Twin Test Alternatives

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Here’s some more old smoothies that will make you swoon with their style and class...

RELIANT SCIMITAR GTC AS GOOD AS THE STAG?

The conversion from sports hatch to cabrio was logical if late in the day for the chassied, fi breglass Reliant Scimitar GTE. The GTC was launched just as the Triumph Stag bowed out and the GTC even uses a modifi ed Stag soft top. Owners swear it’s a better car than the Triumph and there’s little wrong with how the Scimitar performs with that lusty Ford V6. However, for its virtues, which includes value for money and rarity, it lacks the cachet of the Stag and owner back up, while pretty good, isn’t as comprehensive as the Stag scene.

BMW 8 SERIES
ULTIMATE TOURING MACHINE

Like the Porsche 928, BMW’s suave 8 Series never received the plaudits it deserved when launched over 20 years ago. A coupé only, initially it was V12-powered before an equally good 286bhp V8 (840i) came on stream. Like the 928, this German is made for long distance touring but an extreme 380bhp, 5.6-litre CSi was as hard charging as many so-called super cars. Like the Porsche 928, the Beemer’s complexity means maintenance and repairs can easily outweigh the car’s value and you can pick one up for as little as a few grand.

PORSCHE 928
WHO NEEDS A 911?

When the XJ-S wasn’t being hailed as the world’s best GT, the accolade was shared with the 928, the car Porsche designed to replace the 911. A healthy 240bhp was the minimum form the V8 engine, rising to 350bhp when it went to 5.4-litres. A magnifi cent GT with power and handling to spare. Yet it remains criminally cheap to buy – if not maintain and it’s even worth buying a wreck for parts supply alone. Apart from the GTS, most were automatic and there’s was never a convertible option.

JENSEN INTERCEPTOR
NOW BECOMING A CLASSIC

The Interceptor suffers the same stigmas as the XJ-S and took an age to truly make it as a classic – but at least it’s getting there! The Birmingham Ferrari is a fi ne GT and one of the simplest super cars to maintain thanks to its old school make up which includes Chrysler V8 engines. Apart from the normal sports hatch, there’s the really classy convertible and a rare coupé that’s as odd looking as an XJ-S. Good specialist support – buy now before prices really start to climb but avoid the many iffy ones run on the cheap.

JAGUAR XK8
BETTER THAN A DB7?

This is the cat that’s killing off the XJ-S as a classic. For a start it looks like a Jag should which is enough for many. Then there’s that superb V8 which even in standard trim is fast – and sensational in supercharged XKR form. Finally, there’s the car’s amazing value with prices at auctions under £5000! Watch it though as high milers can be liabilities and specialists advise spending the most you can on a good car – say £8-10 grand. Compared to the DB7, which uses the same XJ-S DNA as the XK8, that’s still cheap because the Aston sells for double the price of the Jag yet, apart from nicer looks and a cooler badge, is not demonstrably superior.

MERCEDES R107
THE PRAGMATIC CLASSIC

If you’re looking for a cultured tourer then you can’t ignore the R107. Apart from being ultra classy, these old school Mercs are made from granite and as longlasting – far more durable than any other car here! The driving experience is a bit soft and dated, but if you simply want something for cruising, then they are fi ne and there’s certainly no shortage of pace from the V8s. Good examples are rising in value but there’s also a lot of dross out there warns The SL Shop, who rejects most of the cars it views to retail. Spares and repairs are easy via specialists like Sam Bailey plus you can even acquire parts from main dealers if the pockets are deep enough.

BMW 3 SERIES
SHAME ABOUT THE ‘BEEMER’ IMAGE…

And why not? The E30 (pictured) and the replacement E36 which survived up to 1990, make a good mainstream GT that can be used daily – and many still are. Square look E30 is most classical while E36s are too plentiful to be called a classic – and will remain so for many years. On the other hand, the latter can be bought for £1000 or less; we ran a presentable enough 1996 six-cylinder (the engine to have) 323i convertible for a year and it never skipped a beat – and cost just £600!

MERCEDES-BENZ R129/CL
A GREAT TOURER AND ALL FOR MONDEO MONEY

The replacement for the R107 is now making it as a classic at last. Far more sophisticated and smoother than the earlier R107, Sam Bailey of The SL Shop says these cars are fantastic for long distance journeys and the SL he’d use for such escapades. There’s some fantastic examples on sale both at normal dealers and auctions at attractive prices, too which handsomely undercut R107 values. The fl ipside is considerably higher running costs – and it’s not quite as well built or longlasting as the earlier car. Again, too many owners with hearts bigger than their pockets mean that there’s a lot of badly maintained cars on sale so be warned. CL is essentially a fi xed coupé offshoot that can now be bought for less than £4000 due to lack of popularity.