The Corvette Roadster comes with twin front and side airbags as standard, and ESP traction control is also included to keep tabs on the V8 engine’s grunt. New buyers have the option of specifying a head-up display that shows the car’s speed and other functions as a digital read-out projected on to the windscreen. It’s easy to see and reduces the amount of time the driver takes his or her eyes off the road.

Of all the cars in the same performance bracket as the Corvette Roadster, the American is probably the most practical. The interior is spacious and offers reasonable storage for odds and ends, there’s a decent glovebox and the boot is big enough to hold a set of golf clubs. The two major drawbacks with the Corvette are its width and the fact that it only comes in left-hand drive, both of which can make parking a fraught business unless you have plenty of space to play with.