I've had 3 4/4.s and found them to be nimble but slightly underpowered, even my 7Oth with the 1.8 Duratec and 125 bhp was a little gutless and on the narrow tyres did wriggle a bit at the back, when you reached the limits of adhesion. By comparison my 2012 Plus 4 with the 2.0 Duratec and 140 bhp is a step up from the 1.6 110bhp and very noticeable performance increase. The level of increased grip and ground clearance of the Plus 4 sport with the 205/65/15 tyres makes for a very flat handling car with a very compliant ride by comparison. Be wary of the rev hang which some cars of this era experience, it can spoil the enjoyment of the car.
I would try a Plus 4 sport you may be very pleasantly surprised by the relative increase in performance and improved handling envelope, won't ever set the world alight but 2 up the extra power and grunt shows compared to the 4/4.
I've also had a Roadster and that a step level change yet again, whilst much faster than the Plus 4, I found I could use the Plus 4 performance in all weather conditions, with the Roadster it was generally fine in the dry but a bit of a handful in the wet, as the rear tyres adhesion was easily overwhelmed by the torque of the motor.
Several people have mentioned rev hang on the 2 litre Duratec, Although when the 3.7 litre Roadster was introduced, rev hang was well documented, I have never experienced it on my 2011 +4. Also, I have never heard of anyone complaining of such in our local MSCC centre.
Maybe luck of the draw but of course forewarned is forearmed.
