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1999 Ford Racing Puma review: Retro Road Test

June 22, 2023

The regular Ford Puma – and we’re talking about the 1990s coupe here, not today’s Puma crossover – is an underrated driver’s car.

Combining a zingy 125hp 1.7-litre petrol engine tuned by Yamaha with an excellent chassis, lightweight body and thoroughly satisfying manual gearbox, it was one of the most enjoyable front-wheel-drive cars ever sold.

This isn’t a regular Ford Puma, however. This is the Ford Racing Puma. We’d do it a disservice to describe the FRP as a beefed-up Puma – it’s much more than that. The car was developed by Ford Racing Europe and only 500 were sold.

What are its rivals?

The Racing Puma was only ever meant to be sold in limited numbers. Nonetheless, Ford hoped it would shift more than it did. A production run of 1,000 cars was mooted, but a lack of demand meant that was cut to 500 – with half of them reportedly sold through Ford’s management scheme as private customers simply weren’t interested.

The reason was the price. At £22,700 when new in 1999, the Puma was more expensive than rivals such as the Subaru Impreza Turbo and Honda Integra Type R (pictured above).

What engine does it use?

The Ford Racing Puma uses a revised version of the standard car’s 1.7-litre engine that produces 155hp at a heady 7,000rpm. So yes, it likes a few revs.

Performance is in the realm of a contemporary hot hatchback, rather than anything spectacular. The 0-60mph sprint takes 7.9 seconds (just 0.7 seconds faster than the regular Puma 1.7), and top speed is 126mph.

What’s it like to drive?

In a word: frantic. With a fair amount of power going through the front wheels, there’s only so far 1990s traction control technology can go towards defeating torque steer. But that’s part of the fun, right?

At the time, journalist Tiff Needell described it as perfect for the new generation of computer game racing driver who was ‘constantly used to making lots of little tiny corrections to keep his imaginary car on the road’.

That feeling is exaggerated by the firm suspension. Combined with the bespoke 17-inch alloys, it makes an average British B-road feel akin to a rally stage. But if you can master its fiery nature, it’s an incredibly fun car to drive.

Its tiny, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel offers masses of feedback, while the 215 mm-wide tyres just grip and grip. Even lifting off won’t cause the Puma to oversteer like an old-school hot hatch; there’s just a bit too much adhesion to truly steer with the throttle.

Reliability and running costs

While the Ford Racing Puma should make for a fairly reliable car, you’ve got to expect a few issues as even the newest examples are now 22 years old. As with the standard Puma, look out for rust – it’ll fizz everywhere, including the sills, floorpan and wheelarches.

The Racing Puma could also prove a headache to run, due to its unique parts. The upgraded braking system, for example, can prove to be temperamental, and the genuine Alcon discs are no longer available.

Interiors have never been Ford’s specialist subject, and the cabin is likely to be showing its age. Good luck trying to replace tired pieces of trim.

Could I drive it every day?

The interior is much like the regular Puma – which itself is much like the Ford Fiesta of the same period – albeit with lots of bright blue Alcantara and Sparco racing seats. The result looks slightly dated, but with air conditioning, a CD player and a heated front windscreen (check it works!), it’s an easy enough place to spend time.

We’ll give the usual Retro Road Test caveat, though – would you really want to drive a Ford Racing Puma every day? With so few ever sold, and prices on the rise, it seems a bit of a shame. Much better to pamper the car and enjoy your time with it, rather than wear it down on the daily commute.

How much should I pay?

There was a time when £5,000 would get you a choice of Racing Pumas. No longer. The main challenge now is actually finding one for sale.

If you do, reckon on £10,000 for a scruffy example, but you’ll spend as much as £30,000 on a cared-for car with plenty of service history. Struggling to justify that kind of money on a Puma? Just think: how much would it be worth if Ford had given it an RS badge?

What should I look out for?

As we’ve mentioned, rust is the number one Ford Racing Puma killer. Crawl underneath the car with a screwdriver and a magnet, and walk away if you find excessive bubbling along the sills. The cost of repair could be more than the car is worth.

That aside, you’ll want signs that it’s been looked after. That means a thick history folder, four matching premium-brand tyres and, ideally, not too many miles on the clock.

Should I buy one?

On paper, it’s perhaps difficult to justify a Racing Puma when you can pick up a regular model, which isn’t much slower, for a couple of grand.

However, this really is a special car to drive – one of the best handling front-drivers ever sold. And a good example is only going to go up in price. Think of it as an investment.

Pub fact

If you want the ultimate in tenacity and front-wheel-drive handling, seek out a Racing Puma fitted with a limited-slip differential.

