The 5.0-litre V8 feels even mightier than the 2.3-litre, four-cylinder, but you have to be prepared to work it hard before it feels as rapid as 444bhp would suggest. How much harder? Let’s just say it does its best work beyond 3500rpm and hits its peak output at a heady 7000rpm. It's well worth the effort, though. We prefer the V8 for its thunderous noise and the rabid performance it delivers – performance that's entirely appropriate for a car with this kind of road presence. With an official 0-62mph time of just 4.9 seconds, it's also significantly quicker than a similarly priced Audi A5.