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Wide-body BMW 850Ci E31

With its incredible Pandem wide-body kit, custom livery and jaw-dropping air-ride stance, this old-school 8 Series is a show-stopping spectacle that’s simply off the scale

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1977 VAZ 2102 Lada 1500ES Estate

How a pair of Ford enthusiast brought a forlorn and forgotten Lada 1500 back to life and thanks to their attention to detail, this top of the range model is a gem.

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The brand new 1967 Alvis 3.0-Litre Graber Super Coupé

Not a restoration but a brand new car: this is the Alvis Graber Super Coupé, and Mark Dixon drives it exclusively for Octane

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1982 Ford Fiesta XR2 Mk1

As the go-faster Fiesta celebrates 40 years, we revisit the first of the breed.

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1986 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 based replica 1973 911 RS 2.7

Mike Flannery’s Carrera RS 2.7 evocation makes use of Carrera 3.2 mechanicals and a raft of wide-ranging improvements to be even better than the real thing…

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1972 Fiat 124 Special T 1000 miles now and nothing has fallen off!

The 124 has covered over 1000 miles now and nothing has fallen off! Testament to the guys at Middle Barton Garage for bolting it all together properly and to Barkaways Ferrari for building me a superb engine – Guy Croft would be pleased.

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1970 Fiat-Abarth 1000 TC Corsa wide-body racer tested on track

Strap in for a wild ride as we get behind the wheel of a Group 5 race-spec Fiat-Abarth 1000TC Corsa Wide Body.

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1993 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione II

Lancia and rallying were once synonymous, the Delta Integrale being among the greatest homologation specials ever to scorch a special stage. It hasn’t lost the power to thrill, either, as we discover after braving one with more than 300bhp.

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1954 Kaiser Darrin

Bill Smith, known to his friends as ‘Barnsley Bill’, likes unusual American cars and he’s certainly got one with this 1954 Kaiser Darrin… When faced with a rare car such as this one, I’m always intrigued to hear why the owner decided to buy it.

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1972 BMW 3.0CSL E9 vs. 2003 M3 CSL E46

The 3.0 CSL and its contemporary, the 2002 Turbo, laid the foundations for BMW’s ‘ultimate driving machine’ adventure. Along with their less powerful but still charming siblings, they pointed the way to BMW’s modern car-making template: mixing the excitement and drama of the better Italian sports saloons and coupes with the reliability and quality of a German car. It’s been paying dividends ever since.

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1996 Ferrari F310

Since Enzo’s passing, in 1988, the prancing horse had struggled to get out of the gate. Despite top-tier Drivers — including Mansell and Prost — Maranello was a different shade of red. Having not won a driver’s title since 1979, the Ferrari 642 went embarrassingly winless in 1991 — with Prost acrimoniously sacked. Then, both Mansell and Prost would claim the 1992 and 1993 drivers titles, respectively — for rival, Williams.

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1978 Lancia Sibilo

The collection of Milan-based Architect Corrado Lopresto ranks among the best in the world. The Key — an annual which ranks individuals based on the value and provenance of their collections — placed Lopresto at 22nd: more significant than Andreas Mohringer, but not quite so important as Ralph Lauren. Though, if you are like me and think a list is just another divisive tactic to get people arguing over something they might normally bond over, you can appreciate the life’s work of Corrado Lopresto for what it is: an immense and valuable tribute to Italian automotive design.

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1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Coupe

What is an early E-type like to use on a regular basis and can the flaws of the day be seen as charms today? Jim Patten swaps his 4.2 roadster for a 3.8 with a roof for a road trip.

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Tuned 2.1-litre Volkswagen Golf Mk2

A car that’s been on the scene almost as long as we have. Back in 2003 Grant Fearby’s Mk2 was very brown, very wide and very cool. Little has changed, or has it?

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1964 Crossle C5-7S V8

Conceived around Ford's crossfow four, the Crossle C5 held its own amid lightweight Lotus and Lola rivals. Then this one gained a V8…

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