Affordable Classics
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Party Car
When we think of performance Fords here in the U.S., our focus is mostly on thundering V8-powered Mustangs, mid-engine GTs and the brawny F-150 Raptor. These are big cars with even bigger presence. But Ford of Europe is big on performance too, just in a smaller way. Across the pond, “Fast Fords” are most often…
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Redeeming Porsche’s Black Sheep
The 996-series Porsche 911 Carrera is the most-affordable 911 — and it always will be. Long billed as the Next Big Thing in the Porsche market for a good decade now, values of the 1999–2004 Carrera swelled, dipped and stagnated while its pre- and post-contemporaries have not. That’s a shame because, much like with sex…
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Back to Basics
The 2002 of the 1960s–70s introduced a legion of enthusiasts to fun-to-drive BMWs, but as time went on, the Bavarian brand’s models grew in size. BMW struggled to strike the right balance with “compact” versions of both the E36 and E46 3 Series but finally struck the right balance with the 1 Series coupe and…
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Gen Z Sports Car
When the Nissan 350Z arrived in 2003, it was more than just a new sports car — it marked the revival of the Z nameplate after a seven-year absence in the U.S. More importantly, it marked a philosophical change from the complex and expensive 300ZX. That car had priced itself out of the market by…
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One Final Triumph
Given collector-car market trends of recent years, many vintage British cars are slowly becoming more affordable. However, even in such a target-rich environment there are still sleepers — bargains among bargains. The Triumph TR7 and its last variant, the TR8, may be prime examples. That does not mean they are sleeper investments. Triumphs are toys,…
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The Best or Nothing
Since 1954, the Mercedes-Benz SL has built its legacy largely through popular culture. Think of Clark Gable and his 1955 300SL Gullwing or Hugh Hefner’s 1959 300SL Roadster. John Lennon owned a 1965 W113 “Pagoda” 230SL, and the R107 was given a starring role in countless 1970s–80s movies and television shows, including “Beverly Hills Cop”…
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Finding Middle Ground
It’s possible that the only thing worth complaining about in Acura’s third-generation Integra is a steering wheel so bloated with a ’90s-era airbag that it dominates an otherwise inoffensive and durable interior. Truly, that’s it. Produced for eight glorious model years, the Integra’s combination of a screaming VTEC powerplant, low cost, capable handling and livability…
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The Everyman Italian Exotic
It doesn’t seem like all that long ago when 20 grand was enough to own an honest-to-goodness exotic Italian sports car. Driver-quality Ferrari 308 GT4s, Lamborghini Urracos and Maserati Meraks were all within reach for a middle-class wage earner with some diligent saving and a bit of patience. Today, however, exotics from manufacturers ending in…
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G Whiz
The Infiniti G35 and G37 Coupes were grand tourers known for being as easy on the eyes as they were on their owners’ wallets. Based on Nissan’s FM platform, which underpins its more famous Z cars, the coupes also shared mechanicals with sedan counterparts that borrowed their name, if not their beauty. Athletic and powerful,…
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Three-Letter Thrill Ride
Unlike many of its early-2000s counterparts, Ford’s Focus SVT had something truly special going for it. It wasn’t the most powerful car in the sport compact world, and it certainly wasn’t the most aggressive-looking. But it may have had the most passionate development team behind it, ensuring that it filled the driver-centric niche for which…