In the past, 100bhp-per-litre was the sort of figure you might expect from a high performance sports car. Standard family cars never came near it, and would have been unacceptably difficult to drive if they did.

It’s still unusual now, but thanks to technical developments in general and turbocharging in particular it's far from uncommon, even in everyday models. Here is a list of 25 cars which exceed 100bhp/litre anything from comfortably to extravagantly. Some are exotic and expensive, while others are part of the automotive furniture – indeed there’s a fair chance you might even own one yourself.

We include a quote from our review of the car and its engine at the time: