Blogs Posts

Replacing the Turbo R, the Arnage was caught up in one of the most bizarre buyouts in British industrial history. But that just means there are interesting choices to be made when buying one. WORDS: WILL HOLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY: KELSEY ARCHIVE BUY BENTLEY’S LUXURY BARGAINBUYING ADVICE BENTLEY ARNAGE BUYING GUIDE: BENTLEY ARNAGE All you need to know to select the best ‘...there’s no real price differential between BMW and L Series engine variants, at least for nice low-mileage examples.

While the dynamic performance of the 911 moved on at pace over the decades, one element that didn’t evolve to the same degree was the car’s lighting. Thankfully, the yellowing, dim halogen bulbs are a thing of the past. Today we have Porsche Dynamic Lighting System Plus (PDLS+). PDLS+ is an add-on to the lower-spec PDLS. That system works by constantly adjusting the range of the dipped beam of light depending on the car’s speed.

Adverts that mention Cat C or Cat D are referring to Category Markers, issued after a vehicle has an insurance claim.  When a car is damaged, the insurer decides if it’s worth repairing or not. If it isn’t repaired, the owner is paid out, the car is written off and the insurer applies a Category marker to it. Previously, they were Cat C and Cat D, but these were replaced in 2017 with S and N.

My E36 has been getting tons of use as ever, equal to that of my alleged ‘daily’ E34. It’s typically very reliable, but there was a recent hiccup, that being a burst CV joint while hundreds of miles from home in Birmingham. A known weak spot to most owners, and yes, I have exacerbated the issue of course with a Ade’s E36 323i welded diff, lots of lowering and some harsh drift action!

Fast, frugal and affordable, BMW’s E60 535d is also easily tuned, but steer clear of unloved examples. Market WatchOur expert takes a look at theused market for the E60 535d. Words: Guy Baker Once the fastest accelerating diesel car in the world, BMW’s E60 535d was the definitive fast diesel saloon – and now, you can buy a good example for less than five grand.

It was state of the art when it was new, and there’s still plenty of luxury to enjoy with one of the most beautifully-proportioned BMWs ever made. Words: Bob Harper Photos: Jason Dodd Buying Guide: E38 740iThe magnificent third-gen 7 Series offers luxury on a budget – here’s what to look for when shopping for one.

For 23 years my brother has come over from Australia for Beaulieu and Goodwood, latterly buying a cheap 2CV on arrival to get him around Europe, then shipping it home and selling for enough profit to pay his air fares. Impressed by his driving it flat-out to the South of France and back, I began looking for a 2CV for myself and soon found a local dealer ad for a 28,000-mile, one-owner, five-year-old example for £2500.

This rare Swede not only looks great but is also a surprising bargain THE MARKET / Buying Guide This Volvo is difficult to pigeonhole. The 480 is not a hatchback in the usual sense, but neither is it a traditional coupé. Although it clearly drew inspiration from the 1800ES, describing it as a shooting brake doesn’t feel quite right, either. Whatever it is, it’s certainly one of the most intriguing cars ever built by the Swedish manufacturer, and one that remains great value today.

The smallest Jaguar makes an affordable and practical if controversial modern classic but it does have its pitfalls. Here’s what you need to know. WORDS PAUL WAGER BUYING X-TYPE THE ESSENTIAL INFOWill this very capable sports saloon ever be any more affordable? Here’s what you need to know. To some extent the best classics are those which are controversial enough to arouse fierce debate and the X-Type is certainly one of them.

Could this be the classic world’s biggest bargain? One of these world-beating, exclusive GTs can be yours from just £3000, but avoiding costly gremlins is vital. Words RICHARD DREDGE Photography JOHN COLLEY Buying Guide Bargain of the century? Buy a Mercedes-Benz CL C215 for as little as £4000 The bigger they are the further they fall – and few cars have fallen quite so far and become quite so much of a bargain as the C215 Mercedes-Benz CL.

There’s a thread that runs through an entire bloodline of supercars that we can tease at during their lifetimes but which only really makes itself apparent through the lens of hindsight. Underrated, misunderstood, underbacked or merely out of place and time when they were launched, cars like the BMW M1 E26, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 964, the Ferrari F50, the McLaren 12C and the BMW i8 all needed time beyond their respective production runs for us to appreciate them for what they achieved.

Scarabeo is the Italian word for ‘beetle’ but for a few Alfa Romeo connoisseurs, it is also the name of one of the most tantalising ‘might have been’ chapters in the marque’s history. The story of Project 105.56 began in February 1966, less than a month after Giuseppe Busso and Alfa's experimental department had begrudgingly surrendered development of the Tipo 33 sports prototype to Autodelta, Alfa’s racing division headed by Carlo Chiti.

Philip Raby, of Philip Raby Specialist Cars, points out it can be hard to identify trends, but he notes a definite run on 993s of late. Unusually, he’d had four in, and had so many enquires that he could have sold them again and again. “People were almost fighting over them,” he says. Avi Tandon of Garage Sportique backs that up, noting demand for 964s and 993s. “90s air-cooled cars, particularly manual C2 Coupes, are in demand, but finding those with low mileage is quite tricky,” he says.

All-wheel-drive has been a part of the 911’s repertoire since the 964 of 1988. Total 911 explains how the first AWD system worked. Four-wheel-drive has been with the 911 for over 30 years now, but the idea was tested by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1947 Type 360/Cisitalia. That used an all-wheel-drivetrain to meter the power from a supercharged 12-cylinder engine, but the idea had been set in motion from the off.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — we love it when a former 911 & Porsche World feature car comes to market. More so when it happens to be a former cover star... TRIED & TESTEDThe GT3 driving experience without the GT3 price tag. This is how Charlie Wildridge, boss of Suffolkbased Porsche indie, William Francis, describes the Tiffany Blue 996 you see in our photos.