Cheer up England! These 11 cars prove we’re still champions of car craft in 2024

Britain is so often associated with relaxed motoring and luxo-barges. What it’s less frequently known for is creating skeletal frame buggies that have no issue weathering the elements. That’s what makes the Ariel Nomad the perfect vehicle to kick off this list since it’s about as back-to-basics and indestructible as a Nokia 3310.

And just to showcase the depth we’re capable of, here’s one of the most powerful electric performance cars money can buy you right now: the 2,011bhp, 1,257lb ft Evija. It marks a big directional change from Hethel’s boffins who for so long focused on light-weight, low-power construction. The only thing left for Lotus to do now is start customer deliveries… which feels like it’s dragged on for about 12 years.

One of Britain’s longest-serving national heroes, which continues to be seen the world over as a symbol of wealth, prestige and, frankly, Peak Car. In terms of sheer configurability, few cars have quite as much to offer as the Phantom too, with every surface and panel crafted exactly as customers wish. Just don’t ruin yours by going black and brown on the colour scheme, please.

There’s only one thing that matters with the T24: weight. It tips the scales at just 361kg. To put that into perspective, you could wedge almost seven of these into the dimensions of a Phantom and still have room left over for a full English Breakfast. In a world where heavy batteries and chunky electric motors are snatching the headlines, the little Pembleton is a breath of fresh, familiar air for British roadsters.

But while we can have plenty of appreciation for what the T24 is, the scope of modern-day engineering means it has to co-exist with a monster that may be similar in size, but miles ahead in terms of performance: the Speirling. Quite how an average but deep-pocketed person can ring up McMurtry and place an order for one of these is beyond belief, given that its acceleration and cornering speeds are comparable to that of an F-22 Raptor. 

Yes, it’s based (loosely) on a 26-year-old Japanese saloon, but what Prodrive has done is reimagine the Impreza into its ultimate, road racer variation. It’s also one of the few creative restomods these days that isn’t an electrified heritage 911 of some sort. Given that all 25 examples were sold out within days, it doesn’t half show that we’re capable of building desirable restomods in Britain. Even if they are originally from… Shibuya.

Aside from old Japanese metal, other notable examples of British-made items include Cavendish Pianos, Henry vacuum cleaners and the greatest driver’s car in the world right now. Yes, we’re talking about the T.50. It’s not the quickest vehicle ever made, but what Gordon Murray’s halo project represents is the absolute pinnacle of mechanical expression. 

At what point do you start to really fall for a high-revving V12: 6,000rpm? Maybe 8,000? What, then, happens to your mind when you find yourself hurling through space-time at over ten thousand with a Cosworth-derived, race-grade engine? Perhaps one of the single greatest (and legal) dopamine hits possible. Interested? An Aston Martin Valkyrie should do the trick.

Let’s keep the extreme theme going with one more Great British racer in the McLaren Solus GT. What started life as a Vision GT conceptualised for the Gran Turismo series grew into a real thing, albeit with vastly contrasting looks and performance. But even McLaren’s semi-skimmed, V10-powered attempt at a real-life Vision car is a bit mad, considering it’s now firmly relegated the Senna GT-R down the pecking order. And that’s no slouch.

Bentleys are pretty exclusive as they are, but what happens when the marque decides to jump the luxury thread count up a notch and throw in some of its most ostentatious design cues? The Batur, in essence. It’s also one of the last Bentleys ever to use the long-standing W12 power plant, so its significance is as large as its price tag. £1.6 million, in case you wondered.

Most of the cars featured on this list are either the rarest or most bare-knuckle models in each corresponding manufacturer’s lineup, but the same can’t be said of the relatively simple, fuss-free 170 from Caterham. It’s the cheapest model on offer so it’s equipped with a tiny Suzuki 660cc three-pot, though a power-to-weight ratio of 170bhp-per-tonne is still enough to raise a few hairs… if not sufficient to push them right back. But that’s why it’s easy to appreciate the 170.

Our trusty super sub. If you haven’t realised already by now, Britain’s credentials for building agile track specials, 230mph straight-line monsters and London to Monaco grand tourers continue in strong form. But amidst all that power and suave, it’s easy to forget that we also make one of the most iconic modes of transport in the world: the black cab. Now electric, and still as expensive as ever to use. Reckon England's next coach will use one of these for their first trip to Wembley?