The secret of great comedy is timing, so it should come as no surprise that the arrival of Triple Eight Engineering’s Astra VXR at the evo office in the first week of December raised a laugh or two.

Big speed, but surprisingly little drama. It’s a stunning display of what the Astra VXR can do. In fact it’s not my VXR, and it’s not me driving. We’ve been pounding round the Millbrook ...