There is something about Italian cars that makes them endlessly desirable. The names help of course – consider how the words Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati force your mouth around unfamiliar sounds so that already you are speaking of something different, exotic and romantic. And there is the Italian body design, so much braver and adventurous than anyone else’s. The sound of the engine, the impracticality, the exhibitionism, everything makes an Italian car the stuff of dreams.

But the really strange thing about them is that everyone’s favorite is the Alfa Romeo. They may not make supercars like Ferrari and Lamborghini, they may have a reputation for falling apart at the slightest opportunity and there may be far better cars in the same class – but the Alfa has soul. We are prepared to put up with the failings because … it’s an Alfa.

You don’t believe me? I remember a Top Gear program in which they put up the Alfa 147 GTA against a Ford Focus RS and a Volkswagen Golf R32. Predictably, the Alfa lost out in all departments except acceleration. But, when it came for the presenters to choose which car they’d rather have, they all chose…

this one.

A while back I wrote about the Cadillac CTS-V and tried to explain why I like its looks. It’s a beefy thing and lives in that narrow world between ugliness and brilliance – in my opinion, erring on the side of brilliance.

But how does it perform? Knowing that it is raced in the States, I was very interested to find that Top Gear had tried it and you can see the result by clicking on this link. Be warned, however, Jeremy Clarkson is at his most obnoxious when talking of American cars!

We have all heard the folk tales of what happens when a car is struck by lightning. I can remember a fad for trailing a strap from the rear of the car to the ground and being told that this was to “earth any lightning strikes”. It is very doubtful that lightning would bother to notice such a detail but most folklore is agreed that you are perfectly protected from lightning inside a car anyway. “It’s the tires,” we cry, you’re insulated.

But would you trust the theories enough to volunteer to be the guinea pig in a targeted lightning strike? One of the presenters of Top Gear, Richard Hammond, did just that and you can see the result by clicking on this link.

It is quite a tense experience even for the viewer, with thoughts of what would happen if something went wrong. The presenter seems quite cool, however, until after the experiment – he then starts to chatter away merrily, completely unaware of how the tension has been so visibly drained from him.

But it’s not that I blame him. I still wouldn’t volunteer for a similar test.

Always fancied driving a race car but never had the time, money or opportunity? Well, a small company in Britain is producing what amounts to a road legal race car and it is going to be made in the States by Brammo Motorsports.

It is called the Ariel Atom and is just a space frame, wheels and an engine – needless to say, it goes like a racer. In fact, Jeremy Clarkson says it’s more fun than a motor bike and he just might be right.

With the Honda Civic R engine, supercharged, it has over 500 bhp per ton and achieves 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. Top speed is a mere 140 mph or so but, as it has no windscreen (or body for that matter), it would be tearing off your face at that speed anyway.

As with all great cars, it is the handling that makes the real difference and the Atom just begs to be thrown around – as it should with so little weight and loads of power.

The American version will have a supercharged GM Ecotec engine but promises to be just as quick and as much fun. Save your pennies.