Bentley Continental GT – now or never!

On August 13, 2023August 13, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

When I bought my 2015 Range Rover a couple of years ago (for which I’m sad to say, I’m not even close to finding a satisfactory replacement, but thanks to those of you who have helped me trying!), there were a lot of people telling me how it was no doubt the beginning of the end, provided long assessments of everything that would break and how the car would drive me in financial ruin. Of course most of these had never actually owned a Range but of course they knew anyway, especially since the car had around 100.000 km on the clock.

As mentioned previously, there were a number of factors that made me confident with the purchase, most importantly the selling garage’s excellent reputation, the fact that they were willing to extend a two-year full warranty, and that I knew that the car had mostly been used for longer distances. Cars are made for driving, not being parked in a garage, so in many instances a car with more km’s can be preferable to one with less. To that came the fact that the car was extremely well maintained and that the Land Rover V8 is not only a very solid engine that is just about run in at 100.000 km’s, but also quite an economical one. I’m currently averaging at around 12l / 100 km, roughly 8l less than what the self-proclaimed experts told me would be the case. This is of course mostly long distance, but that’s what I bought the car for.

*Best car I ever had – and it hasn’t ruined me in any way!*

Of course I could still have had issues and no, Land Rover certainly doesn’t have the best reputation for reliability. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, just like I was 10 years ago when I owned an Alfa 166 a few years without a single issue. The fact of the matter is however that now, two years after I bought the Range, I’ve forgotten where I put the warranty papers as not a single thing has gone wrong. The lesson there is certainly not that I’m never wrong, but rather that here as well as in other areas, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear, but rather do your own research and form your own opinion.

Against that background, let’s look at a similar case to my Range but one that no doubt will cause severe cardiac issues for every naysayer. Because if the Range would drive one to financial ruin, this machine would probably do so with the rest of your family and neighbors as well. It’s a car that was actually suggested as replacement to me as alternative to the Range, but that unfortunately doesn’t really fit the bill. Because in terms of bang for the buck, there can’t be much that beats an early version of the by now classic Bentley Continental GT.

*The first series launched in 2003 – slightly heavy, but an elegant design*

11 years ago, in the early days of this blog when it was still in Swedish, my co-blogger Sven drove a Continental GT after its first face-lift (more on that below), and provided a rather sober assessment of the car not being for him (he’s a fan of Maranello machines) and also not really being worth the money as new. That I won’t argue with, but now 11 years have passed since the face-lift and 20 since the new Continental GT was premiered, so that second point has certainly changed. This makes it worth revisiting the case, also since I had the opportunity to drive an early Continental GT last week.

For memory, Volkswagen bought Bentley in 1998 and five years later, launched the Continental GT as the first Bentley ever to be produced not by hand by elderly men in coats up in Crewe, but rather by modern production techniques to a budget. Those last words are important as they certainly contributed to putting quite a few Audi parts in the car as part of the process, which made the true enthusiasts reject the Continental right away as some kind of pimped Audi not worthy of the brand.

*The permanent 4WD ensures as much fun on snow as on road!*

I think a more sober assessment makes it pretty clear that without the VW take-over and the launch of the Continental GT, the Bentley brand would be long gone. Instead there are today 4000 car builders working in Crewe, compared to around 1500 at the time of the take-over. It’s also worth noting that with every new series of the Continental, it has become less and less Audi – at least in the visible parts. Here we’ll focus on the two first series, i.e. not including the current one launched in 2018, as these cars are still quite pricey.

To me, the Contintental has always been a good-looking and timeless creation. Seen from the side it’s a testament to many classic Bentleys, and the front is just about aggressive enough. Its least good angle is certainly the rear which lacks a bit of finesse, something that didn’t really change until the current series. The first version was produced until 2011 and was only available with the W12 engine that VW had previously featured in the Phaeton (another car that can be had for not much these days but that contrary to the Bentley, there is no reason to get…). It put out 560 hp with much, but not all the refinement of a more traditional V12.

*Yes, there are some Audi switches, but this is still a beautiful interior!*

All cars had four-wheel drive and were also available as convertible, and the Speed that appeared in 2007 along with the Supersports from 2009 deserve a special mention. The former saw power increased to 608 hp and rode lower on larger wheels, the latter had performance pushed even further to 630 hp, which along with a 110 kg weight reduction made it the fastest Bentley ever at the time, with a top speed of 330 km/h.

The Series II, launched in 2012, introduced the double-turbo, four-liter V8 as alternative to the W12. At 500 hp it was less powerful but the car was also lighter and still capable of a top speed of over 300 km/h. Cosmetic changes on the outside were limited but the inside showed an improved cabin less reminiscent of Ingolstadt. Above all though, the ride, handling and steering were clearly improved over the first version. As with the first series, various special editions including Speed and Supersports were launched through the years.

*The Supersports is a bit more bad boy, notably sitting lower on bigger wheels*

I drove a W12 from 2008 this week and driving-wise, I can only concur with what my friend Sven observed 11 years ago, which basically boils down to the fact that you can’t hide 2.3 tons. That means the Continental in all versions, possibly with the exception of the Supersports, is far more a GT than a true sports car. That’s however something it does very well. Comfort is opulent, the ride is sublime, isolation from the outer world almost total.

Of course anything in terms of infotainment feels very old, but you don’t really think about it and if you do, there are after-market options for most things. Leather and wood however both age pretty well, and that’s what dominates the interior. This is a car that will transport two in utter comfort on longer journeys, be it in summer or winter, and that will allow you to stretch your legs on more or less frequent fuel stops, depending on which engine you opt for…

*The rear is the least flattering angle of the first two series*

An early, well-maintained first series Continental GT with decent mileage will today be yours from EUR 25-30.000 in Europe, a second series is around twice that, whether with the V8 or the W12. For the first series, that means around 10-20% of the car’s price as new. Of course a Continental in any version, but especially as W12, will never be a cheap car to run, and buying one should always come with a budget for running costs and unforseen repairs. If you buy a first series and set EUR 10-20.000 aside for unforseen repairs however, you will sleep well at night knowing you’ll be able to cover most things that can come up.

The main reason that a Continental GT is an easier purchase than with the Ferraris and Porsches we love, is that most of these have previously been owned by elderly people with money who don’t know what a track day is, read the manual from the first to the last page, never rev the car beyond 2000 rpm and follow the service intervals meticulously. And it that wasn’t enough, I would also think that the fact that Audi bought Bentley five years before the Continental was launched bodes pretty well. This certainly made the modern Continental more reliable than its predecessor, that cost EUR 120.000 more as new, 12 years earlier!

*The original Continental was big, heavy, handbuilt and expensive!*

Cars like the Continental and engines like the W12, or even the double-turbo V8, belong to the past as we all know, and will never be built again. It’s very difficult to know which way the car world will evolve in the coming years but at this price point, if you’re into big, opulent GT cars, then a Continental of the first or second series is a wonderful proposition. It may come at a bargain price but will always look like a million bucks, but if you do your research carefully, chances are it doesn’t require you to be a millionaire. All in all, that’s not a bad proposition, and this is clearly a case of now or never!

When the going gets (really) tough!

On July 30, 2023August 28, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage1 Comment

Are you a fan of classic, serious all-terrain vehicles like the Land Rover Defender or the Mercedes G-Wagon? Are you of the opinion that everything was better in the old days, that the new Defender is far too comfortable, and that the G-Wagon has become a status symbol for people with no interest whatsoever in its off-road capabilities? In both cases (and especially the latter) you have my sympathy, and I’m therefore very happy to say that this week, we’ll lay your worries to rest by talking about not only a new car, but actually a new brand: Ineos and its new Grenadier. And before going any further, let me thank reader John who made me aware of this new machine!

*You won’t see too many of these on the high street!*

In the unlikely event that Ineos rings a bell, it’s most probably not as a car company but rather as a chemical business, or indeed a road cycling team. It was founded by majority owner and long-term Defender fan Sir John Ratcliffe who may well have been one of the least happy people when the old Defender had to go and was to be replaced with, in his view, a chick city SUV.

When it became clear that there wouldn’t be a “real” successor to the Defender and after Jaguar Land Rover had refused to sell the rights to the original Defender to Ratcliffe, in 2016 he instead approached long-term Ineos employee Dirk Heilmann, today CEO of Ineos’ car business, telling him he wanted to create a true Defender successor. Seven years later I think we can safely conclude that Ratcliffe and Heilmann succeeded, making the Grenadier the closest thing to what a more offroad-focused Defender successor would have looked like!

*Unfortunately, you need to open the small door also to open the larger one….*

So what is then the Grenadier, built since 2022 in France in the old Smart factory in Hambach, close to the German border? Starting on the outside, there is no doubt that what you’re looking at is a Defender at heart, however with subtle differences and improvements. An example are the lateral roof windows that have been replaced with bars to which various pieces of kit can be attached. An even better one is the trunk or rather rear luggage door that has been split into a smaller and a larger part, so that for small items you only need to open the smaller door. Otherwise the Grenadier comes in a few different body styles and trim levels, but what they all have in common is a body with short overhangs, sharp angles and large windows. It’s practical, provides a great overview of the car, and has a strong resemblance to the you-know-what.

The utilitarian aspect is carried over to the inside which is dominated by a very large, center console. Apparently Ineos have looked at trucks and airplanes when designing the different buttons and switches, and consequently created an interior without shiny surfaces to touch, preferring controls of a size that allows you to operate them with your gloves on. The infotainment screen above the center console is actually a touchscreen, but one that can also be operated by a control in the middle. The unit allows you to save off-road maps on it for when you leave the beaten path, but also offers practicalities like Android Auto and Apple Car Play. A bit strange is of course the absence of a gauge cluster, and also the switches next to your head, which may be cool but are probably quite difficult to read off when driving…

*You can have leather seats – if you must…*

All Grenadiers will have one of two six-cylinder BMW engines, either a diesel with 249 hp or a petrol with 285 hp. These are coupled to an eight-speed auto box from ZF and permanent all-wheel drive with as standard a central differential. Helping ensure the Grenadier is used as intended is also the fact that both axels are rigid, meaning on-road comfort risks being rather limited. The Italian supplier Carraro is otherwise specialized in axels for agricultural machines and trucks, which can clearly be seen on the size of that central differential…. You have been warned! Both engines will need to work hard though as the Grenadier weighs in excess of 2800 kg, some 600 kg more than a new Defender 110.

The launch of the Grenadier was delayed by Covid, having initially been planned for 2021. However, the company started taking pre-orders last that year and now, it has established a network of sale points, or rather agents, in different European countries and the US. The process is for clients to order their Grenadier directly over the website, and then pick it up at an agent who also acts as service point. And even if the price has increased from that initially planned and advertised, the car, given how capable it is, remains quite a bargain. In Europe a well-equipped Grenadier will come to EUR 90-100.000. By coincidence, that’s more or less aligned with the new Defender, so at least that have that in common…

It’s not everyday that a new car brand is launched and certainly not one that builds true terrain vehicles rather than yet another EV. Somehow however, compared to some others, there doesn’t seem to be any doubt that Ineos will succeed. Ratcliffe is a dedicated man able to secure the financing, but he has also surrounded himself with a team of experienced car people, making the whole setup look very promising.

That said, recent tests indicate that the Grenadier is by no means a perfect car. To name a few things to be aware of before you sign on the dotted line, the steering is very much set up for offroad use, meaning there’s close to no self-centering on road. I’ve already meantioned the weight, which obviously means it’s quite thirsty and generally cumbersome, and it also has a terrible turning circle of around 13.5 metres, 2 metres more than the Defeinder. Differentials are manual, not electronic like in modern terrain cars, adding to the complication. This is explained by Ineos’s wish to create an analogue car – but does it really make sense to ignore modern technology when it improves things? Buyers will need to be the judges of that.

The plan is to produce 40-50.000 cars per year, which given what we know so far seems reasonable, and should they succeed, you can count on further body styles and perhaps also engine options being added to the range. There’s thus little doubt that the Grenadier is the real thing when the going gets really tough. The question is perhaps if it’s also the real thing on the road… Expect to see fewer around than that shiny G-Wagon or the new Defender, but as a Grenadier owner, every time you cross one of those, both of you will know who’s the real king!

Street finds: the Jaguar F-Type!

On July 23, 2023July 23, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage1 Comment

The first street find in a while is actually more a forest find, pictured above next to my son’s Lupo GTI that I used earlier this week for the drive to the local exercise trail. It was when I came back from my run that I saw the F-Type from the angle depicted. Looking at it from the side, I was struck by how nicely the lines flow, something I hadn’t noticed before (my temporary lack of oxygene may have contributed to the revelation moment…). An F-Type isn’t that rare but it’s also not something you see everyday, and given it has its 10-year anniversary this year, I thought we’d have a closer look at the car that was Jaguar’s first two-seater in 50 years!

When the F-type was presented in 2013, it was about 30 years after Jaguar had recognized the need for a replacement for the quickly aging, and by then too big XJ-S, that I wrote about three years ago. Two prototypes were thus developed already in the early 80’s, but then Jaguar was taken over by Ford a few years later, meaning plans and priorities changed. The prototypes instead became the Aston Martin DB9 and Jaguar XK8, which however, at least in theory, are four-seaters. Various other events, notably Jaguar’s decision to enter Formula 1, meant that they F-Type wasn’t shown to the world until 2013, and was then presented as the “spiritual successor” to the legendary E-Type.

*Nice proportions with a touch of E-Type Coupé seen from the rear*

Built since 10 years by now, it’s clear that apart from having only two seats, there’s not much the E- and F-types have in common, although the rear of the coupé does bear a certain resemblance to its predecessor. To me the coupé is also the one to go for since it looks far better than the convertible. Designer Ian Callum produced a very well-proportioned and good-looking sports car seen from the side and the rear, with the front being a bit too anonymous. The convertible was launched a few months ahead of the coupé in 2013, and both versions received a face lift in 2020 that notably improves the front.