It was available as a factory extra, but only 80 out of the 500 customers ticked that option box – partly because many examples of the FRP were standard cars sold to Ford managers. It is possible to retro-fit a diff, however.

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Auction Car of the Week: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

June 16, 2023

One of the prettiest cars from what is arguably Mercedes-Benz’s golden era, this W111 model – a precursor to the S-Class – is a true head-turner.

A large and luxurious grand tourer, the 280SE boasts simple, elegant lines garnished with a generous helping of chrome. Its combined headlamps and indicators are clustered together like precious stones.

With only 4,502 produced, this 280 is the rarest variant of the W111 chassis. First registered in 1971, it’s also one of the latest examples built.

Keep calm and carry on

The car has been fastidiously looked after by its previous owner, who kept it for more than 20 years. It comes with a vast file of documents, including the details of an extensive, six-figure restoration.

The interior shows some signs of its age, but is otherwise in excellent condition, while the sumptuous leather seats look immaculate. Exceptionally spacious for a coupe, the 280SE offers a refined driving experience that belies its age.

The M116 3.5-litre V8 engine produces 200hp: ample for comfortable autobahn cruising, along with a top speed of 120mph. Mercedes-Benz boasted that ‘at 100mph, the loudest sound you hear is the air conditioner’. How many cars could claim that today?

All set for the summer

Despite being officially MOT-exempt, the 280SE passed its most recent examination first time, and with no advisories. Surely some real peace of mind for the next owner?

Overall, the 280SE seems exceptionally well suited to the idyllic summer drives we all dream of at this time of year – regardless of whether your destination is the English countryside or the French Riviera.

Car & Classic’s auction of the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE, in association with Retro Motor, is now live and runs until 22 June 2023. It is expected to sell for between £75,000 and £80,000.

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Auction Car of the Week: Nissan Sunny GTI-R

June 9, 2023

Many enthusiasts use Car & Classic to search for retro cars that are usable and highly original. But what if you want the opposite? The UK’s leading car auction website has you covered there, too – with this Nissan Sunny on steroids.

To gain entry into the Group A rallying class, Nissan created the homologation special Sunny GTI-R. It wedged a 227hp 16-valve engine beneath the bonnet of this formerly humdrum hatchback, then added the ATTESA four-wheel-drive system from the mighty Skyline GT-R. Back in the 1990s, the result was a car to keep Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo drivers checking their rear-view mirrors.

Not content with the Sunny’s rarity (one of 18 taxed in the UK) and uprated power, this car’s previous owner added a dyno-verified 313hp to its output, bringing the total to 540hp. Whoah!

Here comes the Sunny

Extreme power is matched by extreme attention to detail, bringing up the rest of this rally replica to the same standard. A long list of modifications includes adjustable strut braces, a one-off carbon fibre bonnet, a roll cage, Brembo brakes, Compomotive alloy wheels and semi-slick Yokohama tyres.

The GTI-R is finished in a stunning – and period-accurate – Group A Monte Carlo racing livery. Clearly owned by an enthusiast, it has been very well looked after and was a passion project for many years.

The factory-backed GTI-R never quite found success in competition, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything that can outpace this version on the road. Even a modern supercar would struggle. And yes, this Nissan is road-legal, so there’s no need for a truck to transport it to the racetrack (or rally stage) of your choice.

The long and winding road

Inside, the Sunny forgoes nearly all amenities in pursuit of a pure driving experience. The rear bench has been binned, the door cards are carbon fibre, and the seatbelts are swapped for five-point Sabelt racing harnesses.

This is a hot hatch you could take to shows, enjoy on the road and thrash on a circuit. It really does cover all bases. Apart from usability and originality, of course…

Car & Classic’s auction for the 1993 Nissan Sunny GTI-R, in association with Retro Motor, goes live today and runs until 15 June 2023.

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1997 Honda Integra Type R review: Retro Road Test

June 8, 2023

The Japanese have a flair for combining flavours that shouldn’t work together, but do. Visiting the Tokyo Motor Show a few years ago, my culinary adventures included popcorn with soy sauce, coal-infused ice cream and cola with eel extract. For someone who’d considered a Yo! Sushi restaurant exotic, it was a steep learning curve.

Honda assembled an equally unlikely mix of ingredients back in 1998. With front-wheel drive, a peaky naturally aspirated engine, a manual gearbox and no luxuries – not to mention oddball looks and a non-premium badge – the original Integra Type R was the antithesis of most modern coupes. Yet rarely has a recipe felt so right.

