There was a time when the BMW 2 Series was seen as little more than a 1 Series hatchback with a slightly slinkier shape: not that this was a bad thing, because both cars were sensationally good to drive. The latest 2 Series, though, is a lot more removed from the contemporary 1 Series: while the latest hatchback has moved from a rear-wheel-drive layout to a front-driven arrangement, the 2 Series retains its rear-drive status.

In truth, that's just one of many things that makes the latest 2 Series brilliant to drive. There's also the strong grip, tight body control, effortless balance and super-sharp steering that generous on feedback. The latest Two feels really sporty in its attitude, more so than ever before.

It's still a great car to live with day-to-day, too, with a plushly trimmed cabin, decent passenger space, a reasonable boot and lots of on-board tech.bThere's a range of punchy engines to choose from, and there isn't a bad one among them. Just choose one to suit your budget. Prices for the latest 2022-onwards car start from around £30,000.

We could have included any number of Porsches here – from the 911 to the Panamera or even, at a push, the electric Taycan – but we actually think the relatively affordable 718 Cayman is one of the most appealing cars the Stuttgart brand sells.

For enthusiastic drivers, the 718 Cayman is only really matched by the likes of the Alpine A110 and Lotus Evora, and they're two very focussed (maybe slightly too focussed) sports cars. The Cayman's interior is superb, provided you have no need to carry more than one passenger. The beauty of the Cayman is you can comfortably drive it every day.

People will think you've won the lottery (it's a Porsche after all) but it won't cost a great deal to run: both the standard Cayman and Cayman S are capable of early-30s MPG. You'll need a budget of around £40,000 to buy one, but you can spend that kind of cash on a Golf GTI these days.

Alright, let's chuck the budget out of the window for a moment and fantasise about what you could buy if your lotto numbers came up this weekend. The Bentley Continental GT is a gloriously sumptuous coupe, with a cabin that'll never fail to distract you from whatever's going on in the outside world.

Of course, being a Bentley, the Continental GT is as much about performance as it is luxury. There are two engine to pick from, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 550PS and 770Nm (actually our motor of choice, the consumer champions we are), or a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 with 635PS and 900Nm. All are four-wheel drive and come as standard an eight-speed automatic gearbox (you don't spend this kinda money to change gears yourself).

Talking of money, you'll spend upwards of £150,000 for a Bentley Continental GT, and that's before you go to town on the extensive options list. You'll need a budget of around half that for a cherished example from heycar.

Here's a bold statement for you: the Alpine A110 is the dynamic equal of the Porsche Cayman. True story. That's about the biggest complement we could pay the car. Heck, that's about as big a complement as you could pay any car.

Stitch together a set of bends in this French firecracker, and it'll have you ginning from ear to ear. The turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine punches hard and sounds better than you might expect, while the car's flyweight stature and the wonderful adjustability of the sports car chassis underneath help the A110 feel like its brimming with sensation as you change direction. This is about as pure a driving experience as you'll get from a modern car.

Sure, there are compromises. There are hints of parent company Renault to be found inside the two-seat cabin, and the boot is small. However, who cares about that when it's so much fun to drive?

The BYD Seal is probably the best electric car you’ve not heard of. It challenges the Ioniq 6 and Tesla Model 3, and has learned from the firm’s first two EVs (the Atto 3 and Dolphin) to offer a much improved all-round experience. Not a coupe in its purest sense, perhaps, but it has striking styling reminiscent of a shrunken-down Porsche Taycan.

Inside, you’ll find a refined, premium cabin that's packed to the rafters with equipment as standard, and everything feels very well put together.

The dashboard is dominated by a mega 15.6-inch infotainment display, which has a party trick: you can rotate it 90 degrees, giving you the option between landscape and portrait orientations. And if you don’t get on with BYD’s interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also supported.

It’s pleasing to drive, and with a 360-degree camera fitted as standard, parking it isn’t too much of an issue. The electric range is also pleasingly competitive, with the entry-level model offering up to 354 miles from a charge, while the more powerful Seal Excellence trim (AWD, 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds) has a quoted maximum of 323 miles.

Hyundai’s slippery, all-electric Ioniq 6 coupe has a svelte style and impressive range. Its unique look will turn heads and it helps towards the 338 miles of maximum range the Ioniq 6 can eke from its 77.4kWh battery. You can also recharge from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes.

It's cheaper than some of its rivals, too - such as the BMW i4 - which makes the Ioniq 6 an even more attractive option for those looking for something outside the norm.

You also get much better interior quality than in, say, a Tesla, with comfortable seats and plenty of kit included, such as heated seats and steering wheel. Tech-fans will also love the Ioniq 6 for its pair of 12.3-inch displays, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Support, and a wireless phone charging pad. 

On the road, the Ioniq 6 is refined and easy to drive, and it's at its best as a long-distance cruiser. 

If you're not fussed about a premium badge, Ford's fab pony car is a performance-car bargain. You can get the Mustang with a fairly sensible 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, but we wouldn't bother: go the whole hog with the 5.0-litre V8.

The Mustang's interior might not be as cosseting as an Audi A5's, but the big Ford is guaranteed to turn more heads. Despite its below-par interior plastics, it actually feels like a much pricier car than it really is.

A brand new generation of Mustang - probably the last proper one - lands in 2024, but you can save a whole heap of money by looking at the used market. A budget of around £30,000 will get you a choice of pre-owned V8-engined models.

Just like Mercedes and BMW, you can pick up an Audi in just about any size and shape you could possibly want. As its name suggests, the Audi A7 sits between the A6 and A8, with coupe-like looks but saloon car practicality.

It's a quietly classy choice, in typical Audi fashion, with an interior that isn't matched by anything this side of a Bentley Continental GT.

Thanks to its huge dimensions, it's not as sporty to drive as you might expect, but if you spend a lot of your time on the motorway, you could certainly do a lot worse than an A7 Sportback.

Would you like your BMW coupe to be small (2 Series), medium (4 Series) or large (8 Series)? The BMW 8 Series replaced the old 6 Series, with the new name signifying its shuffle upwards in the brand's line-up.

While it's not quite as luxurious as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, it is more of a driver's car. Despite that, we reckon the six-cylinder diesel (badged the 840d) is actually the one to go for, although you'll have to look to the used car market for one of these as this engine been discontinued by BMW. Regardless, leave the V8 petrol engines to those with shares in oil companies.

While the standard 8 Series Coupe is relatively spacious, BMW also offers a four-door Gran Coupe version, which loses little of the 8's appeal. And, for those rare sunny days we get in Britain, there's also the 8 Series Convertible.

Proving you don't need to splash the cash on a desirable premium coupe, the Mercedes-Benz CLA is essentially a slightly swoopier version of the popular A-Class hatchback.

Just like the A-Class, it's got a superb interior, with super-sharp infotainment screens (plural) and clever augmented-reality navigation. Even with four doors, access to the rear of the CLA is a little tight, and the boot is a slightly awkward shape (although it can carry a fair amount of shopping).

There's a wide variety of engines on offer, including a plug-in hybrid and even hot AMG models. The most affordable CLA 180, with its 1.3-litre petrol engine, is punchy enough, but we'd stretch to a 2.0-litre CLA 200 at the very least.