most car buffs have dreamed of owning a supercar like a Jaguar. But is that you really want, with everything that goes with it? I mean very expensive servicing and insurance, not to mention depreciation in the tens of thousands of dollars each year, and a very secure garage. In other words, owing a exotic car is very expensive.

Actually, after owning one for a while many owners of supercars keep several other cars so they drive whatever is most suitable. Maybe you don’t quite have that budget, in which case, consider a sports car. There are some very fast sports cars, like the Westfield 2000 Sand Caterham Seven Superlight R500, and all sorts of other sports cars to chooses from – some made by the big makers, and some made by small ones.

If you are looking for something extreme, try the Caterham Seven Superlight R500, or a Donkervoort or Lotus 2-11. These are all very light and very fast, but definitely lacking in creature comforts.

On the other hand, the Mazda Miata (Mazda MX-5) is a great little car that is fine for commuting to work. The Nissan 350Z and Porsche Boxster and Cayman are two other everyday sports cars with good performance. What sort of performance? Well, the 350Z, which as a 3.5 liter V-6 engine, can get to 60 mph in under 6 seconds, and has a top speed of 155 mph. In fact, many ‘faster’ cars, including Mercedes-Benz are all limited to this sort of speed.

The Porsches are both great cars, very well balanced, and with superb performance. It is just a question of whether you like open-air motoring, or a coupe. The Porsche Cayman is a little faster, and also corners rather more sharply, but there is not much in it.

Another quick sports car is the BMW Z4, especially in the M Sport version. This is available as a convertible or coupe, too.

The great thing about sports cars is that you have plenty of choice – practical or impractical – and with a wide price range.