Very few cars inspire the kind of instant, childish, gleeful excitement that the best supercars do.

The term 'supercar' has become a little fluid over the last few years, but essentially they aim to combine exotic and singularly purposeful looks, with kidney-crushing performance and physics-testing handling, at a slightly more attainable price.

The route to outright performance has changed over the years too, with everything from pure ICE machines to plug-in hybrids in the mix. There’s also still a surprisingly wide array of engine layouts, as turbo V6s jostle with atom V10s and flat-crank V8s for combustive supremacy.

Even so, to take top honours in this class a contender will have to demonstrate a remarkable breadth of ability; because unlike the even more focussed hypercars, these models have to be able to cope with day-to-day duties, with owners often keen to use their purchases for more than just high-days and holidays.

Read on, then, as we reveal the best supercars on sale in the UK today.