This was the second Honda to wear the fabled red ‘H’, following the NSX R of 1992. Despite rave reviews – CAR magazine called it ‘possibly the best front-driver of all’, while EVO dispensed with the ‘possibly’ – only 500 were allocated to UK dealers. This led to an influx of unofficial ‘grey’ imports from Japan, including the car seen here, previously owned by Nick Bailey of Elan PR (although now sold).

Look back in Manga

The Integra still looks like the class nerd at sports day, its narrow body and humble 15-inch alloys contrast with Manga-style stickers and a racy rear wing. Inside, Honda binned most of the sound deadening to cut kilos, also fitting threadbare carpets and a thinner windscreen. Air conditioning and a CD player were relegated to the options list.

It feels almost brutally basic, but the titanium gear knob and hip-hugging red Recaros – which fast became a Type R trademark – hint at something special.

As does a rev counter redlined at 8,400rpm. The 1.8-litre four was hand-built, modified with new pistons, lightened con rods, a wider throttle body and tubular manifolds. Peak power of 190hp comes at a frenetic 8,000rpm, propelling the dainty 1,125kg coupe to 60mph in 6.7 seconds and 145mph – on par with a contemporary hot hatchback. However, figures don’t tell the whole story.

Into the VTEC zone

Up to 5,800rpm, the engine feels muted, even a bit gutless. Then Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing switches to a spikier cam profile and, with a feral snarl, all pretence of civility is shredded. The Integra reacts like it has swallowed a spoonful of wasabi: intense and totally wired.

Some people – my Honda-Jazz-driving mum, for example – could spend months pottering about and never unearth this split personality. But once you’ve savoured its spicier side, there’s no going back.

The Integra’s handling was also a high watermark. Many front-wheel-drive cars scrabble for traction and lose composure at the limit. This one holds its line like a whipped politician on Newsnight. A stiffer, spot-welded chassis expunges any sense of inertia and the limited-slip diff wrenches it around corners with gleeful exuberance and tenacious grip.

From the lucid steering to the slick gearshift, every control feels carefully calibrated and brimful of tactility. The result is a richly rewarding driver’s car, even before the VTEC does its thing.

Leading from the front

A legend in its own lifetime, the Honda has since become a veritable modern classic. The best examples already cost well into five figures and are likely to appreciate further.

You can tell UK and Japanese (JDM) cars apart by their headlights – twin round lamps for the former, oblong-shaped for the latter – but don’t get hung up on detail differences. Focus simply on finding the most original and rust-free car you can.

Like strange and exotic Japanese food, the Type R leaves a lasting impression. It’s rightly hailed as one of the greats: a car that is more than the sum of its ingredients. I’ve been scouring the classifieds ever since.

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Great Motoring Disasters: Lotus Europa S

Auction Car of the Week: 1987 Toyota MR2

June 2, 2023

You’d think an affordable, good-looking, rear-wheel-drive sports car would be a global sensation. Sadly, the original Toyota MR2 only enjoyed a handful of years in the limelight before the Mazda MX-5 took the world by storm.

The MR2 (nicknamed ‘Mister Two’) was launched at the 1983 Tokyo Show, then made it to showrooms in 1984.

Japan’s first mid-engined production car was already substantially quicker than rivals such as the Fiat X1/9 and US-market Pontiac Fiero. The supercharged version that followed in 1986 – as seen here – only extended Toyota’s performance advantage.

Handling by Lotus

Although the supercharger and related components increased the diminutive MR2’s kerb weight to 1,131kg, its uprated engine now mustered a punchy 145bhp. This was sufficient for 60mph in less than seven seconds: more than a match for the all-conquering Mazda MX-5.

The MR2 was critically acclaimed and well respected in its day. This Mk1 version made numerous ‘best of’ lists in magazines (this was long before the internet, remember), including eighth place in Sports Car International’s ‘Best Sports Cars of the 1980s’ roundup.

Like many other car manufacturers before and since, Toyota sought help from Lotus when developing the MR2’s suspension and handling – drawing directly from the Elan, Europa and Esprit. Ironically, the MX-5 was also inspired by the original Lotus Elan.

Pump up the JDM

The MR2 lasted for three generations, spanning 23 years in production. This example has spent the majority of its 36 years in Japan, but was recently imported to the UK. It has clocked just over 104,000km (65,000 miles) during that time, and has some wear to show for it, but is in good condition overall.

Japan’s car-friendly climate, salt-free roads and careful owners have all been kind to this tastefully modified Toyota, so it’s ready to be enjoyed by its next custodian.

Car & Classic’s auction for the 1987 Toyota MR2 W11, in association with Retro Motor, is now live – and runs until 7 June 2023. The expected sale price is around £10,000. Would you choose this or the more obvious Mazda?

