I OFTEN FIND MYSELF SCOURING THE deep recesses of car-based internet forums for a glimpse of the golden era of car development, a time when test mules were truly mysterious things and we weren’t drip-

Every now and then, Toyota remembers it’s capable of building exhilarating performance cars. Its latest trick? The new V8 GR GT

£82,845 OTR/£82,845 as tested/£1,049 pcm WHY IT’S HERE: It’ll conquer the wilderness, but is this £83k Toyota everyday overkill? DRIVER: andy fr anklin WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE, HAVEN’T we? You get home a

SMART’S DESIGN TEAM DID A grand job, outside and within the astonishingly roomy, well kitted and well finished cabin. It rides really softly too, a passenger might think it’s a luxury car. The driver

Price new: £32,140 Price used: From £14,000 Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol Gearbox: Seven-speed auto Power/torque: 296bhp/400Nm 0-60mph: 5.7 seconds Top speed: 155mph IF one hot hatch literally flies

Eleven reasons to go gooey over the world’s biggest – and least predictable – car maker, from Hilux to Le Mans