*The face lift version from 2020 has a more aggressive front*

The inside is well in line with the F-type’s natural role as a GT car, and anyone familiar with Land Rover and Jaguar interiors from this period will quickly find their mark. Engine-wise, these days the range starts with a 2-litre, 4-cylinder engine with 300 hp, in line with the general trend of less somehow being more. When the car was launched though, it was with two versions of a 3-litre, straight six or alternatively, with the well-known Jaguar/Land Rover 5-litre V8. The V6 versions could be had with a six speed manual rather than the more common 8-speed automatic box, and the stronger version was also available with all-wheel, rather than rear-wheel drive.

At 340 and 380 hp, the strongest six-cylinder was 115 horses down on the V8 (at 495 hp) at launch. It was also slightly, but only sightly less loud. Because if there’s one thing the F-type has in common with the E-type after all, it’s the very loud engine, or rather exhaust sound. With the V8 under the hood, forget all about sneaking away early in the morning without waking up the neighbors…

This is obviously the same engine I have in my Range, where it’s however so discreet that you sometimes wish they would have allowed for slightly more exhaust noise to come through. The F-Type is in other words a nice testament to the power of a good exhaust! If however nothing’s too loud for you, then be aware there’s also an SVR version of the F-Type, adding another 80 hp to a total of 575 hp and producing even better cornering speeds. In any case, power and sound will be plentiful!

Even if the F-type won’t reach the legendary status of the E-type, the good-looking and driving-wise, well-balanced and well behaving two-seater is quite popular, with second-hand values holding up pretty well. That it appeals to other buyers than those wanting a complement to the family Discovery was clearly shown a few years after the launch, at which point 75% of all F-Type buyers came from other car brands.

*The roadster doesn’t look bad, but less special than the coupé*

Well-maintained coupés and convertibles trade between EUR 35-50.000 in Europe depending on mileage, the face-lift version will start at about 10.000 more for the 300 hp, two-litre version. If you’re more into nice weekend cruises than track days and can’t withstand a roaring engine, the F-type is probably a good alternative – and one that requires for less maintenance than its “spiritual predecessor”!

The UK’s most successful sports car!

On July 9, 2023July 9, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

As we’re still in the first half of summer in the Northern hemisphere, the theme of a nice roadster continues to feel very timely. A few months ago I wrote about the legendary Triumph Spitfire, perhaps the easiest and cheapest entry into the British roadster tradition, and more recently we also looked at the forgotten Porsche 914, a German take on the roadster concept. This week we’re back in the UK for a slightly more robust alternative to the Spitfire that remains very reasonable budget-wise – the MGB. And you may be surprised to hear that the car we’re all somehow familiar with ranks as the UK’s most successful sports car ever!

It’s also very timely to look at the MGB right now, not just because we’re in the summer, but also since not only is it 100 years since the Morris Garages (MG) brand was founded, it’s also 60 years since the MGB was premiered. Originally however, MG wasn’t a proper car brand but rather a side kick to the regular garage business belonging to a certain William Morris in Abingdon, UK. In the side business, Morris and his colleagues would take boring Morris Oxford cars, work on them and hereby especially the chassis frame and transform them into if not sports, then at least sportier cars that they would then take to the race track on weekends.

*The guys around the car are probably the ones that built it the week before!*

In the late 20’s the MG brand separated from Morris Garages and start to make a name for itself in on the racing circuit. It hereby also created a bit of a mystical reputation, often being talked about as a car company with a soul that was almost palpable when you entered the factory. Be that as it may, it was certainly a car company with guts, as the MG guys choose to race the MGB’s predecessor, the MGA, in prototype form at Le Mans in 1955, managing to finish the race with two cars. They continued to do well in 1956, the first official year of production of the MGA, notably in the Mille Miglia.

Fast forward to the early 60’s and MG had become part of BMC, later to become the British Leyland group, as was notably Triumph. The time was rife for a replacement to the MGA had come but before that, as a side project, MG built a machine called the EX-181 that looked like a soap and was powered by a 300 hp, supercharged engine. Driven by Phil Hill, the car would set a speed record of 254 Mph (408 km/h) on the Salt Flats in Utah, thereby also doing wonders for MG’s racing reputation. When MG introduced the new MGB roadster in 1963 as the MGA’s replacement, they actually claimed the design was derived directly from the EX-181, which is perhaps something that doesn’t exactly jump to the eye…

*Phil Hill was a brave man, driving the EX-181 at more than 400 km/h in Utah…*

MG’s original plan was to use the MGA chassis for the MGB as well, but in the development process it was discovered that it didn’t leave enough designer freedom to create the wider but still low car they wanted the MGB to be. MG therefore re-thought the whole project and in the end, built the MGB as a monocoque rather than the traditional body-on-frame construction. One of the advantages of the new construction was enough strength to handle considerably bigger engines but as it turned out, MG would only make use of that in the MGB GT V8, more on that later.

The design of the new car was a purely internal affair, with no fancy Italian design houses involved. Basically the head of design brought his idea to the model maker, who in turn built a small model for approval by the CEO, after which he would do a full-scale model. The development would then start, leading to the finished car a few months later. Not many committees or Zoom meetings there! Even if the MGB didn’t really look much like the EX-181 record setter, most would agree that it’s a nice design, very roadster-specific and relatively timeless. It was also hugely successful notably in the US, to which MG started shipping around 40.000 cars per year in the mid-60’s, as compared to around 5.000 for the UK market.

*A timeless look, more modern than for example a Triumph TR4*

A selling point for the MGB was clearly the superior room both for people and their luggage that the relatively wide car body offered. Another was no doubt its relative simplicity. The power unit in the form of an 1800 cc, four-cylinder, transersal BMC engine was perhaps not very exciting as it was essentially a larger version of the engine used in the MGA. The 95 hp it developed were however sufficient, but when emission regulations became stricter in the crucial US market, the power number started dropping to just below 70 hp for MGB’s from the mid-70’s. The engine was coupled to a four-speed gearbox with overdrive available as an option, and disc brakes in the front were combined with drum brakes in the back.

To increase the appeal of the car, MG were set on offering the MGB also with a roof, but the MG guys didn’t manage to find a solution that looked attractive, so in the end the had to turn to, you guessed it, one of those fancy Italian design houses. Pininfarina created the MGB GT that was shown to the world three years after the roadster, in 1965. It was also the GT that in 1973 finally saw MG making use of that larger engine bay, by fitting the Rover V8 engine used notably in the Range Rover Classic in it.

*The roadster is a great looking car, perfectly usable as a practical daily driver*

The V8 may have been bigger but given it was an aluminium construction, it actually weighed less than the 1800 cc four-cylinder, meaning not many modifications were required. There were however various other problems, leading to very few V8’s being produced. On one hand MG could never get enough engines from Rover to build as many cars there was demand for, and on the other that demand quickly vanished with rising oil prices in the 70’s. In the end, the V8 would be taken out of production only two years later, in 1975, after no more than some 2.600 GT V8’s had been built.

Given the increasingly tough regulations not only on emissions but also on safety standards in the US, the 70’s weren’t kind to the MGB. I’ve mentioned the dropping engine power of the 1800 cc unit above, and added to that were some pretty horrific, moulded rubber bumbers that MG had to fit to the cars from 1975 onwards, replacing the stylish chrome model that had been used until then.

*The late 70’s wasn’t a great design period for the MGB – either…*

There were other, corporate problems as well, linked to a generally cash-strapped British car industry and other British Leyland brands such as Triumph that were given higher priority to develop the futuristic TR7, rather than trying to modernize the ageing MGB. And so the last MGB rolled out of the factory in Abingdon in 1980, and the factory itself closing its doors later the same year.

Between 1963 and 1980, no less than 387.000 MGB’s were produced, a record for any UK sports car. To that should also be added 125.000 GT’s, a pretty remarkable number given the far shorter production run, but only 2600 MGB GT V8’s. This is of course reflected in today’s prices with the V8’s being most sought-after. They start at roughly twice the USD/EUR 20.000 the four-cylinder roadster or coupé trade at in good condition. At that level it’s difficult to go wrong, as the MGB is also a simple and thereby economical car. Get a nice roadster version with chrome bumpers, and as a US MG commercial at the time would say: “at no extra cost, MG gives you the sun!”.

Summer cars and value appreciation!

On June 18, 2023June 18, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage1 Comment

If you live anywhere near central Europe or indeed visited this part of the world during the first three weeks of May, you will have experienced what turned out to be the rainiest May in many years in most places. Villages in northern Italy were flooded but also in other parts, it seemed there was no end to the water falling from the sky. And then as always when despair is near, it all turned at the end of the month, and from North to South, Europe has been sunny ever since. Fingers crossed that it remains so!

Had you been in the market for an enthusiast car in early May, odds are therefore that you would have selected something with a roof. Then again, as soon as the sun comes out, all is forgotten and it becomes obvious that a convertible is the right way to travel through summer. In both cases, if you read this blog regularly, you will have seen my posts on various enthusiast cars, with or without roof, modern or old, and quite often with some kind of idea or prediction as to the direction their price may move going forward.

*Nothing like enjoying summer in a nice convertible!*

I would claim never to have given any kind of guarantee that this or that car is a safe store of value, or the investment of a lifetime. A professional career in finance and more disclaimers than I care to remember have taught me to be very careful with such statements, but even so, it’s of course a valid question to ask whether my more general statements have been correct? Let’s therefore look back at three enthusiast cars I’ve written about in the last years and where I’ve thought they would move up in value, to see if they’ve done so?

For this exercise to be relevant for as many as possible, we’ll do this looking at three different price segments – the perfect convertible summer car for a small budget, the last naturally aspirated Ferrari, and then also the last non-hybrid Ferrari that I called a supercar bargain back in January 2022 in one of the most read posts on this blog.

*The Alfa Spider, here in Mk II, was a delightful long-runner!*

It was back in August 2020, almost three years ago, that I wrote about the Alfa Romeo Spider, one of Alfa’s longest-running cars given it was built for almost 30 years, and also the last car to have been designed by the grand old man Battista Pininfarina himself. Nothing has changed in three years as to the Spider’s suitability as a perfect summer roadster for two; it’s a pretty car with plenty of room for your better half and you, and your luggage. At only 1100 kg it’s sufficiently motorized by the 1.7 litre or 2 litre engines, and it’s also more reliable than a comparable English roadster, Oh yeah, it’s cheap as well.

At the time, I wrote that the first, “boat-tail” series had started to get expensive but the later series hadn’t, and that “My guess is that especially the later series that today can still be had for EUR 20.000 or even less for nice examples, still have further to go.”. Well, I guess they still may, but they certainly haven’t gone anywhere yet. There seem to be enough Spiders out there still for prices to remain low for now, which is good news if you’re in the market. But in terms of my predictive power, this isn’t one I was right on.

*The F430 is one of the all-time greats from Maranello*

Let’s next have a look at the Ferrari F430, also known as the Baby-Enzo because of its backlights, that I wrote about a year ago almost to the day. As said at the time, it’s one of my all-time Maranello favourites and of course, the last naturally aspirated eight-cylinder from Ferrari. It wasn’t just the engine though that was a step forward vs its predecessor, the F360. The driving experience, interior and basically the whole car was so as well.

At the time I wrote that the large price premium on the 10% of cars with a manual box (i.e. around 1500 cars all in all) wasn’t motivated, and that “For a “regular” F430, meaning a coupé with the F1 semi-automatic gearbox, prices start around EUR 80-90.000”. Had I written the piece today, I would rather have said that they start at around EUR 100.000, meaning an increase of about 10% over the last 12 months. Not dramatic, but still not bad in such a short time. I would therefore claim that my statement that it had upwards potential given that it was barely more expensive than the F360 at the time, was correct.

*The Spider will of course cost you a bit more than the coupe…*

Looking through the stats of the most popular posts on this blog, the one where I called the Ferrari F8 a supercar “bargain” from only six months ago consistently comes out on top. Just like the F430 was the last naturally aspirated V8 from Ferrari, the F8 was the last non-hybrid one. It’s the successor of the 458 and the 488 (a face-lift on a face-lift if you want to be mean) and the model that was the bridge between combustion-engined Ferraris and the new hybrid generation.

At the time of writing, when comparing it especially to its predecessor, the 488 Pista which is a much more hardcore car, the F8 looked very much like a bargain at the EUR 250-260.000 cars then started. That was reinforced by the McLaren 720s that I still think about as the closest competitor, being slightly more expensive. Today, I can only say that I should have acted according to my beliefs, since EUR 290-300.000 is where prices start today, only six months later. And earlier this year production of the F8 ended, so my guess would be that the F8 continues on that trajectory.

*The McLaren 720S that I compared the F8 to on the other hand, keeps losing value.*

To come back to those disclaimers we like to use in finance, this is of course only what the market looks now, and given this blog has a global audience, it’s important to say that this is written from a European perspective and there may certainly be price differences between this and other regions. Let me also remind you of my post from two weeks ago where I mentioned not only the importance of buying at the right price, but also not to forget associated costs for maintenance storing, etc.

Then again,disclaimers have never been any fun, so that would be a boring way to end the story. A slightly bolder statement is therefore that Ferraris which are something special, such as both the F430 and the F8, will most probably at least hold their value very well. And at EUR 20-25.000, an Alfa Spider remains very much a bargain that will also not break the bank if something goes wrong. Therefore, whichever segment you’re in, congratulations if you’re in the market, choose wisely, and enjoy the summer!

Shelby’s spitting AC Cobra!

On June 11, 2023June 11, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

Did you know that the cobra is not one snake, but rather a family of snakes? In other words, that there are far more variations of this frightful animal than one? I didn’t, at least until I started to write this. There are at least six species that are usually included when you talk about cobras, notably the king cobra, which according to the definition of a “true” cobra would otherwise not count as one. That definition is limited to the Naja species, itself containing around 20 different types that you’ll find across large parts of Asia and some parts of Africa.

