Top Gear Technology Centre Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust review

The i-Thrust is famed for its use of experimental materials, such as a section of garage door, some locks from a garden gate and an incomplete set of plastic garden chairs arranged three abreast across the middle, just like the revolutionary McLaren F1.

But the most impressive feature is the patented HeadBox^TM, which gives the central passenger an unrivalled view from a tiny, sweltering greenhouse that cooks a human head faster than any domestic microwave.

The infotainment has a retro feel, thanks to a classic tape deck that comes with a Belinda Carlisle cassette as standard. Some say the i-Thrust has all the comfort of an outside lavatory, but they would be missing the point. This is not a lavish toy – it’s an entirely sensible hybrid that, unlike many of its rivals, puts function firmly before form.