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Great Motoring Disasters: Chrysler in the UK

June 2, 2023

In 2015, Chrysler withdrew from the UK. Not that there was a lot of withdrawal to be done. The American brand’s armoury had already shrivelled to three models following the unnoticed deletion of the Delta.

That left the little Ypsilon supermini, the Grand Voyager and the 300C, which not so long ago was the car that had galvanised Chrysler’s UK appeal. Many considered the 300C’s handsome, square-edged styling worthy of a ‘mini-Bentley’ epithet. Some even fitted glittery radiator grilles to heighten the illusion.

However, the heavily facelifted 300C failed to rekindle the appeal of the original, leaving its ageing mechanicals exposed to acid comparison.

Leaning on Lancia

Equally, plenty of Voyagers, Grand or otherwise, had found berths outside British homes over the years, including one at Tony Blair’s house. But the appeal of the big people carrier has long since faded – not least against products of the kind sold by Chrysler’s sister brand, Jeep.

And the Ypsilon (pictured above)? This imaginatively styled hatchback pioneered the premium supermini over three decades ago with the flat-backed Lancia Y10. Yet there are plenty of other tailgated babies that do ‘plush’ more effectively than this rough-riding Fiat Panda reskin.

The Ypsilon’s prospects weren’t helped by the fact that, like the Delta, it wasn’t really a Chrysler at all. Both cars were rebadged Lancias, launched here well after their less-than-rapturous Italian debuts. Cynical rebrandings don’t often work in the automotive world.

Upmarket ambitions

That said, the market-positioning ambitions of both Chrysler and Lancia do vaguely coincide in that both aim to play the premium game. Until Lancia disappeared from Britain in the early 1990s that’s approximately where it sat. Chrysler, meanwhile, attempted to reclaim the moderately upscale territory it occupied 70 years ago.

Doing so was hardly the work of a moment in its American homeland, however, and had no resonance in Europe because Chrysler was barely here back then.

Instead, what Chrysler was most consistent about during its half-a-century or so of troubled European manoeuvres has been the annexing, hijacking, repurposing and general messing about with other companies’ hardware. The lazily relabelled Delta (pictured above) and Ypsilon were only the latest examples.

Badge engineering

If you’re old enough, you may remember the now-abandoned Chrysler pentastar adorning the front wings of machines as disparate as the Hillman Imp, Humber Sceptre, Sunbeam-Lotus and various long-forgotten vans.

And if you’re French and of similar age, you’ll recall that same badge appearing on Simcas, a long-extinct brand that, back in the early 1970s made the best-selling car in Europe. The slightly ungainly Simca 1100 successfully did the Volkswagen Golf’s job seven years earlier.

The reason for the pentastar’s occupation of front-wing real estate was that Chrysler bought into and eventually owned the British Rootes Group that made Hillmans, Singers, Sunbeams and Humbers, –and did the same with France’s Simca.

Ambitions to emulate Ford of Europe, or GM’s success with Vauxhall and Opel, was its mission. Eventually, it rebranded the Simcas and Rootes models as Chryslers, the French cars gradually supplanting the British ones because they were better.

That much better, in fact, that the Simca 1307/1308 won the Car of the Year award in 1976, this now-forgotten model known to us as the Chrysler Alpine (pictured above). That victory was followed by another in 1978, with the Simca/Chrysler Horizon that replaced the Simca 1100.

A version of the Horizon was also offered in the US (and as the Dodge Omni, too) these ranges scoring an impressive three million sales in 10 years on both sides of the Atlantic. Less impressive was the fact that, although ostensibly identical, the European and American Horizons shared no more than about two parts. Chrysler completely failed to capitalise on the cost-savings that such economies of scale ought to have generated.

‘Amateur corporate bungling’

It was the kind of amateur corporate bungling that would get Chrysler into plenty more trouble in the decades to come. It did manage to offload its ramshackle European operations onto Peugeot in 1978, which bought them for reasons that were hard to fathom, despite the acquisition costing a nominal dollar. All Chryslers were renamed Talbots, yet within a decade Peugeot had steered Talbot to its death.

Again, the Chrysler name returned to the UK in the 1990s, this time on 100 percent American cars, a UK importer shrewdly reckoning that it could add a few Chryslers to supplement its Jeep line-up. These were selected from a range that had been revitalised after another of this long-lived brand’s near-death moments.

The Voyager MPV wasn’t a bad alternative to a Ford Galaxy or Renault Espace. And despite being a saloon in a hatch-dominated market, America’s much-trumpeted Neon was engineered for right-hand drive and shipped our way as well. The trumpetings mainly concerned the fact that Chrysler had finally managed to spit out an all-new car.

