Car Videos: The best of British giant killers

But for all the finest exotica Germany, Ferrari and Sweden have to offer, you can get your hands on a British sports car offering breakneck performance and awesome fun – for a fraction of the cost.

Ultima GTR – price £70,000

Leicester-based Ultima Sports Limited build the unbelievable Ultima GTR – a sports car which will do 0-100mph-0 in a world-record 9.4 seconds.

Powered by a Chevrolet-derived 6.3-litre V8 engine, the Ultima GTR produces 720bhp and accelerates from 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds and will sprint from 30-70mph in 1.8 seconds.

Watch the red beast performs its record breaking antics below.

Ariel Atom – price £35,000

It may be one of the world’s least luxurious cars (albeit without a windscreen, window or door) but in terms of driver enjoyment not much can touch the Ariel Atom.

It’s Somerset built, but with the Japanese engine from a Honda Civic Type-R tuned to produce 245bhp in a shell weighing less than 500kg.

This means a registered 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds, but some journalists have timed it closer to 2.8 seconds making it one of the maddest motors on the road – for just £35k.

Radical SR8 – price £70,000

Another legendary budget British sports cars is the £70,000 Radical SR8, a road-legal track car which holds the record for a production car on the Nürbürgring.

It did the 12.8 mile course in six minutes 55 seconds – one minute 45 seconds FASTER than the £830,000, 253mph Bugatti Veyron.

Watch the Peterborough-built two seater set a record on the Nürbürgring.

Noble M12 GTO – Built from 2000 - 2003

It might have the engine and rear lights from an old Ford Mondeo, but the Noble M12 GTO is anything but a sales reps’ car.

Power from the V6 engine was upped from 167bhp to 310bhp and with this came a 0-60mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 165mph.

Fifth Gear star Tiff Needell was a massive fan of the car claiming it had the best steering he’d ever experienced when he road tested it for the pre-Hammond and May Top Gear. Watch Tiff’s review now.