Mazda RX-8 R3

Forty eight of the 600 cars in this catalogue come from Japan, yet only one takes engineering in this particular direction. The Mazda RX-8 R3 sits inside that national group as the catalogue's only naturally aspirated rotary car, one of just two rotary powered entries, and one of only two that pair a rotary engine with rear wheel drive. Those numbers define it long before its performance figures do, because they make it an outlier in a collection built around variety.

That distinction is not supported by excess power or speed. With 228 bhp, it ranks 556th of the 600 cars here. Its 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.4 seconds places it 562nd, faster than 38 others, while a top speed of 234 km/h ranks 555th. Read in isolation those figures seem modest, but the catalogue makes clear that this car's significance lies elsewhere. It asks the reader to notice configuration before output, engineering choice before headline statistics.

The rotary engine displaces just 1.3 litres, remains naturally aspirated, and sends 211 Nm to the rear wheels. In a catalogue where almost every car follows more familiar mechanical paths, this combination stands alone. The RX-8 R3 is also a 2+2 seater fixed head coupé, adding everyday usefulness to an engineering layout that appears only twice across all 600 cars. That balance between an unusual powertrain and a recognisable sports car format explains why it occupies such a distinctive corner of the collection.

Its position becomes even more interesting when price enters the picture. At around £8,000 on the used market, it is the least expensive rotary car in the catalogue. Only six cars across the entire 600 cost more, placing it 594th by used price, while its cost per bhp works out at £35. Mazda contributes seven cars to the collection, yet this is the one that most clearly separates itself from both its stablemates and the wider field through mechanical identity rather than outright numbers.

A dream garage built entirely around the fastest, most powerful or most expensive cars would still leave a gap that this Japanese coupé fills with unusual precision. It changes the conversation simply by being present.

Nothing else here does quite the same job.