The Neon (pictured above) made a sort of low-rent sense in the US. Its super-low sticker price, surprisingly potent motor and cheeky face helped compensate for the chafing cabin plastics and grim noises emanating from beyond the front bulkhead.

Sadly, travel to the UK inflated the Neon’s price towards the preposterous, the British importers cleverly (or cruelly) speccing the car up with an automatic transmission, plastic-look leather and moulded walnut. It snagged a surprising number of geriatrics who thought they were getting a rattling good deal.

Excitement was also added to the range via the familiar rebadging tactic. The victim this time the spectacular AC Cobra reinterpretation that was the V10-engined Dodge Viper. Not many were sold – it was a bit unsubtle for Britain, with a roof that possessed with the weatherproofing qualities of a broken window – but it certainly added some lustre to the Chrysler name.

DaimlerChrysler calamity

Then in 1998 Daimler bought Chrysler, a calamity for most concerned, although this unlikely liaison did yield a few interesting offspring

Among the best of them was the Chrysler 300C. This was a big car that should have bombed in Britain’s premium-obsessed executive market, but such was the brilliance of its confident, stocky styling that it became gotta-have-it wheels for those of lightly bling persuasion.

Less convincing was the PT Cruiser, an American mini-MPV that actually sold pretty well here, despite the minimal relevance of its hot-rod-alike styling and a cabin that did not reward close inspection.

It was followed by the Crossfire coupe (pictured above), whose Mercedes-Benz SLK innards dulled an interesting design to numbing effect, and the Sebring, a style-free zone that had none of the 300C’s design panache. When propelled by an obsolete Volkswagen diesel engine, it was as miserable as life with a pneumatic drill. There was an even more dismal Dodge version, but that’s another sorry story.

Did I mention the Sebring convertible? Chrysler UK didn’t, its publicists concluding that the best way to off-load these machines was to avoid subjecting its numerous shortfalls to the scrutiny of the press.

Fiat enters the fray

The momentum gathered by the 300C’s success was about to be squandered during the ructions of Daimler’s departure from its self-made North American mess. These included Chrysler’s acquisition by clueless money-shufflers Cerberus, the 2008 recession and the company’s lifesaving takeover by Fiat.

On the other side of the Atlantic, that critic-defying manoeuvre by late Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne ended up saving Fiat itself, with Chrysler and Jeep enjoying prosperous new times at home.

But Marchionne’s often cavalier approach to product development was how Chrysler’s UK range ended up half-filled with ageing Lancias, this terminally wounded, once-famous brand retreating to Italy with a Chrysler in its line-up called Voyager. There was a Thema-badged 300C in the range too, but that didn’t last long.

New Chrysler and Fiat overlord Stellantis has concluded that rebadging Chryslers as Lancias isn’t going to work in Europe, which makes the case for selling right-hand drive Chryslers in Britain a slender one at best.

Instead the future is Jeep-shaped, and Chrysler has once again died a British death. Still, given the brand’s pinball trajectory over the decades, we wouldn’t bet against it returning one day.

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1992 Porsche 964 Carrera RS review: Retro Road Test

May 31, 2023

Porsche doesn’t use its Rennsport badge lightly. Or rather, it does: RS models are stripped of excess fat, making them the most focused – and most fêted – 911s of all. And, in traditional Porsche style, you pay more money for less car – especially when it comes to used examples.

The 964 Carrera RS was the first 911 with ‘RS’ on its rump since the epochal Carrera 2.7 RS of 1973, and just 2,282 were made. Today, a mint-condition 2.7 RS could set you back seven figures – four times the price of an equivalent 964 RS.

Could this be our most exciting Retro Road Test? Time to discover what all the fuss is about…

What are its rivals?

If you’re in the market for a classic 911 RS, you probably won’t consider much else. These low-volume sports cars exist in a rarefied bubble, scrutinised by enthusiasts and investors alike. And with prices holding firm, despite the general economic malaise, there’s no sign of the bubble bursting yet.

Perhaps the 964’s closest rival is actually its successor: the 993 RS. Despite its more aggressive styling (a huge GT2-style rear wing was optional), the 993 is a slightly softer, more road-biased alternative to the 964. It’s also rarer, with only 1,241 made, meaning prices tend to be even higher.

What engine does it use?

Porsche 911 engines never look very special. But this air-cooled flat-six is meatier than most, at 3.6 litres and 264hp. That’s modest by modern standards, but the RS is around 150 kg lighter than the standard car – plus it boasts a lighter flywheel and close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox.

