Ahhh...I see! For some reason I thought you were older than that and since you (plural) are always talking in great detail about how other cars are like to drive, I did wonder!
I had my 1.2 until I was 21, but always had the use of my dads 3.0 Volvo 960. It was by no means a cool car but was excellent for surprising people - especially the hot hatches!! On reflection, my Valver probably isnt any quicker, especially mid-range (Volvo has auto box & kickdown!).