To truly understand the appeal of cars like the Nissan Nismo GT-R, Toyota GR Yaris and Alpine A110, as we’ve just done in our three-way track visit seen elsewhere on this site, you have to consider their standing in their respective showrooms.
The GT-R, for example, can be found nestled between Micras and Qashqais; the GR Yaris jostles for forecourt space with the RAV4 and Prius; and to test-drive the A110, you might well have to shunt the odd Renault Mégane or Captur out of the way.
In short, all three cars share little more than a badge with their respective range-mates (or, in the case of the Alpine, not even that), and you have to imagine there were some accountants none too pleased that they ever got signed off.
Here are a few other automotive sore thumbs that we’re glad made it past the sensible sorts.
Motorsport homologation is responsible for some of the most fearsome and wildly styled road cars of all time, and the Ford RS200 is a prime example. It performed not too well in its sole WRC season and its Cosworth powerplant was heavily downtuned for the 200 road cars, but 246bhp feels plenty in a non-electronically assisted, sub-1200kg, mid-engined two-seater, while its dustbin-size turbo makes turn-to-turn sprints a heck of a lot quicker.
One we found: Chassis #15 is headed for auction in Paris, tipped to fetch £220,000-plus. It was piloted by Stig Blomqvist on the 1986 Circuit of Ireland Rally.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Vauxhall had a V8-propelled, tyre-shredding family-hauler on its books. A rebadged version of Australian GM sibling Holden’s Commodore HSV, this saloonatic was at launch the most potent car on sale here for less than £60,000. With the Chevrolet Corvette’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8 shunting 577bhp and 546lb ft rearwards, it ran 0-62mph in less than 5.0sec and made a biblical noise doing so. Prices aren’t as relatively low as they once were, and you will need to overcome your badge snobbery before choosing it over a Mercedes-AMG E63, but it will be worth it to show up the local Corsa boy-racers.