The net result is 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph: hardly old-fashioned performance. There was also a 3.8-litre, 304hp version of 964 RS, although very few were made.

What’s it like to drive?

The 964 RS feels very different to a modern 911. It’s amazingly compact, for starters – shorter and narrower than the current Cayman – and utterly bereft of creature comforts. Infotainment? Dream on.

The pedals are offset sharply to the right in this left-hand-drive car, with the clutch positioned dead-ahead where you’d usually find the brake. UK cars came with power steering, but this Spanish-market RS does without, so manoeuvring between parked Porsches at Autofarm is a bicep-busting effort. A lumpier cam (the only engine modification) also makes it embarrassingly easy to stall.

Escaping onto the Oxfordshire lanes, it’s time to let the RS off the leash. The mechanical clatter of its flat-six hardens to a visceral snarl as the revs rise. Below 4,000rpm it feels merely quick – then all hell breaks loose and it explodes to the 6,800rpm redline faster than you can grab the next gear. It’s uncouth, uncompromising and utterly fantastic.

The brakes require a firm shove, but all the controls are deliciously analogue. Riding on 40mm-lowered suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels, the 964 feels totally tied-down – like a Carrera Cup racer with number plates. Perhaps less really is more, after all?

Reliability and running costs

The Porsche 911 is famed for its bulletproof mechanicals. And the RS produces just 11hp more than a standard 964 Carrera, so its engine isn’t unduly stressed. You need to judge each car on its individual merits; some have been worked hard at track days, while others have led pampered lives in air-conditioned garages.

Originality is ultimately more important than mileage, as bespoke RS parts – such as the thinner glass and aluminium bonnet – are rare and expensive.

With any luck, other running costs, such as maintenance, insurance and road tax, can be offset against the car’s increase in value. Fuel bills won’t be cheap, of course, but this isn’t a car you will drive every day. Or is it?

Could I drive it every day?

We’d shake the hand of anyone who does their daily commute in a 964 RS, but such owners are few and far-between – soaring values have seen to that. We could live with the heavy steering (not an issue on UK-spec cars, as noted above) and lack of air-con, but the ride is only borderline acceptable on broken British bitumen. What feels taut and agile on Sunday morning could be tiresome and annoying by Monday morning.

Better to savour the RS as a car for special occasions. A car to drive just for the hell – or indeed heaven – of it. On narrow lanes in Wales or the Scottish Highlands, the diminutive Porsche could keep pace with many of today’s bloated supercars. And its driver would have more fun, too.

How much should I pay?

You won’t find an RS for less than six figures, such is the demand for this classic Porsche. Expect to pay from £200,000 for a well-cared-for example, with the very best cars costing considerably more. Not bad for a 911 that cost £61,000 in 1991.

The ‘matching numbers’ RS seen here had covered 77,000 miles from new and also benefited from a £50,000 renovation at Autofarm – including a respray in the original Guards Red. It has since been sold.

What should I look out for?

Mikey Wastie is managing director at Autofarm and an acknowledged Porsche expert. Here are his five tips for buying a 964 RS:

Some have been used as track day cars, so check for brake and suspension wear
Authenticity is key. Has it got the correct numbers on the engine and chassis? History is important, too – you need to know what it’s done and where it has been
Has it still got the correct magnesium wheels? Keep an eye out for poorly refurbished ones or spider blistering
Gauges are prone to the printed face delaminating – a problem on all 964s
Check for front boot floor damage. Accident repairs should be easy to spot here

Should I buy one?

The 964 Carrera RS is the Porsche 911 in one of its purest forms. Raw and unfiltered, it distils all that’s great about Germany’s sports car into a shot of pure petrolhead adrenalin. It’s a car you’ll ache to spend time with, to learn its quirks and exploit its talents. The buzz of driving it stayed with us many hours after we reluctantly handed back the keys.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to afford one, go for it. There are few better investments in the world of classic cars than a 911 with an RS badge. The only problem is, you’ll never want to sell it.

Pub fact

The previous owner of ‘our’ 964 fitted various upgrades from Porsche tuner, RUF. These included spoilers and an innovative ‘Electric Foot’ EKS clutchless semi-automatic gearbox. Autofarm has since returned the car to standard ‘Lightweight’ spec – as it left the factory.

The 911 pictured is the famous RUF CTR Yellowbird, a turbocharged 964 that starred in the famous ‘Faszination on the Nurburgring’ video (look it up on YouTube), driven by Stefan Roser.

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Auction Car of the Week: 1992 BMW 850i

May 26, 2023

Sleek lines with no B-pillar, pop-up headlights and the small matter of a 5.0-litre V12 engine make the BMW 850i one of the coolest BMWs of the 1990s.

