THE BOY racers of yesterday are growing up, but instead of ditching their beloved imports and opting for something a little more refined, they're sticking to exotic imported American and Japanese models, says the UK's largest high street insurance broker, Swinton.

The company is launching Swinton Specialist, a dedicated team to handle the upsurge in customers seeking quotes for non-standard motor insurance. In the last 12 months Swinton says it has seen an 18% hike in demand for such quotes with grey imports - cars not available in this country - remaining massively popular.

Imported cars with high specifications are offering good value thanks to the current strength of Sterling. This, combined with the trend for short-term car ownership and low corrosive driving conditions in the far east and states, has created a huge market of prime condition grey motors affordable to UK owners.

Neil Ackinclose, head of Swinton Specialist, said: "Grey, performance and modified cars have never been more popular in the UK. The internet has become THE market place for car sales, and this has opened up the international car market to UK buyers."

"We continue to see growing interest from the younger end of the market, where customers have high disposable incomes and credit is easily obtainable," qdded Ackinclose.

"Grey imports lend themselves excellently to this market, especially when prices can start for as little as £2,000.

"We also believe that high house prices have barred many twenty-somethings from getting on the property ladder, meaning their money is freed-up to spend on nice cars. Importing is now extremely popular as it offers excellent value for stylish, individual machines."