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There is no joy quite like that of a small car with more performance than it ever really needed. What began as an after-hours VW project half a century ago (and can be traced back even further, to hot Minis) spawned some of the great performance cars of our time. Time to celebrate the pocket rocket at its unlikely best, then; cars with the kerbweight of a flip flop and just the right amount of power to make the best of it.

Available for under £90k 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol, all-wheel drive Fast, classy, beautiful four-seat GT car Not a V8 and some disappointingly cheap bits in the cabin Not much has gone wrong so far, though Announced in 2022 for sales beginning in 2023, the gen-two M189 GranTurismo marked the 75th anniversary of the first Maserati to go by that name, that being the handsome Pininfarina-bodied A6 1500 Gran Turismo.

AMG has been wielding the downsizing axe across most of its range over the last few years, but the E 63 has managed to dodge swings for some time now. If the rumours are to be believed, it’ll still be powered by a big V8 on the model’s anticipated return in the next couple of years. As wonderful as that would be, the new generation of ultra-efficient and heavily-silenced engines are no match in character for the older, noisier V8s that powered yesteryear’s AMG like this E 63 S Estate.

I’d wager that most of us have heard more about Cadillac in the last 12 months than in the 12 years prior. Between going toe-to-toe with the motorsport establishment at Le Mans and finally realising its long-held ambition to enter Formula 1, the brand is making a bold attempt to reestablish itself as an internationally respected name. And the legacy it’s trying to reclaim is far greater than many on this side of the pond might realise.

Whether it’s a modern supercar, a fast family wagon, a rare classic, a limited-edition special or something that’s simply a bit different, PistonHeads Auctions is looking for its next batch of cars to sell. And we’re not just looking for the obvious stuff. If you’ve got something enthusiasts will get excited about, we want your car. Selling through PistonHeads Auctions is designed to make the whole process as painless as possible.

Lotus just wouldn’t be Lotus if it weren’t confusing the world with almost every move. Having embarked on a bold new electric era, it’s already having to row back towards hybrids - and while it certainly isn’t alone in that, of all the performance brands, surely Lotus had the biggest U-turn to execute. Much to the delight of anyone who thought it stupid in the first place... This week, a little more confusion reigned, but hopefully in a way that should result in a simpler future.

It’s not often that a new car comes along in 2026 at less money than might be expected. Or certainly not a car that you might have at least a passing interest in. But that’s exactly what’s happened with the latest Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, the 680hp EV that lapped the Nurburgring in seven and a half minutes. Because both saloon and estate come in at significantly less than £70k.

A gentle wander into Rarity Corner this week with only the second appearance in this area of the PH homepage of Mercedes’s banana-shaped CLS. The C219 generation made its debut at the 2003 Frankfurt show as a swoopy four-seat alternative to the shorter, narrower, taller and staider (?) W211 E-Class saloon.

If the definition of madness really is trying the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, BBC Studios ought to have been committed years ago. Attempting to reignite the curious chemistry that made Clarkson, Hammond and May such a watchable trio has led the Corporation’s commercial wing down all manner of weird (and occasionally unwatchable) cul-de-sacs. Its last go, featuring a former PH employee, of course, arguably came closest. And we all know how that ended.

The Seat what now? Yes, the Marbella: last vestige of the manufacturer’s long-running relationship with Fiat and oft-forgotten sibling to the Panda, which it resembles from every possible angle, save a close-up of the badge. The Italian-made car, of course, is hugely famous for combining Giorgetto Giugiaro’s sawn-off design with wilfully utilitarian running gear. It was meant as a practical car without pretence, in Fiat’s finest tradition.