Creating the ‘E31’ 8 Series was no mean feat; it took nearly 10 years and cost BMW more than 1.5 billion Deutsche marks. Its CAD-designed body was sculpted in a wind tunnel. Features such as recessed windscreen wipers and super-tight seals on the side windows contributed to a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.29.

The car was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in autumn 1989, and BMW received 5,000 orders within the eight days that followed.

Fuel for your loving

Well ahead of its time, the 850i was viewed with both awe and suspicion by BMW buyers. It came with gadgets you won’t even find in many cars today, such as an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and an electrically adjustable steering column with a memory function. Unlike some of the toys on modern BMWs, these features weren’t locked behind a monthly subscription, either.

The 850i’s pièce de résistance is, without a doubt, its 300hp naturally aspirated V12. Mated, for the first time, to a six-speed automatic gearbox, it gives the car an effortless turn of speed. These engines are impressively reliable, too, with well-maintained examples known to clock up more than 200,000 miles.

One thing the V12 definitely won’t offer is fuel-efficiency. On the plus side, however, this means more time standing beside it at petrol stations, where you can admire your beautiful BMW.

Bid on this BMW

This particular 850i has been meticulously maintained by its most recent owner, and has sheltered from British weather in a heated garage.

With buyers mindful of their upkeep costs and prodigious thirst, E31s are still relatively affordable. This is a great opportunity to own one in excellent condition, with no need for repairs or restoration. All we’d do is swap those aftermarket Racing Dynamics alloys back to standard rims.

Car & Classic’s auction for this 1992 BMW 850i, in association with Retro Motor, is now live and runs until 30 May 2023. Experts estimate it should fetch between £20,000 and £22,000. Less than a fifth of what you’d pay for a brand new 8 Series, then…

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Auction Car of the Week: Vauxhall Astra GTE Convertible

May 19, 2023

Vauxhall’s entry into the late 1980s hot hatchback arms race always felt like something of an underdog. It wasn’t a benchmark like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, or as dynamic as the Peugeot 205 GTI, or indeed as well-loved as the Ford Escort XR3i.

Nonetheless, the Astra GTE was still a credible contender, with sleek styling, great aerodynamics and a powerful engine.

The Mk2 GTE originally came with the same 1.8-litre engine found in the Mk1 version, but this was quickly replaced due to disappointing performance. Fitted to the car seen here, the new 2.0-litre unit mustered 124bhp, making the Astra capable of 0-60mph in around seven seconds – brisk even by today’s standards.

The GTE’s simple and curvaceous Bertone lines have aged well, and it is slowly detaching itself from the boy racer image of its past. What remains is a rare and desirable modern classic – particularly in convertible guise.

A Vaux that rocks

Slightly less than 7,000 Vauxhall Astra GTE convertibles were manufactured. According to the How Many Left website, however, fewer than 20 examples remain on UK roads, with 148 registered as SORN in the third quarter of 2022.

This example, for sale via Car & Classic, is in good condition, and should afford its next owner a reliable retro experience. It wears new Falken tyres and has recently gained a fresh MOT, which will run until May 2024.

The car’s red-striped seats and non-digital dashboard are also in great condition, having clearly been well cared-for over the past 34 years and 65,518 miles.

Astra to the max

Convertibles are rarely the most desirable variant of any hot hatchback. Yet with summer on the horizon, this drop-top GTE’s slightly inferior performance and handling will surely be trumped by its posing potential.

Car & Classic’s auction for the 1989 Vauxhall Astra GTE Convertible, in association with Retro Motor, goes live today – Friday 18 May 2023 – at 1pm, and runs for five days. It could sell for around £7,000, judging by past examples.

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Great Motoring Disasters: Seat Toledo Mk3

May 16, 2023

You could sort of see the logic, but not the beauty. True, the Seat Toledo had never been automotive eye candy, but when the Mk3 version arrived in 2004, it suddenly became a whole lot easier to appreciate the modestly inoffensive aesthetic of versions one and two.

The original Toledo of 1999 (pictured below) was a five-door hatchback that looked like a saloon. Designed by ItalDesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was distinctive for the arrow-like shape of its rear doors, and road manners rather better than you would expect of a budget machine aimed mainly – and very successfully – at Spanish taxi drivers.

They liked its spacious back seat, enormous boot, keen pricing, mechanical robustness and local build. The Toledo was based on the innards of the Volkswagen Golf Mk2, and in GT form it proved surprisingly adept and very enjoyable to drive. This despite its cabin’s habit of exfoliating plastic trim under the duress of big bumps, high heat and hard cornering. Most early Toledos ended up with at least one piece of plastic trim surfing the carpet, and often a small shoal.

