The Exige attracts a lot of questions. It’s an enigma, because as a device it is so hard to classify. With its unique design, is it a sportscar or a junior supercar? Well I have to say both, except I think to truly understand the Exige, you have to be thinking not in the present, but in the past. This is when everything starts to stack up. If you said to somebody in the 70s or 80s that you own a Fibreglass, mid-engined two seater car with around 300bhp, contortionist-like entry and exit, poor outward rear visibility and arse-on-the-floor driving position, you’d instantly be thinking of something like a Ferrari 308, a BMW M1 or perhaps even a Ford RS200.

Now take one of the above cars, add in some relatively decent running costs, modern reliability and a price lower than most current GT cars, and you’re starting to understand why the Exige is so coveted by those who own them.

I adore the Exige. Mine is a 2016 Exige S V6 in Signature Orange, featuring a “Premium” Pack (cruise control and carpet - I know!) and a “Race” pack (one above Sport mode and more than just a gimmick, as it actually opens up another 200RPM to play with at the top end, plus it includes a unique Bosch Traction Control System which learns the surface’s grip level and adjusts slip accordingly).

As I type, it’s currently sitting at around 41,000 miles on the clock, which means since I purchased it in late December 2018, I’ve covered over 34,000 miles in three years! That’s more than most people cover in their shopping trolleys! This wasn’t a part of the plan to be honest, but it’s been so reliable and fun to own, I can’t help but constantly go out for a drive!

I have other cars, but why would I take anything else if I can take the Exige? It’s a cheap car to run, and it isn’t affected by mileage as much as a “Supercar”, so if I want to use it, I don’t feel guilty. If I want to drive to the South of Spain, I can, and I don’t need to worry about transporting the car on a truck, plus where’s the fun in that anyway. Better still, when you make such a trip, the seats are also surprisingly comfortable, so you don’t climb out searching for a chiropractor.

I’ve not-so-subtly modified my car, in case you haven’t noticed as well. Again, this wasn’t the plan, and I’m sure at first sight, to some, it could look a little OTT. I don’t think Frank Stephenson will be calling me up for advice on design that’s for sure. However, growing up in a household that wasn’t the wealthiest to say the least, I dreamed as a kid of being a racing driver.

I never quite got there, but I’ve always admired race cars. Their crazy wings, large front splitters, weight-saving carbon fibre and their overall eye-catching looks whether they’re at 2 or 200mph. So when a company advertised some Carbon parts for sale, I looked at my bank account, realised I had no money, but still went to haggle a deal on them anyhow. It then cost me half the cost again, to bring these used parts up to scratch as they were looking a little worse for wear!

The second thing that raises eyebrows to the Roger Moore stratosphere is my choice of gearbox. Hear me out as I know, any Lotus die-hards will want to print this article out and burn it in disgust once I say this; it’s an Automatic with Paddle Shift. Lord forgive me, for I have… well no actually as I’m being completely honest when I say it’s the best decision I feel I could have made. I think the main issue people will have is the perception Lotus offers the purest driving experience out there, and anything other than three pedals is hearsay.

Even resident statto Craig quizzed me on this, assuming it must be some form of automatic single clutch transmission. On top of that, it's not even the best automatic box ever to be created. To both of these responses though, I’d have to disagree; within reason of course. I’m not delusional but I do have various reasons why I say this.

Firstly, my main argument for the two pedal salute (not that I’m bothered by what anybody else thinks, but the internet does love a good debate) is the fact that I’m part of a number of Supercar groups, as well as having friends dotted all over the country. Therefore the main part of a journey for me to meet up with groups/friends will be in towns and on motorways etc.

These are boring places to drive, and they demand a lot of concentration in a car that’s an inch off the floor and doesn’t have the largest windows. It’s so much more relaxing to drive the car in automatic mode, and it’s more frugal on the wallet as well. In fact the Auto model produces an official 219g/km of emissions which means it’s £340 to tax annually; the best part of £200 less than the manual variant. If I owned a manual, I honestly don’t think I would have covered anything like the mileage I have.