FANTASY FORECOURT
As yet undetected by the collector, these exotic gems are sure to spice up your life
Aston Martin DB7 i6 Volante
COST NEW £78,500
VALUE NOW £17,000-£29,000
ENGINE 3236cc/6-cyl/OHC
POWER 335bhp@5500rpm
TORQUE 360lb ft@3000rpm
STEERING Rack and pinion
SUSPENSION Front and rear: independent, double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers and anti-roll bar (longitudinal control arms at rear)
BRAKES Ventilated servo-assisted discs all round
TOP SPEED 165mph
0-60MPH 5.8sec
FUEL ECONOMY 20mpg
WEIGHT 1725kg
Fiat Coupé 16v Turbo
COST NEW £19,249
VALUE NOW £1500-£6750
ENGINE 1995cc/4-cyl/OHC
POWER 195bhp@5500rpm
TORQUE 218lb ft@3400rpm
SUSPENSION Front: independent by MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: independent by trailing arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar
BRAKES Ventilated discs, servo/ ABS
TOP SPEED 140mph
0-60MPH 6.8sec
FUEL ECONOMY 18mpg
WEIGHT 1320kg
Lotus Esprit
COST NEW £22,950
VALUE NOW £8750-£22,000
ENGINE 2174cc/4-cyl/OHC
POWER 172bhp@6500rpm
TORQUE 160lb ft@5000rpm
SUSPENSION Front: independent by upper wishbones, lower transverse links, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: independent by upper and lower transverse links, radius arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers
BRAKES Discs all round, servo
TOP SPEED 138mph
0-60MPH 6.5sec
FUEL ECONOMY 26mpg
WEIGHT 1268kg
Renault GTA
COST NEW £19,800
VALUE NOW £4000-£10,500
ENGINE 2649cc/6-cyl/OHC
POWER 160bhp@5750rpm
TORQUE 221lb ft@3500rpm
SUSPENSION Front and rear
BRAKES Ventilated servo-assisted discs all round
TOP SPEED 146mph
0-62MPH 8sec
FUEL ECONOMY 27mpg
WEIGHT 1140kg
BMW E36 325i Cabriolet
COST NEW £28,250
VALUE NOW £1200-£4000
ENGINE 2494cc/6-cyl/OHC
POWER 192bhp@5900rpm
TORQUE 181lb ft@4200rpm
SUSPENSION Front: independent by semi-trailing arm, coil springs, telescopic dampers and anti-roll bar. Rear: independent ‘Z-axle’ multilink, coil springs, telescopic dampers and anti-roll bar
BRAKES Discs all round (ventilated at front) with ABS
TOP SPEED 140mph
0-62MPH 8.6sec
FUEL ECONOMY 32mpg
WEIGHT 1450kg
It pays to watch what collectors are snapping up as they’re usually so distracted at the idea of a profit, it allows the rest of us a chance at spotting those hidden gems. Take the Lotus Esprit, for instance. While early models are highly prized, the purity of Peter Steven’s 1987 facelift gets overlooked. BMW’s E30 is top dog for many, despite the E36 325i’s vast array of talents – proof there’s more to this 3 Series than just the M3. Fast Fiats have always been in the shadow of cousins from Lancia and Alfa Romeo, yet the Coupé is more Pininfarina than Fiat – the Italian design house responsible for design and build. Speaking of style… while the V12 Aston Martin Vantage is the one everyone wants, the straight-six DB7 is often overlooked, despite those looks and impeccable road manners. Finally, amid the obsession with Italian or German sports cars, the Alpine combines both speed and comfort better than a Ferrari and will always stand out more than a Porsche at the local show. But which to choose?
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