And yet, it's the Superleggera which smashes home its point the most. The cockpit of this thing looks like a fighter-jet, and even though the doors don't feature the classic scissor method of operation, you're bathed in a feeling of absolute exclusivity from the time you walk up to the time you've parked-up and are walking away.

Why haven't I mentioned the R8 yet? Well, it's because it is just too damn well-rounded! Sitting in the hot-seat feels very much like sitting in any other sporty product available from the four-ringed brand! All right, so you sit a bit lower than normal, and that delightful, gated transmission is a clear statement of supercar intent, but otherwise standing still, at least you could be forgiven for wondering just how this body-kitted TT has any hope of keeping up with the full-blown exotica lined up before it.

Hitting the tar

And now, finally, the drive.

Now we didn't have these vehicles, nor Kyalami in fact, for long enough to put each one through our traditional hot lap regime, but managed to grab enough time in each to at least get some basic impressions. And for the most part, basic impressions in this case are enough.

Kicking off with the 8C, that gearbox doesn't immediately impress, making for jerky pull offs and a helluva time when manoeuvring the vehicle just so for our new, picky photographic team! Once you're on the move it's all right, but lacking the ferocity of the e-Gear set-up fitted to Lambo's finest or even the F1-shift that comes with the Ferrari F430.

It certainly shifts, that monumental wall of noise shoving the lightweight RWD coupe up the road with seemingly undiminished force when you open the taps all the way. And through the corners it's a tactile delight, genuinely engaging the driver in the way in which an Alfa must to maintain the best images of the brand. It helps that its V8 develops a fulsome 331kW, the second most of all the cars assembled here, although the weight of the 8C means the 0-100km/h dash takes a little longer than expected, at 4.5 seconds according to the manufacturer.

It's peculiarly soft through the bends though, despite seeming rock-hard on straighter stuff.

On this point, it's interesting to note that the 8C is in fact not built by Alfa Romeo. It's made on Maserati's line, and when the option came up to incorporate this Italian manufacturer's adaptive damping set-up, called Skyhook, the Snake 'n Shield boys turned it down flat. Perhaps this should be returned to the options list in our opinions…

Naturally, the Superleggera absolutely eats up the smooth surface beneath it, and slices through the bends with absolute confidence while generating mammoth lateral loadings, which seem to introduce no bodyroll whatsoever!

The e-Gear transmission is also not the most spectacular thing when pootling, but at maximum attack it absolutely comes into its own, allowing you to concentrate completely on your braking points and steering inputs to extract the most of this staggering performance envelope.

The real trick to this show-stopping performance is also not that monster V10 and the group-leading 390kW it produces, but rather all that carbonfibre which keeps this baby supercar’s weight down to 1360kg. Which translates to a rip-snorting 3.8-second dash from rest to the benchmark ton, which is blisteringly rapid no matter what you line up against!

Both the 911 and Audi develop almost identical power outputs, although the 911 is the more impressive engineering feat being down two cylinders and a good few hundred ccs on the R8's 4.2-litre FSI V8, and although AWD versus RWD, the latter wins with a 4.2-second claimed 0-100km/h run, versus the Audi's slightly slower 4.6 secs.

Although the R8 may feel a bit ordinary from behind the wheel at times, when you commit completely it comes alive beautifully. This is a chassis which has been built to have a bit of a play, and even with Quattro driving all four wheels you can call the tail into play at your whim, and control it with relative ease despite the mid-engined layout.

The GT3 RS may still have its engine all the way out in the back, but this chassis has been absolutely perfected with that weight distribution in mind. It's punishingly hard, although on the track this isn't a concern, and engages the driver on every level while performing a virtuoso act of sheer technical brilliance on the grip front. It is without a doubt the most honed track weapon of these four however.

So which to take?

Well, cop-out time methinks. You see, given the money, we'd all really have all four of these beauties in our dream garage. The Superleggera when we're out to scare ourselves witless with sheer brutality, the 911 GT3 RS when the aim is to dissect a smooth, clean racetrack with clinical precision, the 8C Competizione for drooling over and the odd bout of sheer oversteering drama, and the R8 — well it really is an accomplished enough all-rounder to be the one we'd use on a day-to-day basis.

Although, having said that, a supercar which is sufficiently compromised to excel in every situation largely defeats the point, as highlighted by the ruthlessly focussed Superleggera which, if given the option of only one to take home, would ultimately take my vote.

The 8C just isn't hardcore enough from a handling perspective, while the 911 treads too far on the other extreme once you leave the track.

Lamborghini's Gallardo Superleggera gets every compromise it needs to make just right, and is simply achingly desirable as a result...