Jetstream Extreme SC250 news - What the...? - 2008

Oh. And, erm, ah. Hmm.

This is the Extreme SC250. And it's, well, challenging on the eye, isn't it?

Built by Cornish firm Jetstream, the Extreme is a lightweight two-seater aiming to stick it to the Ariel Atom and KTM X-Bow. Brave stuff, but the mechanical bits at least sound decent.

Below that strange, strange bodywork sits the two-litre turbo petrol engine out of the Astra VXR, putting out 250bhp through a six-speed manual box. That's good for a 0-60mph of under four seconds and a top speed of 165mph - and a power-to-weight ratio of 357bhp per tonne. Impressive stuff.

Naturally you get bucket seats, four-point harnesses and the option of just-road-legal track tyres, as well as a shade of paint called 'Cornish Gold'.

All very nice, but we just can't get round those looks. The Extreme was designed by ex-Ford designer Brian Rossi, who penned the retro Ford Thunderbird back in 2002. Yep, that looked weird too.

"The first factor people notice about the car is the styling," says Jetstream's John Donnelly. "It's a refreshing and innovative design that's unlike anything else on the market. It's totally unique."

You're not wrong, John. We might add a few more adjectives in there but hey, it's the Friday before a bank holiday weekend. We're feeling well-disposed to the world.

God bless ya.

Just please don't make us look at it any more.