The X list is the final page in our fleet section and is the resting place for our view on cars that have been and gone from the fleet.

We're not in the business of naming and shaming as such but we'll be open and honest about what our experiences have been.

Here's a quick list of things we can tell you straight away (bear in mind that this is written from a commercial view and some of these things may not matter or be as significant if you are simply contemplating buying a car for your own use):

• » Modified cars are a not a sensible proposition
• » Bike engined cars are quick but...they need deep pockets and lots of expertise
• » Never under estimate the value of a manufacturers warranty
• » Never over estimate the value of a manufacturers warranty!
• » A car that's been tracked and looked after is a better buy than a car that's just been polished on a Saturday

The entries on this page are organised with the most recent X member at the top, so here goes:

Ariel Atom Mk1
The Ariel Atom was a good bit of kit; ours was the basic Mk1 version with the standard K series. We can only remember a couple of occasions when it let us down but in reality it did a great job of entertaining members and clients alike.

Radical SR3 Supersport
Ah the Radical - we brought ours to be the headline car in the fleet a duty it performed almost too well (many members where somewhat fearful of it!). Would we have another bike engined car on the fleet? Probably not in all honesty - they're very quick and, in the case of the Radical, more progressive at/on the limit than you'd perhaps think but they need deep pockets and a degree of mechanical sympathy from the driver.

Renault Clio v6 Mk1
Not just any old Clio v6 but my own personal car! Fitted with KW suspension, fully stripped out and with a T45 multi-point cage it was fun but an absolute devil to drive quickly (ask anyone who drove it and we'll challenge you to find a single one who didn't spin it).

It was great car to learn the importance of smoothness - it would mercilessly punish any technical error in your driving. Retired in the end due to an undiagnosable fault and currently a "work in progress".

Modified Lotus Elise S1
Not our greatest moment this car - the specification read so well but the reality was, shall we say, not quite as good. Our comment about modified cars above stems largely from our experience with this car. It is possible to have modified cars that are reliable but you need to be 100% confident that the modifications have been effected properly...

Peugeot 205 GTi with MI16 engine
Now this was fun - the 205GTi is a legend and deservedly so (I have a G plate 205 1.9 which is still the best front wheel drive car I've ever driven). The one on our fleet had a MI16 engine in it and had been taken to a tarmac rally style specification. It looked like a shed but drove so well - it was also strong; surviving a buzzed engine (to 9000rpm!).

Lotus Exige S1
Looked superb (so much better than the overworked S2 variant) the only slight issue was that it didn't go that well (not all the time anyway). In an ideal world we'd have an S1 but with the works everytime mechanicals of the S2.

BMW E30 M3
This was an acheingly beautiful car - we ploughed money into it; Cosworth reworked the head, the interior was carefully stripped and a bolt in cage installed, new dampers, springs and a front end respray but it was unlucky for us.

On our first open day the combination of left hand drive, the dog-leg gearbox and over enthusiasm meant a buzzed engine, stretched rod bolt and complete destruction of the head.

One new engine later it was then involved in an attempted theft from a petrol station resulting in front, rear and side panel damage.

To be fair it was never the same after that open day and we almost cried the day we sold it. Both me and Stephen will have one (probably one each) again.