*Taking another path is highly advisable*

What these all have in common is being 1.5 to 3m long, able to raise around a quarter of their body and flatten their neck to appear larger than they are, and spit. The mechanism of that, which is apparently more a squirt than a spit, goes beyond this post, but the venom they deliver in this and other ways attacks the nervous system and can be deadly. As you’ve probably gathered by now, snakes is not one of my favorite animals. I like cars though, and I certainly don’t mind the one carrying the cobra name, as AC Cobra or Shelby Cobra. Without the risk of being spat at, let’s have a closer look at it this week!

To do so, we need to go back to our old friends at Bristol that I wrote about in a post earlier this year. That’s where it starts as you may remember that in the 50’s, the aeroplanec ompany that was to become Bristol was set on building a light, two-seated sports car, which they also did. It was referred to as the AC Ace and was powered by a two-litre, straight six derived from BMW and delivering around 130 hp, tuned to a bit more for racing purposes. Of course the car was light and given it also had quite an advanced independent suspension, it did really well in different European races at the time, although it didn’t win any major ones.

The Ace wasn’t just good, it was good-looking as well!

On the other side of the pond, Carroll Shelby’s career as a racing driver was coming to an end and his next one as constructor was about to start. Shelby was a living legend already then as one of the most successful racing drivers of the time, winning most of what there was to win at the time over in America. Now in the early 60’s he was starting off as a constructor and was looking for what he called “a winning bet”. It was over at Bristol in the UK that he found it. The Brits certainly didn’t mind because by this time, they had lost the rights to use the engine the Ace had been powered by and this at least created some demand for a car, the future of which was otherwise uncertain.

*Carroll Shelby, one of the all-time greats!*

Shelby had seen the success of the Ace in Europe and now came up with the very American idea of trying to squeeze a V8 into it. The car already then looked like a slimmed down version of what the AC Cobra would later become, but just to get the context right, let’s remember that at 3.6 metres and 850 kg weight, this wasn’t really a car for which a V8 had ever been intended. AC did however send over an empty car to America where Shelby was just starting his relationship with Ford that would over the years develop into a very close one. Ford thus delivered the engines that Shelby squeezed into the car that he now started calling the Cobra.

The first V8 was a 260 c.i. (4.3l), which was quickly followed by a 289 c.i. (4.7l) second one. Shelby still didn’t feel the Cobra was fast enough though, and of course this was the time when in the US, there was really no substitute for cubic inches. In 1964 therefore, with what must have been a mighty shoe horn, Shelby finally stuffed the 427 c.i. (7l) legendary Ford V8 big-block into the Ace engine bay that had been, conceived for a 2-litre six-cylinder. In order to do so, he basically had to rebuild the whole car. The body was stretched, transmission and suspension were altered and moved but by 1964, the job was done. The “true” 427 AC Cobra was born, with only the windshield and trunk lid being identical to earlier cars.

It’s not fully clear how much power the 427 Cobra had, but Shelby believed it was around 550 hp with about 700 Nm of torque. For a rear-wheel drive car weighing in at just over 1100 kg, this meant a 0-100 km/h time of below five seconds, unseen at the time. Like the animal from which it took its name, the 427 Cobra could certainly both bite and kill you if you weren’t attentive, but much as animals such as the cobra fascinate us, the car certainly had the same effect on Shelby’s clients. Even if demand was healthy enough as it was, Shelby would use a few tricks to spur it further, such as taping a $100 bill to the dashboard and tell his passenger they could have it if they could grab it. Given he pushed the pedal to the metal at the same time, rumor has it that this marketing trick never even cost him $100…

*Muscular yes – but not as pure as the original Ace*

Unfortunately the AC Cobra would only be built until 1968 when AC stopped producing the base body that was still required to build the car. In total only 998 cars were built between 1962-1968, about a third of these were 427 Cobras, and only 250 of these were street cars. Best estimates have it that around 100 of those are left today. You’re free to guess what those trade for…

The success of the Cobra was however such that already in the 70’s, different firms started to produce replica’s of the Cobra, something that goes on to this day. With time and improving technology, many of these are better cars than the original Cobra, which of course is completely irrelevant. There is no substitute for the original (or, to be honest, for cubic inches…), and if you push it hard enough, I’m quite sure the AC Cobra can also raise at least a quarter of its body as it takes off towards the horizon!

Buying right, and at the right price!

On June 4, 2023June 4, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

What do you remember about March 2022? Russia had invaded Ukraine only a week earlier, there was a coup d’état in Burkina Faso (yes, I had to look that one up…), and then the Fed started the current rate raising cycle, thereby ending a decade of zero interest rates or if you will, free money. As we know now a year later, the subsequent increases to the current level were the quickest in history, and it’s not clear if we’re done yet. They’ve happened against a background of rising inflation after as said, a decade of zero rates and money printing, by the same central banks who are now trying to contain the inflationary pressures that resulted from it.

When you don’t get any return on your savings, you try to do so by putting your money elsewhere. And so over the last decade, pretty much every type of investment has had a good run that at least partly came to an end a bit more than a year ago. One of the best areas to put your money in this period has been various types of collectible cars – oldtimers, race cars, and then with time, pretty much every car beyond a certain age, never mind really how collectible it really is. That’s what we’ll talk about today, as everything that is priced as a collectible certainly isn’t one, which is something the new market environment will no doubt show us. I have however recently seen some excesses in the market that are frankly just ridiculous and that show that a new balance hasn’t been found yet. Being sensible in your planned car purchase is therefore more important than ever!

*Pebble beach and other car shows have been spectacular in the last years!*

Back in 2020 I wrote a post you can find here, where I went into some aspects to consider when buying your dream car. I also emphasized precisely that, i.e. that you should really buy the car because of your love and desire for it – not because you think it will increase in value. Although many cars have continued to do so, that’s worth remembering. Firstly, whether a car will rise in value or not is never a given (except perhaps for a small number of hyper-exclusive and very limited series). Secondly maintenance, storing, insurance and running any car, but especially collectibles, eats up much of the potential value increase, so at the end of the day there often isn’t much left. then again, that’s perfectly alright as long as your priority has been to enjoy the time spent behind the wheel!

You may well think this is too negative, and that value appreciation on, say a manual Porsche 911 of certain series is all but guaranteed since they haven’t yet reached the stratosphere (well, most have, but not all), and they’re becoming fewer and further between. That’s true, but then again so is a Porsche 944 which still hasn’t gone anywhere and probably never will – although its sibling (and less good looking) successor, the 968 has. I’m certainly not claiming there aren’t cars that will rise in value going forward, I’m just saying that you shouldn’t bet on it, and it’s not what should guide your purchase.

*Today worth twice as much as its better-looking predecessor…*

That said, there are a few clues to help you select a car that is both a joy to drive and can be expected to hold its value relatively well. A manual gearbox is certainly one such thing, if you look for example at a 911, a Ferrari F355, and a bunch of other cars that are 10-20 years old. Production numbers is another, as special series or limited production runs tend to hold values better. The right engine will help, as will provenance, given a famous previous owner tends to do wonders for the price. I find this last one a bit strange since it’s not like it says “this used to belong to (select your favorite famous person)” on the car, but I guess there are things that can’t fully be explained by logic…

A case in point is a classic dealer in the Zurich area who has a Porsche 928 GTS standing in the showroom. With 90.000 km on the clock the mileage is ok but not exceptional, as is the general condition of the car – very good, but not mint. The GTS was the last iteration of the 928 produced in the early 90’s. At 350 hp it had the highest power output of all 928 series and is for many the most attractive in the range, provided however that it’s a manual, which this wasn’t. The dealer had tried to compensate this with a big sign saying “Prominent Swiss previous owner”.

This country is great in many things, but it’s not like we’re lining up famous people. The only two can think of who would motivate paying more for a car according to this logic would be Roger Federer, who’s however tied to Mercedes-Benz through sponsor contracts and, well, Tina Turner, who spent the last 20 years of her life in a magnificent villa on the shores of the Zurich lake. She obviously just passed away, may she rest in peace, but before that was mostly seen in a green Bentley. The “famous previous owner” is thus most probably no one known outside of the local Zurich circle. And it doesn’t warrant you paying – hold on to your chair – around USD 110.000 for this particular 928, especially when a far more desirable manual GTS can be had in similar condition for USD 20-30.000 less. Which is still double what they cost 2-3 years ago.

Another even stranger category is that of cars that someone bought a number of years ago and never drove, so that they’re now sold with very low mileage, most often in a condition close to new – at least on the outside. Obviously, if you’ve stored a car away for 30-40 years, it’s really important to know how it’s been stored, and also if it’s been maintained throughout. Because a car that is left standing for a number of years without no one attending to it, is not a car you want. Then the question is of course also whether there’s anything attractive with the car apart from the fact that no one’s driven it, or if it’s just an old car?

An example of this is a VW Golf GL Diesel from 1983, advertised by one of the most well-known classic car dealers in the region. Someone bought this 50 hp monster 40 years ago, sealed it, and put it away, so that it only has 2.000 km on the clock. I guess the 50 hp were not that exciting even back then… It’s most probably been stored correctly and maintained throughout, but who on earth would pay the asking price of around USD 28.000 for a car that wasn’t even desirable when it was new? I can think of a large number of far better, more modern and certainly more fun small cars for that money, and I’d be really surprised if this example doesn’t sit with the dealer for a long time. As if this wasn’t enough, the 70’s shade of brown really isn’t a particular desirable color,

It’s not all bad though, because the gems are still out there, you just need to be patient and look out for them. Coming back to 911’s, and more specifically one of my favorites, the 997 Turbo, I’ve spotted a manual 2009 car in silver with a red leather interior and all the carbon packs you could have at the time, and around 85.000 km on the clock. It’s in mint condition and has had one previous owner, the F1 driver Jarno Trulli (who raced between 1997-2011 and had the good taste of scoring his only win in Monaco in 2004).

*I need to find a good reason to put my money here…*

Whether he’s famous or not is not the point, it’s more that I would assume that an F1 driver for one drives the car correctly (albeit fast…) and also knows, and has the money, to maintain it properly. Then again if that isn’t the case, I wouldn’t hesitate going for a car where it is, no matter who the previous owner is. At an ask price of around USD 85.000, the car is only slightly more expensive than comparable cars, but that is probably warranted by its history.

Desirable? To me, absolutely, I’ve had my eye on the 997 Turbo for a while and actually find the red interior pretty cool, although it’s not for everyone. Will it increase in value? Maybe, then again it certainly won’t be free to run. Does it make my “car buying pulse” increase? Definitely – at the thought of driving it that is, not speculating about its potential future value increase. If you ask me, that’s exactly as it should be. Now I just need to find a half-rational argument for it…

The forgotten (and underrated?) Porsche 914!

On May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning3 Comments

It may look like an improbable combination but as many will know, there have always been strong historical ties between Volkswagen (VW) and Porsche. This goes all the back to the birth of VW since the company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche, and Ferdinand Piech, who later became the company’s very prominent president and who is arguably the man behind much of VW’s modern success, was Piëch’s grandson.

Most of us will also feel that we know the recipe for success of a classic Porsche. Six rather than four cylinders and the engine in the back rather than the front. It also goes without saying that the car should be engineered by Porsche rather than any other suspect brand, such as… Audi. And yet, a car that at least partly followed that brief not only wasn’t much of a success, but is today largely forgotten. I’m of course talking about the Porsche 914 – how long has it been since you last saw one?

*The 914, most often in typical 70’s colors, was quite a neat car*

The recipe for a successful Porsche is actually something the company had deviated from already in the 60’s when it offered the 912 as a cheaper version of the 911. The untrained observer wouldn’t spot much of a difference between the two, but the crucial point was of course the engine in the back, where the 912 had a four-pot derived from the 356, making it a much cheaper entry model. However, by the late 60’s it was getting old and needed a replacement.

Over in Wolfsburg, home of Volkswagen, the situation was a bit the same, albeit with a different car. The VW Karmann Ghia had been built since the mid-50’s, had never been very sporty, and was starting to get old. it would continue to be built until the mid-70’s, thus overlapping with the 914 during the whole lifetime of the latter, but VW saw the new car as a way to get a sportier, entry-level car in its line-up, and also one that would (at least partially) carry the Porsche badge.

*Many interiors are in leather or vinyl, but the cloth definitely brings more 70’s feeling!*

The two companies thus entered into a joint venture aiming at combining Porsche’s engineering prowess with VW’s mass production capabilities. The project was led by none other than Ferdinand Piëch who at the time was the head of development at Porsche, and the VW-Porsche 914 was introduced in 1969 under a new distribution company founded jointly by the two brands. When it was presented to the world at the Frankfurt auto show the same year, it was shown both on Porsche’s and VW’s stand, and the decision was taken to brand it VW-Porsche in Europe, but only Porsche in the US. With regards to Europe, that probably ranks near the top of the list of great marketing mistakes…

The initial 914, referred to as 914/4, was powered by a 1.7 litre, four-cylinder engine developing a whopping 80 hp and sitting behind the seats ahead of the rear-axle, making it a mid-engined car. During the production time the volume of the four-cylinder increased to two litres, and the power up to 100 hp. Certainly not much by modern standards, but the favorable weight distribution and the low weight just over 900 kg meant that the 914 achieved higher cornering speeds than its big brother, the 911!

*The favorable weight distribution meant that the 914 did well in GT racing*

In 1970 the line-up would be complemented by the 914-6, featuring the 110 hp six-cylinder engine from the 911 and also taking over notably breaks and wheels from the latter. The simpler 914/4 had these and other parts coming from the VW 411, a not very exciting family car. Irrespective of engine, all 914’s came with a five-speed manual gearbox, the 914-6 could in addition be had with a so called Sportomatic four-speed automatic, with hydraulic gear changes and the clutch replaced by a torque-converter.

