Price today £42,000

Available from 2017-present

Can this sporty Alfa Romeo back up its purposeful looks with great performance and handling, and how does it stack up as a used car?

BMW M3 Competition Pack DCT

List price when new £63,000

Price today £40,000

Available from 2013-2019

BMW’s iconic M3 may no longer be on sale but it’s still the one to beat if you want to lift the sports car crown.

* Price today is based on a 2017 model with average mileage and full service history, correct at time of writing

Great performance cars are about more than just aggressive design and burbling exhausts. The fast saloon icon that is the BMW M3 may no longer be on sale (emissions restraints temporarily put paid to this model in 2018, but an all-new version is due very soon) but it has over the years built up a sterling reputation for class-leading performance and handling. In this more powerful, stiffer, Competition Pack form it’s one formidable opponent.