Putting the boot in

The Toledo Mk2 (picture below) was simply a Leon hatchback with a boot. The latter was quite a handsome hatch and it sired a reasonable-looking Toledo, which was more sophisticated and better made. Its interior components also tended to stay where they had been screwed, clipped or glued.

Yet it was less distinctive, despite the option of a 2.3-litre Volkswagen V5 engine that made for a subtly swift machine. Keen prices and a tempting pile of equipment produced a good package, especially as it was reliable. And like the previous Toledo, its boot was enormous, once again endearing it to Spanish cabbies.

In Britain, however, this Toledo was completely overshadowed by its Leon sister. The handsome styling and performance orientation of the hatchback being one of the high-points of Seat’s short history.

Licence to build

Sportiness and big boots, then. Seat was becoming known for both by the time the second-generation Toledo entered production, but the brand was also infamous within the car industry as the Volkswagen Group’s problem child. Lack of profit was the issue, along with a shortage of ideas on how to make one.

Most of the brands in VW’s ever-growing portfolio had long histories and a strong sense of the kind of cars they should be making. Seat, by contrast, had started life as a licensed builder of Fiats during the early 1950s, and while it had occasionally gone its own way during this era – most impressively with the pretty 1975 1200 Sport coupe – it was more an assembler than a creator of cars.

The breakdown of its relationship with Fiat in 1982 produced one-and-a-half cars of its own making. The half was the Seat Ronda, which was an obvious evolution of Fiat Strada that it had just finished making. The entire car was the 1984 Ibiza – the first SEAT developed during its brief period of independence, albeit with substantial help from ItalDesign and Porsche, whose engineering consultancy helped develop the car’s so-called ‘System Porsche’ engines.

By this point, the company was already making Volkswagens, the two firms rapidly edging closer until VW took a 51 percent share in Seat in 1986.

‘The Spanish Alfa Romeo’

Volkswagen’s investment saw Seat continue to develop new models using VW platforms, its Polo-based Ibiza Mk2 proving a big hit – and not only in Spain. VW boss Ferdinand Piech’s decision to place Seat under Audi management roof in 2002 – along with Lamborghini – saw the Spanish brand attempt to provide Alfa Romeo-like cars at keener prices.

Then, having allegedly decided to head this way, the company proceeded to develop a series of family-oriented models, starting with the Altea: a not-unattractive cross between a hatchback and a higher-riding MPV. Then came the Leon Mk2, and shortly after that, the third Toledo.

All these had several things in common beyond their Volkswagen Group platforms and powertrains. Which was that they were essentially the same car, but in different heights and lengths. The trio shared the same nose, all had flanks sporting an unmissable descending crease line vaguely suggestive of sportiness, and all were the work of a Walter da Silva-led design team that included Brit Steve Lewis. Lewis had a major influence on the trio, and later became Seat’s overall design boss.

Space over style

Both the Leon and Altea were good-looking designs with some contemporary flair. The Toledo, by contrast, was less happy. Most of it was the same as the Altea for budget reasons, severely limiting the designers’ scope. But in order to provide it with a reason to exist, they had to add the Toledo’s trademark big boot. And from the rear there was no mistaking it had a very large boot indeed, its back end protruding like Kim Kardashian’s, if rather less arrestingly.

What it looked more like, in fact, was the back end of another big miss from Europe’s car industry during the early part of this century: the Renault Vel Satis. The latter was executive car that has almost finished sinking without trace. And the 2005-08 Seat Toledo looks like heading the same way.

Although the Altea robbed it of many customers, the effect of the third-generation Toledo’s arrival was much the same as jabbing a balloon with a knife. Functionally it was great, providing a boot big enough for an ambitious camping holiday – or indeed many balloons – but buyers weren’t interested.

A Rapid recovery

Toledo sales tanked, tumbling from 39,000 in 2004 to 21,000 the following year. And this was nothing to 2005’s spectacular plunge to below 9,000, then less than 5,000 the year after. Strangely, there were slightly more Toledos sold in 2008, but by then it was all over. The last few hundred cars were sold in 2009.

After the collapse came a hiatus, while Seat wondered what to do next. The answer came with the opportunist 2012 Toledo, otherwise known as the Skoda Rapid, the two cars being near-identical. And yes, both have big boots.

Now that Seat is pursuing family SUVs, it’s quite possible that the Toledo will not return, but with it dies a once-major piece of Spain’s car-making history. However, the Toledo’s best year was its first, when the Mk1 sold an impressive 106,000 examples – many more than the Mk3 managed during its entire back-end-blighted life.

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