On paper the 914 had a lot going for it. Its looks were certainly not offensive and rather modern for the time. The weight distribution was better than that of the 911, as was the space, with both a front and a back booth behind the engine. The car was of course also a Targa with a detachable roof, opening the passenger space to the elements. The 914-4 was relatively cheap and as if that wasn’t enough, in 1970 it was also voted “Import car of the year” in the US – arguably quite a small category back then…

*Once removed, the roof could be stored in the rear luggage compartment*

And yet, the 914 never managed to enchant neither the masses in general, nor the Porsche crowd in particular. Porsche enthusiasts at the time would of course not accept anything but the original 911, an early version of the skepticism that would later befall the 914’s replacement, the 924. The marketing strategy VW and Porsche had gone for in Europe, notably deciding to call the car VW-Porsche rather than only Porsche like in the US, didn’t help either.

That said the 914 didn’t really see real success in the US either, with quality and rust issues on early cars not helping. To that came competition, notably in the form of the Chevy Corvette, as well as the relatively hefty price tag of the 914-6, far from the entry model price tag of the simpler 914-4. Porsche would do what they could when it was already too late, notably publishing press releases specifically pointing out that the car wasn’t supposed to be called the “Volksporsche” (People’s Porsche), which of course had the opposite effet and became the 914’s nickname that lives on until today.

*Given how cheap it is, maybe you can afford the plane too?*

Still, Porsche built a total of 119.000 914’s between 1969-1975, so to call the model a coplete failure would be exaggerated. Unfortunately, what wasn’t exaggerated were the corrosion issues, which combined with the fact that the 914 never really gained in value and thus often came in the hands of owners not really taking care of them, means that not many of the over 100′ cars are left today. Then again as said, for the ones that remain, prices haven’t evolved anywhere near those of 911’s of the same period!

In Europe the fun starts around EUR 25-30.000 for good cars, with four-cylinder cars easier to find and cheaper both to buy and maintain than the six-cylinder version. In an “everything else equal” world you’d of course choose the latter, but given everything isn’t equal most of the time, I would claim you get almost as much of the 914 feeling with the four-cylinder, and finding a car in good condition is therefore more important than the engine. You’ve probably never had a poster of the 914 on your bedroom wall, but if you’re looking for a relatively cheap entry oldtimer carrying the Porsche badge, the 914 is certainly not a bad place to start!

Street finds – the Rolls Royce Corniche Cabriolet!

On May 7, 2023May 7, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream GarageLeave a comment

Spring has been slow, cold and wet this year, which is actually the way it is most years if you live in Switzerland. Of course, at least if you’re me, you forget about it being the case over the winter, so I still manage to get as disappointed every year in April when the rain keeps on falling. Last week therefore brought a nice change for the better, also motivating the lucky owner of this magnificent Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible to bring it out of the garage where it’s no doubt been sleeping through winter, and allowing me to capture the first street find of 2023!

*A beautiful Mk III Corniche, as can notably be seen on the bumpers*

How do I know it’s slept in the dry over the winter? Well, even though it’s clearly been renovated, and this to an extremely high standard, there is no doubt that this was a car lucky enough to have a meticulous owner who would never leave her outside during the cold season. I’m almost sure the owner has a Range Rover to take him through the dark months, as the two of them would really form an almost ideal pair. Of course, he could have a Cullinan as well, but surely no one with enough taste to renovate a Corniche Cabriolet would buy a Cullinan?

When it was launched in 1971, the Corniche was very appropriately named after the magnificent Haute Corniche, a curvy road stretching from Nice to Monaco on the French Riviera. The automobile (surely you can’t call anything as magnificent simply a car?) became a real long-runner for Rolls Royce. When it was presented, the company had gone over to be owned by the British state, following some not very successful deals involving its flight division. And yet when you see the Corniche, you would never believe it’s been created by anything other than a company awash with cash, such as the opulence it offers its owner. It would be built for all of 24 years until 1995, something today’s car builders can only dream of.

This dark blue beauty with its (no doubt new) cognac hood and interior is a Mk III, meaning it was built sometime between 1989 and 1993. That means it has the updated interior, as can be seen notably on the center console, but still the 3-speed automatic gearbox (a fourth speed would come with the fourth series), and about 200 hp from its 6.75 litre V8. Of course this was the period when Rolls wouldn’t divulge the exact power output, rather referring to it as “sufficient”. It certainly was for the way you’re supposed to drive a Corniche, but by modern standards, 200 hp for a car that weighed close to 2500 kg really isn’t much to write home about.

*It should really be the ocean you see ahead!*

However Rolls was of course right. You don’t need more power when driving a Corniche, and certainly not the convertible version. It’s a car that fits best along the road it was named after, arriving in Monaco as the sun sets over the Mediterranean in time for a an early supper at the Café de Paris before trying your luck at the Casino. It’s perhaps the ultimate symbol of British blue-bloodedness but above all, to me it’s one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Given the money this owner has invested to keep it in a shape very close to new, I hope we have a sunny and long summer to look forward to!

GTO – three-letter magic!

On April 30, 2023April 30, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

I spent a few weeks in Singapore some years ago and notably had the opportunity to catch up with a local reader of this very blog, as crazy about cars as I am. He was kind enough to take me to one of the leading, local supercar dealers on what felt like the outskirts of the city, and what he had on offer was very impressive indeed.

The issue is however that if you think speed limits are tough in Europe, that’s nothing compared to Singapore. In addition, the number of cars in the small country is regulated, so before buying a car, you need to buy a license giving you the right to buy one. The number of licenses is of course limited and the price for one varies a bit but was around $100.000 in 2022, and that’s before you’ve spent a dime on the car itself.

*It’s not far from Marina Bay to Malaysia…*

That said, if you have the money to buy a supercar, spending another 100 grand on a license may not a big deal. The remaining question is however where then to drive the car like it’s supposed to be driven. As it turned out, the supercar crowd in Singapore had a plan for that as well. As a member of the local Ferrari club told me, for their club outings they drive across the border to Malaysia and rent the Sepang F1 circuit for one day. That’s what I call a track day!

Of course, track days is something we have in Europe and the US as well, although in a slightly less dramatic setting. These days however, the car you take to a track day is typically a racing-oriented street car, such as for example a 911 GT2-GT3. Looking back, it used to be the other way around….

*One of, if not the, most legendary car in the world – the 250 GTO*

To come back to the heading of this post, the three letters GTO have a direct connection to what we today associate with track days. They stand for Grand Turismo Omologato (homologated), meaning the cars a manufacturer had to build for road use for a race version of the same car to be approved. When hearing GTO many of you will directly think of the most expensive and perhaps the most legendary car in the world, the Ferrari 250 GTO, of which 36 cars were homologated for road use.

It’s often referred to as the last true road racing car since after it, safety regulations would put a stop to such extreme machines being used on public roads. In other words, this wasn’t a street car you could race on weekends, but rather a race car you could drive on public roads. Or as Shelby Myers, a car specialist at RM Sotheby’s put it: “this was the last car that you could park in your garage, drive to the track, win the race, and then drive home.”

*Racing on Sunday, commuting on Monday…*

All 36 Ferrari 250 GTO’s were built between 1962 and 1964, and none of them were identical. They were a development of the 250 GT-series with the center piece being the 3 litre, 300 hp strong V12 with six Weber carburetors and a five-speed gearbox (increased to 4 litres and 390 hp on the three cars built in 1964). The development of the car was led by the legendary Giotto Bizzarrini (read more on him here and here), although he left Ferrari before the GTO was launched.

The cars were built by Scaglietti and Enzo himself apparently selected who was allowed to buy them. With a top speed around 270 km/h, the GTO won the GT World Championships in 1962-1964 and various other races such as Le Mans, Targa Florio (see here) and the 1000 km race at Spa Francorchamps. In total, it accumulated more than 300 race wins under its belt.

*At $70m, the price record for this GTO still stands*

The GTO is often considered the last great front-engine GT car built by Ferrari. That’s not the only thing it’s been called though. Other descriptions include the most beautiful Ferrari ever built, a true living legend, and rightfully, the most expensive car in the world, It’s perhaps no surprise that buying one takes a big wallet, but just how big is illustrated by the fact that in 2014, a GTO was sold for $38m and in 2018, the current record was set at $70m. The car in question was the 1964 Tour de France winner which thereby became the most expensive vehicle ever sold. Its price as new in today’s money would have been around USD 150′, so in other words, a pretty solid investment return!

The 250 may thus have been the last true GT car, but it was not the last GTO. Fast forward to 1984, when Ferrari introduced the 288 GTO at the Geneva Auto Salon. The car cost around $300.000 at the time, for which you could have got no less than for example three MB 500 SL’s, and it sold out before the Salon was over. If you find a 288 GTO today you can add a zero to that number, which still makes it a bargain compared to the 250 GTO. It may be far less legendary but not less important – rather the contrary.

*The 288 GTO set Ferrari’s hyper car strategy for the future!*

The 288 GTO (later called only GTO) was launched in period where Ferrari’s line-up with the 308, 328, Mondial and 412 was not the best it had ever been, and the company wasn’t doing very well financially. The new 512 was indeed an extravagant sports car in Enzo Ferrari’s taste, but he wanted something more. Or was it maybe the changes in the Group B rally regulation that motivated the GTO?

We’ll never know for sure, but what we do know is that the racing version of the GTO never happened. Instead, Ferrari reluctantly agreed to increase the street car production from 200 to 274 cars (yo have to think that some of their most faithful owners were pretty influential people already then…). And hereby, without knowing it, Ferrari had also found the formula for hyper car success that’s taken them all the way to today.

For the untrained eye, a GTO could be mistaken for a regular 308. If you look closer though, you see that it’s a bit longer (110 mm to be exact) different headlights. It’s a beautiful car in a more dynamic way than the original 250 GTO was, and looking at it today, it has an 80’s cool factor about it. The longitudinal, double-turbo 2.9 litre V8 put out 400 hp and given the car only weighed 1300 kg, that was enough for a 300 km/h top speed. The GTO hereby became the fastest Ferrari ever, and one of the fastest cars of its time.

As for Ferrari’s future strategy, the attention the GTO got helped lay the foundation for what would become a very successful formula for hyper cars from Maranello: no more than 500 built, technologically at the top, and buyers carefully selected. The F40 followed the same logic as did the F50, the Enzo, and later the LaFerrari.

As a side benefit the increase in value would follow almost automatically. Apparently the group of owners who were selected and thus own all the cars listed above is larger than you think, and they’re no doubt thankful to the 288 GTO for being not only a great car, but also for making what followed possible!

The most bling-bling of them all!

On April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning1 Comment

For most of us including yours truly, the Thrill of Driving (ToD) apart from being the name of this blog, refers to exactly that, i.e. the wonderful feeling you get from driving, say a manual 911 Turbo up a twisty mountain road, for example here in Switzerland. Then again, what really constitutes the thrill varies, also as we get older. Some people will think of it as maximum straightline speed, as in a Tesla Plaid. For others it’s hearing the screaming sound of a 12-cylinder from Sant’Agata. And then again for some, it’s more about the Thrill of Being Seen than the driving itself. And whereas a Lamborghini works pretty well also for this purpose, there used to be a brand out there that was only about turning a maximum number of heads. This week we’ll look at the almost forgotten creations from Excalibur, the craziest thing to ever come out of Milwaukee!

Brooks Stevens was an American industrial designer, specialized in cars and bikes, who worked at Studebaker where he had been commissioned by CEO Sherwood Egbert (yep, really) to design a spectacular car to put on the company’s exhibition stand at the NY motor show in 1964. He came up with the idea of creating a car with modern running gear, but in the style of the pre-war Mercedes-Benz SSK. The chassis came from a Studebaker Lark Daytona, over which a fiberglass body draped. The car was called the Studebaker SS and it was a great success with dozens of orders placed during, and after the motor show.

*The Excalibur, inspired by the Mercedes-Benz SSK*

Unfortunately Brooks’ creation wasn’t enough to save Studebaker that went broke the same year. Stevens was however determined to bring his car to market and did so by setting up his own company together with his sons. They called it SS Automobiles and the car they launched, very reminiscent of the Studebaker SS, was given the name Excalibur. Equipped with a 300 hp, small block Chevy V8 from the Corvette, production of the Excalibur started in 1965. The car’s low weight of about a ton gave it spectacular acceleration for the time, needing less than six seconds to 100 km/h with a 200 km/h top speed. The car was a success and in 1968, the roadster was complemented by an even more spectacular four-seater, the Phaeton.

*All cars from Excalibur were hand-made and thus individual*

With two oil crises in less than 10 years, the 70’s was certainly not the decade for V8’s on paper, but it didn’t hinder Excalibur from introducing an even bigger V8 and continue to do well without much of design updates. The general design was of course why clients bought the car in the first place, and given all cars were hand-built, a lot of smaller wishes could still be accomodated, as seen from the multitude of Excalibur models. Still, the company was also slightly schizoophrenic, choosing for example to sacrifice basic things such as roll-down windows (rather than just sidescreens) all the way into the 80’s. The Roadster was by then in its fourth series, but the engine had been heavily capped to a smaller V8 with only 155 hp – not even an Excalibur could completely avoid the oil crisis. The problem was that over the years the weight had almost doubled to close to two tons, meaning this by now was very far from being a performance car. It was also far from being a good deal with the price having increased about as much as the weight, to around USD 170′ in today’s money…

*A Phaeton 1978 was definitely not a sports car, especially at 155 hp..*

As spectacular as the Excalibur was, buyers no longer found this a very interesting proposition, Stevens had to file for the company’s first bankruptcy in 1986, and this woud be the start of a long line of owners over the coming years who all tried to revive the business, and who all failed. Henry Warner took over Excalibur in 1987, created the Excalibur Marketing Corporation with a plan to sell the Excalibur Series V. The engine was back to the original V8, but prices were roughly the same as before and success wasn’t much bigger. Warner sold far too few cars and had to throw in the towel only three years later, in 1990. A certain Michael Timmer then bought the rights to Excalibur, but he went bust before he’d made any cars at all. The last in the tragic row was Udo Geitlinger who acquired the rights to build Excaliburs in 1991 and relaunched the brand three years later with the Roadster Series VI. They would sell a few dozen cars but towards the end of the 90’s, the Excalibur lights went out for good.

