Renault Alpine A110

Or you can be patient and add your name to a waiting list stretching many months into the future for one of the two versions of Alpine A110 now on sale - the £46,905 Pure or £50,805 Legende. It will be worth the wait.

Renault has owned Alpine since 1973 and today’s car uses a Renault-derived 1.8 litre turbocharged engine sitting behind driver and passenger and powering the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Weighing as little as 1098kg, the Alpine makes good uses of its 248bhp, powering to an electronically limited 155mph top speed and hitting 62mph in 4.5 seconds.

That lightness helps this potent machine record an official 46.3mpg in the official economy test and turn in a respectable 138g/km of tailpipe emissions too.

When the mood to make progress takes charge a push of a button turns the exhaust fruity and snaps the gearchanges through with positive intent but still keeps the car the right side of civilised.

Both versions come well equipped, with air conditioning, satellite navigation and leather trimmed seats in lightweight carbon fibre casings as standard. The posher version adds a fancy audio system, bigger alloy wheels, different leather trim and a parking camera yet.

Alpine’s quest for lightness has several beneficial effects, from a likely surprise when you check the fuel consumption to tyre wear. It also means the car can feel sporty without needing springs stiff enough to bounce you down the road.

In fact, first and most lasting impression of a spirited drive is not the car’s speed (fast and nicely noisy though it can be) but the almost absurd comfort of seats that hug and cosset in all the right places and a ride that refuses to turn nasty, whatever the road surface.

So smoothly assured is progress that you don’t need to risk your driving licence to enjoy progress in the Alpine, enjoying perfectly weighted steering and powerful brakes at sensible speeds while contemplating the sort of long distance drives you’d make.