STYLISH

And if you're in a driving mood, the Astra TwinTop is quick, dynamic and utterly sure-footed. You might not want to do it, but in theory much of this road has no limit, and there are places where we could have explored most of the 2.0 Turbo's 147mph top speed and all of its punchy acceleration - headlined by a 0-60mph time of just 8.3 seconds.

Our Design has ESP-plus Electronic Stability Programme-plus as standard, and the 'Sport' switch on the dash makes already-crisp steering and throttle responses even sharper, perfectly matching the Astra's balanced chassis to give the enthusiastic driver even more dynamic feedback and driving enjoyment.

What's most enjoyable at everyday speeds, though, is the precise steering, big grip of wide rubber on the optional 18-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels we had on our Design, and all-disc brakes that never run out of power or feel, no matter how many times you retrace your steps over these fantastic roads. It's refined, too, and protected from the wind even with the top down; and it's quiet - because the TwinTop's smooth shape not only makes it extremely aerodynamic and improves fuel efficiency, it also keeps wind noise to a minimum.

The highest point of the road is at Bungalow corner, at about 1350 feet, and the run down from the top of the mountain to the outskirts of Douglas is around seven miles. They put the 1905 finish line beyond the lowest point, so