*Original Mini-like angle to the steering wheel, not much side support on the seats!*

There is still an Excalibur Motor Corporation today, but that is one focused on restoring and maintaining as many of the existing cars as possible, both the Sportster and the Phaeton, with no plans for any new cars. In total, around 3500 Excaliburs were built through the years, all in the company’s home town of Milwaukee. How many have survived to this day isn’t clear, and it also seems to be matter of debate whether you like Excaliburs to have survived at all – no one is indifferent. But in a very uniform car world, isn’t it a breeze of fresh air when someone sets out on an arguably crazy project such as this one, and still manages to build a few thousand cars? Personally though, I don’t have any special feelings for the Excalibur. I’ve never driven one but knowing it’s a 60’s US car with a big V8, lots of power, a steering wheel tilted like a bus and initially radial tires, something tells me it’s more at home in a straight line than on a twisty mountain road. And it’s certainly not a car for the shy!

Wolfsburg’s hole-in-ones!

On April 9, 2023April 9, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

About a year ago I wrote a post about one of the real legends among modern cars in general and hot hatches in particular, namely the Mk1 VW Golf GTI. As pointed out back then, the GTI became synonymous with a whole market segment for decades to come, and helped establish the Golf beyond being just another small car. The first Golf series was obviously also the first iteration of a car that’s still around today, although every generation has taken it a bit further away from the purity of that original version. Over the years there have however also been a number of special series of the Golf, or cars produced in larger numbers that have been extra special. This week we’ll look at a small selection of some of these!

Mk II Golf Country (1990-1991)

If most special edition Golfs have been focused on adding performance, the VW Country, arguably the quirkiest one of them all, certainly wasn’t. Rather, it was VW inventing a market segment that didn’t yet exist, namely that of the compact all-road estate or compact SUV. The Country was launched in 1990 at a time when VW was at the height of automotive experimentation and the Golf was rapidly becoming their most successful model. Trying to make it appealing to a wider audience, the Country was given all-wheel Syncro drive and an off-road suspension that both looks the part and gave it all of 21 cm ground clearance, coupled to the 1.8-litre, 97 hp engine. It also had bullbars front and rear, lots of additional headlights and one of the larger, all-terrain wheels fitted to the tailgate.

*The Country would take you where no Golf had ever gone!*

All this makes it look rather strange and really far too high for its length, but the Country saw quite some success notably in the alpine parts of Europe, and all in all, 7735 examples were produced until 1991 by no one less than Steyer-Daimler-Puch in Austria, builders of the far more famous Mercedes-Benz G-wagon. 50 Country cars were equipped with the GTI engine, giving them an extra 15 hp, and good luck in finding one of those today, Finding a normal Country isn’t that hard unless you’re in the US, as it was never sold there officially. This was however the car said to have inspired Audi to build the much larger Allroad a few years later, and also the whole market segment of small SUV’s such as the Toyota Rav4.

Mk II Rallye Golf (1988-1989)

Another limited series of the Golf that didn’t make it across the pond was the MK II Rallye, although the reason for it is much more tragic. James Fuller, president of VW America and and a big fan of the Rallye Golf was on the Pan Am flight which terrorists brought down over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988 and with him, the idea of bringing the Rallye to the US died. In Europe, 5.000 homologation cars were built as required by the regulation at the time, and these were fitted with the same 1.8 litre four-pot as the regular Mk II Golf, however with a so called G-lader, a scroll-type supercharger that helped the engine to 160 hp and 225 Nm of torque. The same Syncro four-wheel drive system as on the Country helped bring power to the ground, and the Rallye looked cool in a very 80’s way with squared headlights and flared arches, inspired by the Quattros, M3’s and Delta Integrales of the period.

Built in 1988-1989 and sold at around twice the price of a regular Golf, the Rallye was expensive. Even more so was the derived Golf Limited, built only 71 times, and essentially a four-door version with the same engine but with classical Golf looks and all options such as leather seats, electrical windows etc.. Finding a Rallye today is still possible although nice ones are getting pricey. Finding a Limited is rather difficult… The G60 engine was however also fitted to the regular Golf Mk II, and those are easier (and cheaper) to come by.

Mk V Golf R32 (2005-2009)

Most Golf enthusiasts agree that the Mk III and IV Golf series were really not much to write home about, with the once so pure Golf only getting fatter and less sporty. The Mk IV had however introduced on one hand the R32, six-cylinder engine and on the other the double-clutch gearbox, making the Golf the first car in the world fitted with a DSG gear change. Both were carried over to the better-looking and better-driving Mk V, from 2005 in Europe and 2007 in the US. The GTI was still there but the R32 was clearly the one to have, with 250 hp and four-wheel drive making it good for a top speed of 250 km/h and a respectable 6.2 seconds to 100 km/h. The chassis was great as was the drive, and the happily revving 3.2 liter V6 is obviously an engine that has been fitted to many other VW and Audi models.

*The Mk V R32 was the return to form Golf enthusiasts had been waiting for*

The MK V R32 could be had both with Recaro bucket seats and with the mentioned DSG box, which in its manual paddle mode is a far better proposition than the standard manual. Looking for one today, those are the options you want to have and that make the car feel even more special! And in terms of power, with a few exceptions the Golf has also not really evolved further, so 250 hp for only 1500 kg is still pretty much up there!

Mk VII Golf GTI Clubsport S (2016-2017)

The last in this very unofficial listing of special ones is the only front-wheel drive car, which was in no way intentional, but more importantly, the Clubsport series is also the sportiest version of the GTI that can be had these days (alongside the even more powerful R, but that’s again a more refined, four-wheel drive car). So what to say then of the Clubsport S, which compares to the regular Clubsport like the GT3 does to the 911? With a stripped down interior with weight saved notably by removing the back seats as well as the spare wheel, the S weighed in at less than 1300 kgs. It had a far more aggressive suspension setting than the regular Clubsport, a slip differential and was riding on Michelin Sports Cup 2 tires. The four-pot was tuned to deliver 310 hp, helping the S to a top speed of 310 km/h, and also to a record time on the Nürburgring in 2017.

*The Clubsport S, a track weapon as understated as they come.*

400 Clubsport S were made, and although the regular Clubsport is of course not comparable, it remains the purest and (except for special series) most sports-focused version after many years of the Golf getting more comfortable and ordinary. 265 hp in Mk VII version (the one the S was built on) as well as larger brakes, a lower ride height and different ratios in the seven-speed DSG gearbox compared to the regular GTI all give the Clubsport a different driving experience to the standard GTI. It’s a highly rewarding one and the Clubsport is not only far easier to find than the S, but also much easier to live with on non-track days!

So there we go – four different Golfs over 35 years that have all contributed to holding the Golf flag high, and also testify to the VW engineers’ willingness to engage in less ordinary things – however only up to a certain limit. Because perhaps with the exception of the very visible Golf Country, what they all have in common is that it’s never about power alone, but always in combination with a certain comfort, practicality, quality – and understatement. If they keep at it, the Golf will be with us for many years to come, hopefully bringing even more special ones!

The Audi (B8) RS4 – naturally-aspirated legend!

On March 26, 2023October 26, 2025 By ChristofferIn News, Test drives, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

When Ferrari introduced the new Purosangue that I wrote about back in December, many of us were pleasantly surprised to hear that it would be powered by something as exotic these days as a naturally aspirated V12, in this case putting out no less than 725 hp. Supercharged engines are obviously what you mostly see in our time, so Ferrari sticking to the tradition, especially with a 12-cylinder, is great! What’s also pretty great and far cheaper than a new Purosangue are some of the classic naturally aspirated engines from not too long ago, especially those with 8 or 10 cylinders. Audi is then a name that quickly springs to mind and this week, we’ll look at what’s become as much of a bargain as rare in terms of power trains – the B8 Audi RS4!

*As practical as a Purosangue, and much cheaper!*

The tradition of Audi power wagons starts with the RS2, built by Porsche after they were done with the MB E500 they were commissioned to build for Mercedes and that you can read about here (but that was never available as station wagon). The RS2 was based on the Audi 80 and although it looked a bit more muscular, the fascination came from it retaining the basic family station wagon looks whilst driving like, and having the power of a sports car. Up until then, that had never really been the case. What it didn’t have however was a V8, but rather a 2.2 litre turbo five-cylinder engine putting out 315 hp. The RS2 was only built during three years from 1994 to 1996 and has already become a true legend, priced as such.

When the RS2 was replaced by the RS4 in 1999, the engine had grown by one cylinder, 0.5 litre and 65 hp (to 380 hp), but it wasn’t until the second generation of the RS4 in 2005 that the V8 party got going. The original six-cylinder was then replaced by a 4.2 litre, naturally aspirated V8 putting out 420 hp, and the car was available as sedan, station wagon and convertible. More importantly, the B7 generation as it’s called was only available with a manual six-speed gearbox… At a 40-60 front-back drive train split, it also had a more rear-biased quattro system and also not to forget, it was the first RS4 with the lovely, double oval exhaust pipes! Thinking of where we are today, it’s difficult to imagine a more appealing cocktail than this, however ideally in sedan or station wagon form as the convertible suffered a bit rigidity-wise.

*A normal (B8) A4 until above the bumper, all RS4 below!*

The V8 lived on to the B8 generation built between 2012-2015, but other body forms than the station wagon didn’t, so the wagon was the only shape the new RS4 was available in. Power had now increased to 450 hp at an almost incredible 8250 rpm, but the manual box was gone, replaced by Audi’s equally excellent (but less fun) 7-speed DSG box. A new differential allowed for as much of 70% going to the front wheels and up to 85% to the back wheels, boosting the entertainment factor. It’s also worth remembering that both the B7 and B8 were light cars by today’s standard, with the former at around 1750 kg and the latter at 1850 kg. The B8 was to be the last V8-powered RS4 and was replaced by the current version which has gone back to a turbo-powered six-cylinder engine.

I hadn’t driven a B8 for a long time until a couple of days ago when I had the pleasure of doing so here in Zurich. The car in question had a pretty amazing history It was sold by the same garage that now had it for sale, to the only owner it ever had. He apparently has a number of cars so that he never used the RS4 in the winter, which given its talents is rather strange. Actually he didn’t use it much at all, as he only put 31.000 km on it since new, but still had it serviced every year in the very same garage. Built in 2014, the car looked absolutely new. Of course, after three weeks of sunshine it had to rain this very day, and I almost got the impression it was the first time the car saw water coming from the sky and not the (manual) car wash…

*Beautiful Dayton grey color and black pack. Not a big fan of the wheels.*

Starting from the outside, the B8 is a pretty, purposeful and muscular car with the larger body really setting it apart. It’s best from the front and side, with the back being a bit too much normal A4, except of course for the double exhaust and the diffusor in between. As you get in, the first impression is that of quite a tight car. It gives an incredibly solid impression with some nice carbon inlays in the RS4, but a bit less plastic wouldn’t hurt, even if the grey stuff is of excellent quality. As we pulled out of the city in comfort mode, the car very much behaved like any family wagon, albeit one with very precise steering and suspension on the firm side even in this mode. Putting it into Dynamic (together with Individual and Auto the other options, and the most sporty one) changes everything. There’s an immediate change of tone in the exhaust, the suspension firms up and the steering becomes sports car-like direct. As we reached the outskirts of the city the engine was warm, and I was finally able to start pushing it a bit. What an absolute pleasure it was!

The engine is absolutely incredible. Power delivery is immediate and the revs keep rising as long as you hold your foot down, as the tone changes from a deep grumble to more of a singing bariton. The power delivery is naturally aspirated-smooth and the amount of power feels perfect for the car. It’s also noticeable how much tighter the smaller RS4 feels compared to its bigger brother or an E63. The road was really wet and I was on 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sports with an increasingly nervous garage guy next to me so we were nowhere near the edge, but at no point did I feel nervous – the car was glued to the road, the steering made it extremely precise to handle, and the engine kept singing. Motor journalists like to call the RS series and especially the B8 boring and maybe it is on a track. But a station wagon is made for transporting people and stuff whilst still procuring driving pleasure to the person behind the wheel, not for track use, and this is a car that excels at precisely that. Downsides? Some road-noise is one, not helped by the 20-inch wheels. And the size of the manual shift paddles is another – did they run out of metal in Ingolstadt?

*Solid, purposeful, but slightly joyless*

A well-preserved RS4 of the B8 generation with up to 70-80′ km on the clock will be yours for around EUR 40-50′, which at about 1/3 of its price as new, slightly more than a few years ago, but still an absolute bargain. It’s also a car that can be expected to hold its value very well given it’s one of the last naturally-aspirated V8’s out there. If you really insist on changing gears manually then the B7 is worth considering, but for everyday use I would go with the B8 as it still feels like a modern car. There’s a few options you should think about doing so. Firstly color-wise, the Nogaro blue is the rarest and the most sought-after, but it’s very blue indeed. As a more discrete alternative, the Daytona grey is my favorite. Then, “my” car had both the sports exhaust and the dynamic chassis and you should definitely go for both. You should also make sure it has the B&O sound system, as Audi’s more basic system is awful (most cars have it, but mine didn’t). Finally the panoramic roof is nice and helps lighting things up a bit. Audi’s quality may be top-notch, but you can’t call the interior design overly joyful…

Even though they come from the same naturally-aspirated tradition, it goes without saying that no one considering a Purosangue will be in the market for a used B8 RS4. But if driving pleasure is a priority, a power station wagon will always be a better choice than any SUV. Among these, a V8-powered RS4 is an increasingly rare car and currently one of the best deals to be had. Find one with the right equipment, service and owner history and you will not be disappointed!

Bristol cars – as British as it gets!

