IF you can get your hands on a Peugeot 406 coupe, do it now before supplies finally run out.

The stunning two-door coupe is one of the most attractive and eye-catching forms of personal transport around, yet sadly it is due to disappear from production and currently there are no plans to replace it.

That means the car, already a high fashion icon, should quickly become a legend of style and splendour, which, while based on a conventional saloon, has become a chic symbol of contemporary excellence.

It may have a French name, yet it comes from a factory in Italy where some of the most exotic transport has been fashioned, so while it may be stretching the imagination to think of it in the same light as a Ferrari say, the Italians do have a special regard for beauty, and you can be forgiven the association.

I have no doubts: To my mind it has always had the loving lines of a young Ferrari, coming from the house of Pininfarina in Turin, and that is how I will continue to see it, long after production ends.

It wins approval because it does not sacrifice space for elegance and is one of the few genuine four-seater coupe's you'll find.

A potent 2.2-litre 160 bhp 16-valve petrol engine gives it stamina but perhaps one of the most surprising attributes is its availability with a diesel engine.

The Coup HDi will astonish any drivers who thought that they would never choose a diesel car. This version of the coupe's sleek beauty, strong performance, high specification, low emissions and excellent fuel economy all add up to a package which is helping to turn petrol fans into diesel drivers.

Right from the outset in May 1997 when it was first introduced, the car set a benchmark for ride and handling by which its rivals are still judged, so it's no surprise that the diesel handles just as superbly.

On the road, it is a fine match for its 2.0-litre petrol equivalent, and if you are looking for he reserves of power there is also a three-litre.

But I'll settle for the HDi, a superbly competent master of what diesel power should be like, sacrificing nothing in style, efficiency or capability to gain extra economy.

In this case the smooth, puissant 2.2-litre, turbo diesel produces 136 bhp, and allows it to equal the potential 129mph top speed of the petrol version, while supple and eager take off and response to right foot pressure on the accelerator makes it an enormously enjoyable car.

Impressive fuel economy and low emissions make it an attractive financial proposition as well. On the computed combined economy drive cycle, it returns 44.1 mpg, and has the benefit of low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Yet whichever version you might favour, you'll find high specification producing high levels of comfort, safety and security.

But more than that it has an indefinable elegance and that generous dash of tasteful Italian grace.

And no-one will ever remove that idea from my mind that it is the next best thing to a Ferrari coupe which could make it a sound investment as a future classic.