Power you can use all day long

That this test has diversity to make the BAFTAs blush is simply a by-product of McLaren busting its GT out of the grand-touring pigeonhole with an adapted mid-engined sports car made more luxurious. The McLaren’s drawbacks mostly relate to those inherent in the architecture and carry-over mechanicals – low-down two-seat layout, flatplane V8 that rumbles like a gorilla in a suit. But the GT is grand-tourer comfortable, it does feel plusher and more luxurious than its siblings, and the real payback comes with how sweetly it drives – its lightness, speed and delicacy. We like it; it’s good.

But it’s also hard to reconcile the confusion of the GT’s positioning, and we fear it may suffer the same fate as the last Lotus Europa, which re-purposed sports car bits and pieces for a ‘business class’ experience and sold poorly.

The Ferrari Portofino is the only real grand tourer in this test with its plus-two rear seats, front-mounted engine, even a folding hardtop – a convertible should at least be offered to GT customers, and Ferrari provides the best of both here, where its rivals are coupe only.

There are question marks over how together the Portofino feels when pushed really hard, but keen responses, most notably from its steering and powertrain, lend energy and alertness familiar from more overtly sporting Ferraris. And this is a more convincing car to drive regularly and take on long trips than the McLaren – even if some drivers might prefer less excitement in foul conditions.

The Honda strikes the sweet spot between the McLaren and the Ferrari, its usability baked in rather than subsequently superimposed. It’s as easy to daily drive as the Portofino, awesomely secure in all weathers, vastly fast and able to run on e-power alone, if fleetingly. Then turn up the wick and the Honda’s thumping e-boosted V6, mid-engined layout and surprisingly adjustable balance blend otherworldly futurism with old-school interaction. It flatters, encourages and engages all at the same time. The boot, the badge and the Acura parts-bin interior all count against, but it’s the NSX I’d pick to do the jobs of both McLaren GT and Ferrari Portofino.