On March 19, 2023March 19, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

What do Sir Richard Branson, Liam Gallagher/Oasis and Tina Turner have in common? I guess Tina or Liam may well have listened to the other’s music while travelling on one of Richard Branson’s Virgin planes but as you’ve guessed, that’s not the connection I’m after. That would rather be that they have been, or still are, owners of a Bristol automobile, perhaps the most British of all UK car manufacturers. With a long-term building philosophy of “no more than 2-3 cars a week”, never more than a single show room in London’s Kensington High Street and an at times very particular view of what good car design is, it’s really no surprise that the brand hasn’t survived until today – but it is a surprise it lived on as long as it did! Before Bristol is completely forgotten, it’s well worth having a deeper look at one of the UK’s quirkiest car companies and some of the wonderful cars they built during the 70 years it was in existence!

As many other car manufacturers, Bristol had its roots in airplane manufacturing but even before that, as a builder of tramways in the UK. The tramway company started operations as early as 1875 and business was especially good during WW1 when the Luftwaffe kept damaging the tramway’s power lines, thereby creating a need for lots of maintenance work. With the tram business up and running and the Wright brothers having flown over the English Channel, it became clear to Bristol’s founder George White that the future was in the air. The airplane business started in 1910 and enjoyed an equally good business in the run-up to WW1. As for so many other military suppliers though, when the war ended, orders no longer came in. Bristol had no choice but to diversify again, creating the Bristol Car Company in 1918. However, it wasn’t until the 1950’s that it really came alive.

What really got the car business going was a collaboration with Frazer Nash, at the time UK importers of BMW. Somehow Frazer Nash came in possession of all the drawings and specifications of the BMW 326-328 after the war and it was based on these that Bristol built and presented its first car in 1946, essentially a remodeled BMW introduced under the name Frazer-Nash-Bristol. The engine was the same straight six the Beamers had under the hood, but this and later Bristol cars weren’t just copies of the respective BMW’s – they were improved in several ways and already in the 50’s earned a very good reputation. Even though the official collaboration with Frazer Nash ended the year after, Bristol’s 400 series would go on and include all cars until the 80’s. Starting with the Bristol 400 in 1947 and along with the following Bristol two and four-seater cars until the 406 (and there were models for all numbers in between), the cars were all powered by the same two-litre, BMW straight six engine.

*The Bristol 50’s factory didn’t change as much as others in subsequent years…*

From the start, Bristols were thus positioned as luxury cars and comparable to the Jags and Bentleys out there. Of course all cars were hand-built back in the 50’s and 60’s, but Bristol did so in line with the British car building tradition and was quickly seen as an alternative to for example Jaguar. The cars were built to high engineering standards, said to be “built to last”, apparently to the difference to some other cars of the time. This together with the exclusivity that comes from building such small series of cars was what Bristol felt justified the high price. The “no more than 2-3 cars per week” was probably all the company could do anyway back in the 50’s, but the motto lived on through Bristol’s full history, making any Bristol a very rare automobile these days. Some of those will be far more desirable than others. If the early 400 series Bristols from the 50’s drew heavily on BMW, the 60’s and early 70’s models were certainly the high point of Bristol’s own design. You’d be excused for thinking that the design department was on long term leave during the following decades when you see later cars.

*The interior of a Bristol 406 – very nice and very British!*

Starting with the Bristol 407 the company switched to a Chrysler V8 engine which from the 411 (most cars) and onwards (all cars) was the large 6.2 litre one. The 411 is actually worth a special mention as perhaps the nicest of all Bristol cars. A total of 287 were built between 1969 and 1976, with the big engine making the car capable of a top speed of 230 km/h which you would have to be very brave indeed to exploit. This made Bristol the cool and far less common alternative to the Jaguar XJ-C or the Jensen Interceptor that I wrote about back in October. Engineering-wise it was certainly comparable and in the looks department, it was certainly up there with the XJ-C and some Italian beauties, which is saying a lot!

*The 411, perhaps Bristol’s nicest car in my humble opinion*

The late 70’s and early 80’s were certainly not known for good design and nowhere was it worse than at Bristol. Starting with the 412, the company’s efforts to modernize the lines failed so spectacularly that fans pretty much gave up on the company, starting its long demise. Cars like the 90’s Blenheim roadster were seen as dated already when they appeared, and it was in a last effort to save the company that Bristol developed the Fighter, built between 2004 and when the company went into administration in 2011 in around a dozen examples (no one knows for sure). It was a pretty extraordinary car, looking like nothing else and powered by Chrysler’s V10 Viper engine, here producing around 500 hp and coupled to a four-speed autobox. Bristol had plans to build around 20 Fighters a year and also to launch a turbo version with twice that power (yes, really!), but that wasn’t to be. Given the low level of interest the Fighter generated, probably due both to the particular design but perhaps even more to the GBP 230′ price tag, no other Bristol car would ever see the light of day.

*The Fighter would be Bristol’s last car – not sure about the license plate*

Bristol Cars went into administration in 2011 and was then bought by the Swiss Kamkorp group who never managed to bring out any new models so that until the lights were finally turned off in 2020, the company mostly renovated and supplied parts to older Bristol models. In 2016, the Bristol veteran Richard Hackett was one of the founders of a company called SLJ Hackett, today one of the main distributors of older Bristol cars. SLJ offers most Bristol models for sale and with prices starting around GBP 50′, they are more affordable than you may think. So if you want to do what Sir Richard, Tina Turner and Liam Gallagher did, then SLJ Hackett is the company for you. It goes without saying that the driving pleasure will be from the right side only – after all, who would come up with the strange idea of driving on the other side? Unfortunately there’s no place for companies like Bristol in today’s car world and that’s a shame, because it could certainly use a bit more of them!

The forgotten lord

On March 5, 2023March 4, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

The Range Rover is the most legendary luxury SUV out there, and it’s now been around for more than 50 years. The brand new model of which deliveries started early this year is however only the fifth generation in the line-up. The original Range Rover was built for all of 24 years, the third generation L322 for 11 years and the L405, the predecessor to the fifth generation of which I have one in the garage, for 10 years without major modifications. You will have noticed that the second generation, the P38, is missing from the above. This is a car that was never really loved, had the worst reputation of them all and had it been possible to stop, would probably never have been launched in the first place. Doesn’t really sound great, does it? This means that the P38 is very much at the bottom of the Range Rover pack in terms of secondary market values (or put differently, it’s dirt cheap), which is something that always intrigues me. This week, we’ll therefore look at the forgotten lord, the P38, to try to figure out if it’s best left to die, or actually something worth considering!

It was certainly not a very confident Rover company that presented the P38 in 1994. Rover had been taken over by BMW the same year in a merger that will not go down in history as the most thought-through, and when the Bavarians came up to the Rover factory in Solihull and saw the new Range project, they were apparently far from impressed. This was the car that was supposed to succeed the Classic that was was already then a legend, and BMW didn’t feel it was even ready to be released. They were however far too late to do anything about it and in the same year, the P38, somewhat half-heartedly, was presented to the world. Production of the original Range actually continued a couple of years in parallel to the new car, and the development of what was to become its successor in 2001, the L322, had already started. Talk about being an unloved child and with a build-time of only seven years, the P38 is (until today) the shortest-lived car in the Range line-up.

*Early P38’s are recognized by yellow turn signals front and back*

What is clear just by looking at it is that the design is nothing Rover needed to be ashamed about. What was to become the P38 was developed internally at Rover and the final project was preferred over four other, notably one from Bertone. Rover definitely made the right choice, as the P38 is a good-looking car and unmistakenly a Range Rover. The low waistline and big windows give it a friendly look and have the additional advantage of making it easy to place the car on the road, which to be fair is also helped by the fact that at 4.7 metres length and 1.9 metres width, it’s far smaller than later Ranges. The P38 was available with three engines, two versions of the Rover V8 at 4 and 4.6 litres, and a six-cylinder BMW diesel at 2.5 litres. Of these, the only one you should ever consider is the 4.6 l, as even that only puts out 224 hp and 380 Nm of torque and doesn’t make the Range a fast car. The 2.5 litre diesel delivers a paltry 136 hp, less torque than the V8 and needs a spectacular 17 seconds to make it to 100 km/h. It’s not even very economical doing so. All engines are coupled to a 4-speed automatic in a body-on-frame construction.

As in all later Ranges, the interior of the P38 is a very nice place to be, with a very distinct smell from the leather and other materials used. This was very much intentional as Rover had understood that with the introduction of the P38, these cars would start moving away from the pastures onto the roads, meaning buyers would expect a more luxurious interior. There is thus almost as much leather and wood in one of these as in a modern Range and although comfort is not the same at the same level, the air suspension helps you travel in high comfort. I’ve had the pleasure of doing so several times through the years, and the P38 provides exactly the same commading driving position in a plush chair as later – and more expensive – Ranges do. With an engine that doesn’t encourage anything but soft cruising that’s all you’ll ever do, and the P38 will be an excellent companion. All cars were well equipped by standards at the time, with the HSE being better than the SE, the Autobiography better than the HSE and with special series like the Holland & Holland bringing additional goodies.

*A low waist line and large windows give a very airy feel!*

So what about the quality and BMW’s feeling that the new car wasn’t ready to be released – has history proved them right? It certainly didn’t take long before the P38 started developing a reputation for bad reliability. This may not have been the case had buyers come from Rover’s traditional crowd, but BMW and other owners who were convinced to spend a lot of money on a new Range were far less understanding than traditional Rover buyers of regularly having to clean oil off their driveway. Having said that, all Ranges have a reputation for bad reliability, including mine which I’ve now had for 18 months and almost 20′ km without a single issue, so you could well imagine there’s a cultural angle here as well and that maybe, the car is better than its reputation. As so often, quality will stand in relation to previous ownership and service history, but it’s clear that the poor reputation has contributed to P38’s loosing value like a stone. There was a time you could have them for literally nothing, and people did, ruining them on the way, meaning the P38 has become rare these days and that prices have therefore started to climb somewhat. It will most probably never develop into a true classic like the RR Classic, but my guess is that values have hit the bottom.

*A late 2001 car – cars after 1999 have an improved Bosch engine management system.*

So, should you park a P38 in your driveway? I can imagine some good scenarios for doing so, but they’re all based on finding a mechanically sound car, so the regular checks of service history and general condition are very much mandatory. High mileage needs not be an issue if the car has been regularly maintained. During the last three years, the Lucas engine management system was replaced by one from Bosch, generally considered better. Among expensive things to fix, pay attention to the suspension, if it’s harsh or inexistent, that means a problem with the air suspension system which will be expensive to repair. Also check the auto box in Manual and Sport. Otherwise one of the attractions of the P38 over its successor, the L322, is firstly that it looks better, secondly that it weighs almost half a ton less and thirdly, that there’s less (and less complicated) stuff to fix. The P38 remains a very comfortable way to travel and of course, being a Range Rover, an outstanding offroad car, and the few remaining nice examples out there can be had today for less than EUR/USD 10′ with much room for negotiation, which is a true bargain. In the electrified world we’re apparently moving towards, there’s of course a risk is you’ll never get more from it than scrap value when you try to sell it, but what the heck – why not enjoy the ride until then in a car that will always look more expensive than it is!

The unique Lancia Stratos!

On February 19, 2023February 19, 2023 By ChristofferIn Classic cars, News, The Dream Garage1 Comment

If competition between car makers has been a trait of the automobile industry for as long as anyone can remember, it’s probably only in Italy that competition between car designers was just as fierce. The two dominant houses in Italian car design are of course Pininfarina and Bertone, both having employed legendary designers through the years who have in turn been responsible for some of the most beautiful car creations to come out of Italy. Usually one of the two big houses would be the main partner for a certain brand, but there was certainly nothing hindering the other one from trying to gain market by various means. Thank God for that because otherwise, the legendary Lancia Stratos would probably never have seen the light of day.

Lancia had historically mostly collaborated with Pininfarina in designing its models, with Bertone eagerly watching from the sidelines. In the late 60’s however, Bertone saw an opportunity as it was obvious that the ageing Lancia Fulvia was up for replacement. Bertone’s gave its legendary designer and our old friend Marcello Gandini, the man behind notably the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, the task of drawing a car that completely broke with the Fulvia and would signal the advent of a new, modern era. So he did, and it was so convincing that the Lancia bosses decided to show the prototype at the Turin Auto Salon in 1970. Gandini was subsequently commissioned with designing the production car that would come to market a couple of years later.

*Gandini’s original Stratos prototype was…special!*

The Stratos’ predecessor, the Fulvia coupé, had been used on the rally scene in the 60’s with some success, and Lancia saw rally as a way to position the brand as a sporty alternatively notably the the siblings from Fiat. This meant that unlike basically any other rally car at the time (or for that matter, thereafter), the Stratos was developed exclusively with rallying in mind, and not as a civilian car later converted to rally usage. You don’t need to look at the car for long to see this was the case, and also that this was a completely new design language that would follow Gandini notably to the Countach. The ultra short wheelbase of only 2.2 metres carries a body with minimal overhangs but with a big, sweeping front screen giving the driver great visibility. The engine was mid-mounted in the ultra low, rear-wheel drive car, getting in and out of which it is not an exercise suitable for any kind of daily driving. Looking at the Stratos today, it’s surprising how small it really is at 3.7 metres and around 900 kg. Lancia did however have to comply with the rules for any rally car at the time, namely that 500 so called homologation cars for street usage had to be built and sold along side the rally cars themselves.

*How most of us remember it – on a clay road in some southern rally!*

During the development of the Stratos, Lancia had considered various engines for the car, but the one they really wanted was the 2.4 litre V6 that Ferrari was using in the Dino. After long negotiations, rumour has it that Enzo Ferrari himself agreed to deliver the 500 engines necessary for the homologation of the Stratos. However, after the first 10 engines or so the deliveries suddenly dried up, with Ferrari claiming various production issues. It wasn’t until Lancia threatened to replace the Ferrari engine with another motor that they finally started coming in. Strangely enough, that also coincided with the end of production of the Dino, which Enzo had of course seen as a competitor to the Stratos… In the homologation street cars the engine produced 190 hp, in the rally cars performance was typically between 300-400 hp thanks to a big, old-school turbo. With the car being rear wheel drive, it’s an understatement to see that the Stratos was difficult to drive, but for those who mastered it, it was one hell of a car!

