FINAL DESTINATION

From 12 contenders to our top five. One road drive is all that stands between them and immortality

- OLLIE KEW

Largely because at about half the width of the Revuelto ahead, it'd be pretty damn unlikely to wander out of its lane. After minutes strapped aboard the Manthey 911, Rowan is fantasising about eloping to a tarmac road rally, blissfully unaware as its razor blade diffuser flirts with slicing the undulating, technical B roads of the Algarve.

I'm quietly taking this in from the cossetting opulence of the Aston Martin Vanquish. With about half the TopGear team (plus several factory spannermen) struck down with a mystery virus, I'm feeling peaky and the decision to begin our road finalist showdown in a comforting gentleman's express in an air conditioned seat is entirely out of self interest. Sorry boys.

Even without the impromptu crash diet, I'd gladly skip breakfast to hit the road in our fab five. Sometimes road bound finalists decide themselves unanimously, but 2025's crop was a points decision.

The Lambo bred intrigue. Stupefyingly fast and glorious to listen to from two villages away. A proper shock 'n' awe 21st century supercar. But would the two tonne 1,001bhp rocket ship prove frustratingly constrained on the public road?

The GT3 RS too - easily the best road legal car I've ever lapped a racetrack in - but it can't be usable on the public highway. Can it? Surely twisting the lap time focus knob until it breaks off in Manthey Racing's hand is too much even for the endlessly adaptable Porsche 911? We had to know. Once we'd set some juicy bait to tempt out The Stig.