The majority of you were sold on the £5850 BMW E34 M5 we featured last week, seeing it as a chance to get a potent and hand-built saloon for relatively little outlay.

Many were still concerned about the realities of running such a car however, with its M-badged parts commanding gold-plated prices - and any serious issues requiring a potentially costly and eye-watering teardown.

This week we're featuring something that many of you may regard as more of a known quantity, one that's renowned for reliability and - more importantly - being one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars ever made.

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Yes, it's the car that'll have you wanting VTEC to kick in, yo - the fabled DC2 generation of the Honda Integra Type R.

Launched into the Japanese market in 1995, the Integra Type R was more than just a gentle reworking of the existing Integra. It got more spot welds and thicker metal in its bodyshell, and weight reduction in the form of lighter wheels, a thinner windscreen and less sound deadening material.

Honda didn't stop there. The Type R's 1.8-litre 'B18C' engine got high-compression pistons, hand-finished intake ports and a tweaked Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control - VTEC - system. The result, for UK models, was 187bhp and 131lb ft - and a spine-tingling red line of 8700rpm.

With a kerb weight of just 1140kg, the five-speed Integra could sprint from 0-60mph in 6.5sec and hit a top speed of 145mph when new. Given how well made they were, it's likely that any still in service today are more than capable of repeating that performance.

The net result was more than just a fast Honda, however. The modifications turned the Integra from a staid and generic car into a thrilling, engaging and rewarding coupé that would turn any rear-drive fanatic's opinions on powertrains clean around - and the Type R was just as happy as it was on the road as it was on the track.

You'll find several hot hatchbacks offering up similar credentials for less than £5k these days, like the Renault Clio Renaultsport 182, but many overlook the potentially more interesting and dependable Type R, which can be had for similar money.

This R-plated 1997 model, for example, has done an acceptable 104,000 miles and is up for £4599. It's had a sensible-sounding three previous owners and is claimed, remarkably, to be in a totally standard condition - a rarity in itself.