The Stratos premiered in the world rally championships in 1974 and went on to win the title straight away, as it did in 1975 and 1976 as well. It won both the Swedish Rally on snow, and the African rally on clay in the same period. There’s little doubt it would have gone on to win further titles had Lancia let it, but by this time Fiat had taken the somewhat strange decision that the Fiat 131 Abarth, a not very futuristic car that few will remember and that didn’t see much success, would be the rally car (and Fiat thereby the rally brand) in the Torino car family. The last major title the Stratos won was therefore the Monte Carlo Rally in 1977, although private teams continued to race the car and having success doing so after that. Of course Lancia came back on the rally scene a few years later with the Lancia Delta Integrale, that we looked at in an old post from 2015, but that’s another story.

*The quite minimalistic interior of the homologation cars*

There’s been various initiatives over the years to revive the Stratos, some of which have made it to some of the big car shows, but none of which have so far made it all the way to production. The most promising one was designed by, hold on to your chair now, Pininfarina and not Bertone, although it was, let’s say heavily inspired by the Bertone-designed original. It was built on a Ferrari 430 chassis and was to be built by a company called Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT). It was shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 2018, but the project then died off, apparently not because of Covid but rather because of Ferrari vetoing it, unclear why. I included it in my overview of the auto salon back then in a post you can find here.

The Stratos was thus a truly unique car, and to me, one of the coolest cars around to this day. It’s also uniquely small, uniquely focused on rally and if not uniquely, then at least very successful. It’s also a uniquely difficult car to find today should you want one. With 500 built in the early 70’s that’s perhaps no surprise, especially since many of the buyers certainly thought of themselves as hidden rally talents. As I write this in the middle of February, there’s not a single car on the market anywhere in Europe, nor in the US (which is less surprising since the Stratos never made it officially there). The Stratos will thus remain a rally legend for poster walls or these days Youtube, but what a car it was!

The old-school brute!

On February 12, 2023February 12, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of Owning2 Comments

In my first post of 2021 with things to wish for in 2021, I mentioned a hope that Japan would again bring car enthusiasts something to cheer about. Unfortunately they didn’t, and I guess that in terms of combustion cars, it will never happen again. What they did do however the year after, in 2022, was to cancel the production of the Nissan GT-R for the European market. The GT-R is a true beast of a car, perhaps the best sports car ever to come out of the land of the rising sun, aunched 15 years ago to take on the the European supercar bunch but none more than the 911 Turbo as we’ll see later. It more than held its own doing so driving-wise, but without the brand but partly also the elegance of at least two of those three (sorry Lambo…). As production will stop globally this year, it’s time to pay tribute to the brute from Japan!

*A sleak but clean design that has stayed with the car through the years*

Back in 2007 I remember a young colleague as crazy about cars as me, telling me that the then brand new GT-R that had just set a record on the Nürburgring of 7 min 38 secs, quicker than the 911 Turbo at the time. He told me this was proof if it being the best sports car in the world, ahead of anything from Stuttgart or Maranello. I told him that wouldn’t matter much for sales numbers, since anyone buying a Ferrari cared far more about the brand than about lap times of the Nürburgring. It’s probably fair fair to say we were both right – the GT-R was and still is one hell of a sports car, but one that hasn’t come near the sales numbers of Porsche and Ferrari that Nissan was certainly hoping for. Unfortunately for Nissan, it didn’t convert many Ferrari drivers either.

When the once so celebrated Carlos Ghosn became CEO of Nissan in 1999, one of the first things he wanted the company to start planning for was a sports car that would represent the vision he had for the brand. His idea was to build on the heritage of the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the sportiest version of the luxury Skyline coupé, a car that never made it officially to the West and was only available as right-hand drive, but which since then has achieved a true hero’s status and been imported privately many times. The new car would retain the round rear lights from the GT-R and importantly, it should also beat the lap time of the 911 Turbo on the German Nürburgring (commonly also referred to as “the green hell”) that Ghosn had set as benchmark. Work on the GT-R thus started in the early 2000’s and in 2003, Ghosn announced the car would be launched at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007. Unlike a certain Elon Musk, he kept his word!

*Ghosn delivered his baby timely in 2007*

The chief engineer of the GT-R was a certain Kazutoshi Mizuno, previously chief engineer of the Skyline GT-R and more known as “Mr. GT-R” well beyond Nissan. He was no doubt a key person in the project, notably convincing the not-easily-convinced Ghosn that the new GT-R had to be built on a completely new platform. The car Mizuno put together was one of the most advanced constructions that had been made at that time, with a body combining steel, aluminum and carbon fibre, an advanced chassis, four-wheel drive, crucial in bringing the power of the 3.8 litre, V6 turbo engine to the tarmac, and a dual-clutch, six-speed box mounted in the back in a transaxle construction. Initially the GT-R had around 470 hp which over the years and the different facelifts increased to up to 100 hp more in the standard version. The engine is however also a favorite among tuners, and it’s not difficult to find GT-R’s with well beyond 700 hp.

*The engine of a 2017 GT-R – it looks the piece!*

Already in the standard version however the GT-R is an extremely competent car as illustrated by a long list of racing successes in various GT categories. I’ve been lucky enough to experience a few of these over the years, both as a passenger and behind the wheel, and it’s really a car like no other. It has a very muscular, “heavy” appearance, looking bigger than its 1700 kg. Getting behind the wheel feels like stepping into a mix of a spaceship and a video game, with an interior that has what may be the largest amount of buttons on any car, before the large screen infotainment age. It fits the purpose but does so without any frills, fancy materials or much design, which is a bit of a shame. Having said that, and you tend to forget any concerns you may have had the same moment as you turn the key and wake up the lion family under the hood…

The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine produces a growling sound and works in perfect harmony with the six-speed dual clutch box and the razor sharp steering to provide a really pure driving experience. The first version of the GT-R was produced until 2009 is the only one needing more than 3 seconds to 100 km/h (3.2 to be exact), all subsequent cars had more power and made the sprint in less than 3 seconds. Not only that, the torque of at least 600 Nm happily kicks you in the butt whenever you want it to. This is a seriously quick car but not only that, it’s one that outclasses most other cars if you bring it to the track. That may also be the place you want to use your GT-R, given it’s far less practical than the outside may have you think. The back seats are not made for humans and the boot is so small that it barely has enough room for a weekend bag.

There’s been a multitude of updates and versions through the years but I’ll limit it to the two most important here. There was a larger facelift in 2016 that on one hand brought more power and an improved gearbox, but also visual changes on the outside an an upgraded interior with better materials. Before that however, the Nismo edition of the GT-R had been introduced in 2013, being built as the most advanced version of the GT-R ever since. Power in the Nismo was increased to 600 hp and it set what was at the time the fastest time ever around the Nürburgring, shaving around 30 seconds off the already very competent time of the standard GT-R!. Both suspension and brakes were improved as well and on the inside, Recaro seats did their best to hold the driver and passenger in place.

If you’re the no frills kind of person that that puts the driving experience ahead of the logo and being seen, then there’s probably no better sports car in the world than the GT-R. And that’s even before we’ve talked price, because at the price point where GT-R’s trade, this IS quite simply the best sports car in the world – full stop. An early car with sub-100′ km is yours for EUR 50-60′, a post-facelift one will cost you EUR 20′-30′ more, which to me is well invested money. It’s only the Nismo cars that add significantly to the budget, trading for EUR 150′ and upwards. This is of course very much less than any comparable car, be it Italian or German, including Nissan’s benchmark, the 911 Turbo. Not only that, the GT-R has all the Japanese quality you could wish for so given a serious history, a high mileage doesn’t have to be problemtic. You should be careful with tuned cars and as said, go for a post-facelift car if you have the budget but from there, you can’t really go wrong. The GT-R is the best car to ever come out of Japan, and chances are it will remain so!

The Audi R8 – Vorsprung durch Racing!

On January 8, 2023January 8, 2023 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage, The Thrill of OwningLeave a comment

As we start 2023 I thought we should do so with the Audi R8 – a true legend in the sports-supercar segment, one that was mentioned in my post just before Christmas on the best sports car for 130‘, but which in my view deserves its own post. There’s a number of reasons for this: firstly, the production of the oldest supercar in the market has come to an end and the replacement, given it’s electric, will be a completely different car. Secondly, with relatively minor design updates during its long production run, early R8’s still look as modern as they did the first day. Finally, given that long production run, it’s not difficult to find an R8 for far less than the arbitrary 130’ I had set as limit in my other post, which is very good news!

*The final version of the R8 before retirement*

Audi’s transformation from the very boring brand it had been in the 70’s and 80’s to the far more exciting brand it would then become started on one hand in the rally series in Europe with the success of the Audi Quattro, on the other with the marketing people in Ingolstadt thinking up the slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik”, translating into something like “advantage through technology”, which would become Audi’s signum. The ambition was to establish the brand as a competitor mainly to BMW and Mercedes through technological advances, something that would shape mainly the engineering but also the design of Audi cars over years to come. The R8 when it came out in 2007 was at that point no doubt the clearest expression of that ambition!

Actually, claiming that the R8 only goes back to 2007 is not fully correct. The first R8 is more than 20 years old and was the result of the same management team in Ingolstadt wanting to build further on that racing success Audi had had in the 80’s by developing a car for the 24-hour Le Mans race, given that’s the only European sports car race that gets any attention in the US, a market Audi was very keen on. The original car called R8R was pretty much a failure in this regard as it never did well in the race, but its successor, now called only the R8, would go on to win Le Mans five times and in the first year 2000, claiming all three podium places.

*Other than the mid-mounted engine and the overall look, nothing else is really the same…*

With that success in the bag, Audi presented a first prototype for a road car already in 2003, which would then developed to the final car that would be introduced in 2007. The similarities between the prototype and the finished car are obvious to see, basically meaning that the R8 design is 20 years old, but looks like it could have been presented yesterday! Sales opened in the autumn of 2006 and the first year’s production was sold out in a few weeks, pretty impressive since the competition among naturally aspirated sports cars at that time was quite fierce. There was notably the brand new Aston Martin Vantage and of course the far less expensive Porsche 911, to name but a couple. The R8 was much more expensive than a 911 and if you asked the folks at Audi also far more of a supercar, however one that could be used everyday. Clearly buyers were convinced!

The R8 is a close sibling to the Lamborghini Gallardo with the two cars sharing everything from the aluminium chassis to (later) the V10 engine. At the launch in 2007, the R8 was available with a naturally aspirated, 4.2l V8 that revved all the way to 8′ rpm and produced 420 hp. The sound isn’t like anything out of Sant’Agata, being much more and perhaps a bit too discreet. Still, it’s refreshingly natural! At 1600 kg the car wasn’t a lightweight but the 4.5 seconds it needed to 100 km/h were very respectable 15 years ago. The gearbox was either a six-speed manual in an open gate shift which is the highlight of the rather dull interior which mahy consider the low point of the car, or a semi-automatic called R-tronic, the predecessor of the later S-tronic that would be introduced in 2012. The first series R8 was only available as four-wheel drive, however with a far more 30-70 rear-biased quattro system than was usually the case at Audi.

*A functional but maybe slightly boring interior, with the gate shifter being the highlight!*

In 2009 the wonderful 5.2l V10 then made it into the R8. Audi’s marketing team liked to introduce it as a Lamborghini engine but this was of course the same engine that had previously been featured in both the S6 and the S8, so its origins were really from Audi. It increased power by another 100hp, thereby bringing the 0-100 time to below 4 seconds. Both engine versions now also became available as convertible and in 2011, the R8 GT came out, limited at 333 coupes and 333 convertibles. The GT was 100kg lighter, 10% more powerful and had various other revised settings making it more of a real GT car. Various other tweaks brought the more powerful V10 Plus in the final year of the first series, before the all new second series was introduced in 2015.

The second iteration of the R8 may have been an all new car but even though it’s far more angular than the rounded lines of its predecessor, there’s no doubting the family heritage. The V8 was now gone, as was the manual gearbox. Depending on year the V10 would produce a little less or a little more than 550 hp and just like for the first series, there would be a 333-example GT series of what was to be the final R8. Unfortunately that last GT looks a bit like the last version of the Countach, in the sense that it has so many wings and skirts (all in carbon of course) that you barely see the brilliant lines of the original design. The second series would also be available as pure rear-wheel drive.

*The dry sump engine sits deep and is visible through the transparent hood*

Over the full production run since 2007 Audi sold close to 40.000 R8’s, far less than for example a 911 but almost three times more than its sibling, the Gallardo. By Audi measures, there’s no doubt the R8 was a success. Neither the engineers, nor the marketing people at Audi would like the 911 comparison, seeing the R8 as far more of a supercar. Indeed, if there was ever a supercar with everyday usability, this is the one – provided your everyday usage isn’t dependent on carrying lots of stuff around, as space is rather limited, even in the supercar segment. The 911 comparison is however relevant from a servicing perspective, and the Audi people most probably have nothing against that being mentioned. A well maintained car will be much closer to a 911 than anything from Ferrari or Lamborghini in service costs.

If an R8 is your thing, the first decision is whether you prefer the rounded lines of the largely analogue first series or the more angular and much more digital experience the second series gives. Other than the design, the other point to pay attention to is the steering, being hydraulic on the firs series and electronic on the second, and there being no really set opinion on which is best. A first series car will give you the option of the less legendary but more economical V8, but if you go for a pre-2012 car, then definitely go for a manual since the R-tronic is not a pleasant experience and those cars also hold their value far less well.

