The Stig presents Speed Week

Welcome to TopGear magazine's Speed Week 2014, our annual festival of fast. To start, we've gathered the greatest performance cars of the past 12 months at the fabulous Castellolí circuit, and we have two-and-a-half days, 2.5 miles of sticky Spanish tarmac and one Stig at our disposal.

We begin at the track for the simple reason that it's the only place you can relatively safely explore the limits of a modern sports car without teleporting immediately to prison. After a couple of days of assessment, a selection will then head off on a 1,000-mile road trip.

The figures speak for themselves: £2,795,430, 99 cylinders and 53,140cc developing a total of 7,221bhp and 6,388lb ft of torque. Stats inflated by the McLarenP1 and Porsche 918 - meeting face to face for the first time anywhere in the world at this event.

But this isn't only about figures. Speed Week is about more than just data: we're looking for cars that put a smile on the face and deliver that special, visceral thrill. Envelopes will be pushed, tyres will become an endangered species. There will be tears, tantrums and one small fire.

The time has come. Release The Stig...