Here is a machine whose time may have arrived. It is a vehicle for getting your kicks on the highway but more suited to the current state of the world than the mega-expensive German supercar you might have had your eye on. And, arguably, it is safer than the ultra-rapid Italian superbike you promised yourself.

The Can-Am Spyder three-wheeler aims to give some of the raw excitement of a motorbike but with the inherent stability of a car. And the 125mph machine hopes to do so without combining too many of the disadvantages of both. In addition, with the onward march of economic gloom sparing few, the semi-automatic Spyder’s £16,000 purchase cost ($17,699 in the US) is a lot more acceptable than the price tag on a light jet or super yacht.