*A 2008 car, to me still the best-looking!*

Rather than picking up that 130′ car i wrote about a few weeks ago, I would probably go for the basic version, meaning a first series V8 with a manual gearbox. Those start at around 50/60′ USD/EUR for really nice cars, which is very attractive indeed! The V8 is not as exciting as the V10 and doesn’t sing as much, but it looks just as good through the transparent cover and the extra 30′ a manual V10 costs aren’t worth it if you ask me. I’d try to find a car that had the interior options which were quite useful in making it feel a bit more exclusive, such as the extended leather package and some carbon pieces. Equipped in that way, with a solid service history and in a “non-controversial” color, odds are that such a car will continue to hold its value very well indeed. Of course the GT cars of both the first and second series will do so as well, as will the rear-wheel drive cars of the second series, however at a much higher entry price.

The R8 is a great piece of modern supercar history. It’s probably the most approachable and usable supercar out there, and it’s a great expression of how “Vorsprung durch Technik”, that’s accompanied Audi throughout the years was a combination of technology and design. In its cheapest, first series, manual V8 version, it’s definitely the best iteration of a manual, naturally aspirated, everyday supercar!

The best sports car for 130′!

On December 25, 2022December 25, 2022 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage2 Comments

If you read this blog on a regular basis (for which I’m eternally grateful!), chances are you also spend some time on the excellent activity referred to as car surfing, i.e. looking on various car website-marketplaces with either something or nothing specific in mind. I certainly do, a bit more than I should according to my better half. In the holiday season, chances are you’ll have more time at your hands than usual for this. So as mentioned in last week’s post where I said that if I had the 400′ to spend on a car, i.e. the money Ferrari’s new Purosangue will cost (at least…), I’d rather by the new Range Rover in full spec and spend the rest on a good sports car. Assuming the spared amount would be more or less 130′ (EUR/USD/CHF, given they all trade more or less at parity), the car surfing question thus became: which sports car would I choose?

That’s of course a very large question so in order to make this somewhat manageable, I set a few parameters. A sports car is here defined as having a roof and not a soft top, and two seats (I’ve allowed for the minimal back seats for very small children or amputated people you find notably in the cars from Zuffenhausen…). In terms of power, 400 hp feels like a good number, and those should come from at least six cylinders. As you’ll see from the selection below, if you’re willing to consider not only new but also well-kept older cars, the selection is pretty wonderful to a degree that I’m thankful this is only a theoretical exercise, because again, what would I choose? Below are six of my own top picks!

Lotus Emira

I wrote about the Emira quite recently and called it the best car Lotus has ever built. I stand by that in terms of the full experience, even if it doesn’t dance around corners like an 800 kg Elise would, which after all is pretty normal. That doesn’t change the fact that the Emira is a great car and one made for driving. It looks like a mini-Ferrari (with some hints of the Alpine A110 in the back), has an interior that is vastly superior to anything Lotus has ever built before, has a reliable Toyota V6 engine that sounds good if not at the Maranello level, and in the booth behind the engine and behind the seats, it can store more luggage than two people need. In the Lotus tradition it remains a car more for curvy roads than for long motorway stretches and it doesn’t excel in driving assistance stuff, but then again, it’s a car for driving. And at 1400 kg, it’s still on the lighter side, as a true Lotus should be. For the 130′ it costs as new, it really is a lot of car for the money and it’s actually cheaper as new than its predecessor, the Evora was as new. That’s not something that happens often these days!

Chevrolet Corvette C8

Very far from the Emira in terms of concept is the new Corvette called C8. In spite of having been launched in 2020 you don’t see many in Europe yet, something we can probably blame broken supply lines for. American readers will have seen lots of new Corvettes on the other hand, as I was able to note on our recent trip to Florida. What I also noted was of course how good it looks. I’ve always like the Corvette but the C8 takes its design to a new level, while still retaining the unmistakeable Corvette look. The interior is also said to be of good, if not superb quality and if it wasn’t for the logo in the center of the steering wheel, the car could easily be mistaken for something coming from Italy or Germany. The C8 is obviously also the first Corvette in 65 years with a mid-mounted engine, and that engine is no less than a 6.2 litre, naturally aspirated V8 putting out around 500 hp. Nothing European about that! It’s associated with an 8-speed double-clutch box and interestingly, its weight distribution is about 40-60 as opposed to the typical 50/50 of mid-engined cars. This brings really good handling on track and apparently almost too much comfort on the road. At around 130′ in Europe and even less in the US, the C8 is nothing but a bargain in all regards!

Ferrari 458 Italia

If you’re not set on a new car, then there’s really no way around the Ferrari 458 Italia which is now reaching the 130′ price mark. That’s to say that this is not a collector’s Ferrari, but it remains a significant car in several ways, besides being a great success for Ferrari. Design-wise it was the last model to come from Pininfarina and on the inside, it was the first car with Ferrari’s new dash and interior layout, that would basically be used in every car from Maranello up to the very recent Romas and SF90’s. Engine-wise, the 458 remains naturally-aspirated with the mid-mounted, 566 hp V8 singing out of the three central rear pipes from below the transparent hood. The suspension is great, the front booth is large enough for two and quality-wise, the 458 has a reputation for being very reliable, actually more so than many far more normal cars. You’ll have to fight a bit to find a 458 on the right side of 130′ but when you do, provided history and ownership are right, not much can go wrong! Choose wisely on the options for a good ownership experience (hints are front lift and upgraded speaker system more than carbon applications).

Audi R8

So far we have six and eight naturally aspirated cylinders, so perhaps time to bring 10 into the mix in the form of a real long-runner among supercars. The Audi R8 was introduced as far back as 2007 and although a second series came in 2015 and a face lift in 2019, there are few designs that have stood the test of time better, and touch-ups are indeed limited. The interior has almost seen more changes than the exterior in line with Audi’s general development, and the wonderful 5.2 litre V10 we’re looking at here (the R8 also comes with a perfectly good eight-cylinder engine) has gained some power over the years to now just over 600 hp. Some people will love the fact that this is an Audi with all that it brings in quality, service-friendliness and drivability, also thanks to its four-wheel drive. To others, that makes it a bit too much of a “normal” car for a real supercar, that perhaps looks a bit too much like its smaller brother, the TT. Our budget of 130′ will get you a face-lifted 2015-2016 car, certainly money well spent and perhaps especially so now that the R8 is discontinued and will be replaced by… an electrical model.

McLaren MP4

It’s easy to forget that McLaren Automotive, i.e. the street car company, has only been around since 1992, meaning 30 years. Back then the F1 was introduced, which with a top speed of 385 km/h is still one of the very fastest road cars in the world. Then in 2011 the MP4-12C came out (later only called 12C) as the first in McLaren’s range of, let’s say quite similar-looking cars. That’s not to say it doesn’t look good, but perhaps a little too unspectacular for the supercar it really is? The MP4 is a technological masterpiece which thanks notably to computer-managed suspension with four independent wheels offers unrivaled handling and comfort. Weighing in at only 1300 kg thanks to lots of carbon and composite materials, its 3.8 litre, 600 hp double-turbo V8 makes it very fast indeed, but it is so without a soundtrack in any way comparable to its closes competitor, the 458. That’s the thing with the whole car and also why it will only appeal to some; the MP4 (as all McLaren’s) is still today one of the fastest and most efficient cars around, but it’s so clinically perfect in how it drives that it makes an R8 look like a real rowdy and the 458 like something from another world. Being able to get one at 130′ as you now can is however very attractive indeed. If ever a road car had a real F1 heritage, this is the one!

Porsche 911

Last but by no means least is the Porsche 911, which at this budget point gives you many different options. 130′ buys you a 2018-2019 4S or GTS with 450 very healthy horsepower, a GT 3 from 2014-2015 with another 26 hp on top of that or if you prefer, a GT3 from around 2010 with the benefit of a manual gearbox and much more of a race car experience. To me all of these beat the more powerful turbo of the above generations, but that’s a matter of preference and otherwise also a very good alternative that qualifies price-wise. Of course you can also get a 911 for less, including some of the great earlier generations, but that would mean going outside my 400 hp power conditions set above. What all 911’s have in common is quite simply being some of the best sports cars every built, that most of us have memories of in various shapes and forms, and which if serviced correctly are very unlikely to bring you any problems whatsoever. The backside of that is of course that as you see one on practically every street corner it may not feel as special as you would want. That doesn’t change anything to the fact that a 911 is always a very compelling proposition!

So there we are – my selection of six sports/supercars around the 130′ mark. Most of them naturally aspirated, which was actually not something I was actively looking for. It’s a really tough choice but seeing you get real supercars as the R8, the MP4 or the 458 for the money, I wouldn’t go for the new Emira and C8 although they’re excellent cars, and neither the 911 as it’s a bit too common for my taste. Of course you would need to drive these three back to back to choose but this is a car surfing exercise and based on that, the 458 takes it in my book. If you’re lucky enough to have the choice in the real world, you’re a lucky person indeed!

Pure blood from Maranello!

On December 18, 2022December 18, 2022 By ChristofferIn News, The Dream Garage3 Comments

Sergio Marchionne is a man all car enthusiasts should be thankful to. The late Fiat/Chrysler/Ferrari boss turned around the Fiat group a bit more than 10 years ago and without him, Fiat and thereby Ferrari may well have gone bankrupt. Marchionne died in 2018 after an intense life full of work and cigarettes but not of more healthy things such as sleep, and when he was asked in 2016 if it wasn’t time for Ferrari to join the increasing number of sports and luxury brands building or planning to build SUV’s. he famously replied that someone would have to shoot him before that happened. Luckily no one did, but perhaps it’s good that Marchionne is no longer around now that Ferrari is presenting its first ever SUV, the Purosangue (pure blood). More than just the latest member in the large group of luxury SUV’s, I would claim the Purosangue is more significant. It’s not only Ferrari’s first SUV, it’s also a car that sets a new benchmark in power, technology and price!

*Purposeful front, air inlets above the lights*

In order not to offend anyone in Maranello any further we need to define precisely what kind of car the Purosangue is. You see, “SUV” is a term you don’t use anywhere near Ferrari grounds, where they rather speak of the new four-seater GT car, perhaps so that Marchionne doesn’t turn in his grave. It is of course correct given the Purosangue follows on from the GTC4 Lusso, itself the successor to the FF, both also four-seat (although not four-door) GT cars, but still, the Purosangue is far taller than any of these. At around two tons, the weight is pretty impressive given the power train and the size of the car at just under 5 meters, and a good 500 kg less than most competitors.

*At 22″ front and 23″ rear, the big wheels help the car look smaller*

Unlike most of these competitors, the Purosangue is a true four-seater, with two separate seats in the back and no third seat option. Unlike the GTC4 and FF though, attention has been paid to facilitating access tot he back seats, notably with the back doors being rear-hinged (but for rigidity reasons, preserving the B-pillar), and with enough room for two adults to sit comfortably. Luggage-space seems similar to a mid-sized, hmm, SUV, and the back seats can be folded should you ever come up with the crazy idea to take your Purosangue to Ikea. The car has 23-inch wheels in the back and 22″ in the front, which together with other smart design tricks such as the “floating” wheel arches and the (optional) black carbon roof make the car look smaller than it is, and also quite purposeful. Beautiful? Not sure, but in my view perhaps the best-looking in the super SUV segment.

The most impressive thing with the whole car is of course the power train of this first version (knowing there will most probably be lesser-powered versions that will follow). When others go for hybrid six-cylinders, Ferrari has put its greatest engine of all, the very much naturally aspirated V12 notably used in the 812 in the Purosangue. It sits deep behind the front axle with not much more than the top visible, meaning it’s serviced form underneath. Ahead of it is the two-speed “gearbox” engaging the front wheels should the rear wheels slip. Under normal circumstances, the Purosangue is thus rear-wheel drive. The fabulous engine develops 725 hp, making this is the most powerful SU…. sorry, high and heavy family GT car ever, even stronger than the 707 hp top version of the Aston Martin DBX.

*The engine behind the front axle and the front wheel drive unit ahead of it*

The suspension is said to be quite revolutionary, although not all details are known yet. Basically the Purosangue reads the road ahead à la magic carpet from Mercedes, but then allows the suspension to actively go into potholes etc. to really smoothen the ride out. The interior looks like any modern Ferrari but with a multi-purpose round little wheel on the central console, over which a number of functions are controlled. Not sure how intuitive and easy to use it is, but it looks cool. The front passenger has his own screen from which all functions can now be controlled. Of course the interior can be tailored in any version and color you want, should nothing in the standard palette be to your liking.

Price-wise the Purosangue isn’t shy at all. When deliveries start early next year it will be at a starting price of around EUR/USD 400′, with lots of room to the upside depending on the interior options mentioned above, but also of course to how much carbon you feel its exterior needs. That puts it 10-20% above the Urus and a good 100′ EUR above a Bentayga (which his hopelessly underpowered at only 550 hp), or an Aston Martin DBX 707, together with the Urus probably the closest competitor. Before you start checking your balance though, you should know that the first two years’ production is sold out before most buyers have even seen the car live.

I won’t bother you with my thoughts on whether the world needs another 700 hp SUV again, but I do think it’s wonderful to see Ferrari put its most famous and still naturally aspirated engine in the Purosangue, and I’m sure they’ll have lots of success with it. A few weeks ago I wrote about how profitable it’s been to be a Ferrari shareholder in the last years (see here if you missed it), and there’s little reason to think that will change now that the line-up has been completed with the car type that makes up about half of Porsche’s profit. As for me, to go back to our friend Sergio Marchionne, I wouldn’t spend 400′ even if I had it, but if indeed someone threatened to shoot me unless I did, I would buy the new Range Rover, which is a true SUV and ia good-looking one as well, and then have more than 100′ left to spend on a real sports car. Because you get a whole lot of interesting sports cars for around 100′, and what that could be is what we’ll look at next week!

The Thrill of Driving

Category: The Dream Garage