Seriously quick Q-cars from £2000 - used car buying guide

3 - Bentley Continental Flying Spur W12 (2005-2013)

With its imposing four-door body and opulent interior, you might not expect this massive Bentley to offer true Q-car performance, but mash your foot to 
the Wilton and this luxurious behemoth will waft from 0-62mph in 5.2sec and 
on to nearly 200mph.

Under the bonnet is a responsive 552bhp 6.0-litre W12 that drives all four wheels. It handles surprisingly well for something so large, and on active air suspension the ride is as cosseting as the leather that lines the cabin.

Look closely and you’ll spot the Volkswagen bits, but none of that can detract from this tempting combination of speed and glamour, which can now be bought for as little as £30,000.

4 - Mitsubishi Galant VR4 (1996-2006)

The eighth-generation Galant was a handsome and beautifully made saloon or estate. Its range-topper was this VR4, a sporty number that still looked elegant despite gaining a deep air dam, arch-filling alloys and a fruity rear spoiler

It’s powered by a lively 276bhp twin-turbo 2.5-litre V6 which, combined with either a five-speed manual or clever four-speed semi-auto ’box, could propel the car to 60mph in just over five seconds and on to more than 150mph.

Full-time four-wheel drive keeps the tyres in order, and it’s still a remarkably pleasant thing to drive quickly. Hurry, though, as only 200 VR4s were officially imported and prices are on the up. For now, around £2000 buys a good one.

5 - Volkswagen Phaeton W12 (2003-2016)

It may look like no more than a puffed-up Passat, but the understated Phaeton is a genuinely impressive luxury limo, packed full of Volkswagen’s best technology.

It is large, luxurious and exquisitely made. A 414bhp 6.0-litre W12 engine (related to the one in the Flying Spur) is allied to a permanent four-wheel drive system. Such power makes it fast, pushing the Phaeton from 0-60mph in just 6.0sec and on to a (limited) top speed of 155mph. It shares its platform with the Flying Spur, too, so its handling is surefooted and its ride supple.

The star of the show, however, is the lavish and spacious interior, packed with high-tech kit and amazingly comfortable leather seats. Finding one isn’t easy, but such velvet-glove performance can be yours from about £10,000.