Following on from the Rover 620Ti thread, let's make a list of those unsung heroes that are better than you think:

Rover 620Ti - fast, no traction, leak oil and blow gearboxes

Toyota Carina E 2.0 GTi - MR2 174bhp engine and decent handling. Can be picked up for pennies now

Any more?

 

Always loved my Volvo 850 T5's. Cheap to buy/maintain, drink like a fish have a 5k mile range on a set of front tyres and stop........


















eventually!

In standard guise they are surprising, a used remapped ECU through an enthusiast sites creates a laugh out loud serious contender. It is a 1 trick pony, there is no doubt, but what a trick. 300lb/ft from 2-5k rpm!

 

Rover 220 as I mentioned on the thread
Triumph TR7 V8 covertible - awesome noise, no handling or grip
Re-chipped fiat croma turbo (0-100 in 12 secs if the gearbox lasts)
Opel Monza 3.0 GSE - fast but pisses fuel everywhere

 

my old Rover 827i (g reg) auto was wicked.....

although it never used to stop very well (the amount of times i've had to just "steer" round roundabouts, with no possibility of stopping!!!)

i also had to "coax" the starter motor with a hammer now and again

first car i had with over 2000 cc, first car to be auto, and first car with leccy roof and windows (god i'm sad)

loved every minute driving this thing in kickdown mode!!!

oh and it was white too, so used to part the fast lane like moses!!!

 

charade gtti,tiny engine went like stink and rusted almost as quickly,scared plenty of bigger power RS's and the like

 

Old school cars =
Fiat uno Turbo was great whilst it lasted
Fiat 3p berlinetta, went like stink loved to rev, but serious rust bucket
Old mini modded with a MG 1300 engine
Cavalair SRI 130
Talbot sunmbeam TI. - Ate gearboxes.(3 in total)
Susuzi SWIFT GTI seriously quick and super handling.


New age cars =
Has to be a Mazda6 MPS. 4wd, 250bhp 2.3t engine seriously tempted with one of these myself at the moment great Q car.

 

Octavia vRS

 

What about this....
Ford : Mk1 Escort V8



(and no, it's not mine or anyone I know!)

 

Omega V6? People will think you are an unmarked cop car too.

 

Nissan Primera 20eGT

 

Saab 9000 Aero
Vauxhall Senator 3.0-140 mph for 350 quid.
BMW e32 735 manual-again, paid 400 quid for it, amazingly capable for such a big car.

 

In relative terms, (ie compared what it cost new etc) the VW Passat W8 4Motion, one currently on autotrader 51,000 miles full leather etc for 7k. I think that fills all the slots, well apart from fun maybe Auto Trader Dealer Pages - Harrison Howard Motor Company Ltd

 

I used to have a Rover 200vi for a company car about 8 years ago. Back then 143bhp was quite a lot for a hot hatch and the fact that it only weighed about 1100kg, it could easily see off the heavier GTi, 306 GTi etc.

 

BMW e36 328i se Tourer

Looks very plain but 192bhp through the rears! can only mean fun. Very cheap aswell, give the boyracers a shock.

 

Renault 21 quadra

2 Litre turbo engine, 4 wheel drive, styling by Lego

 

Cavalier V6, turbine smooth. MG Maestro, great handling and reasonably quick (shame abut the looks).


Nik

 

Fiat 130TC
Fiat Croma turbo+inc boost


D (now with the best of both worlds ....a 130TC with a Croma turbo lump )

 

Another vote for the Strada 130TC I used to have two of these and a Rover 220GTi at the same time. The Strada wenty like stink, lods of tourque , handling was superb and they sounded superb !

Nowadays the Charade GTti is the daddy for me, hugely under-0rated with some amazing engineering. People are knocking out over 255nhp from 993cc !

Daihatsu Sirion Rally II - Another great car from Daihatsu, Gti acceleration , supermin fuel consumption.

Mazda 323 GTi - Another lightweight Japanese flyer, cracking engine if a bit gruff but super reliable.



AllanB

 

-Cavalier 4x4 Turbo
-Cavalier SRI130
-Primera 2.0eGT
-Nissan Bluebird Turbo ZX

 

Jaguar XJ12 (XJ40) 6.0 V12 308bhp best ride even and corners well. Under £1k now:


Others:

Montego Turbo
Maestro Turbo
Rover 200vi
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 825 Sterling 2.5 V6
Vauxhall Senator
Vauxhall Omega 3.2 Elite
Jaguar XJS V12
Nissan 200SX

 

Some good ones there. I'm determined to own a V12 Jag at some point in my life.

 

MG Maestro Turbo seriously quick Had 2 of these and loved them even the 16 valver which was deadly(didnt stop or do corners but could spin in every gear in the wet)
Renault 11 Turbo Ugly family sized R5 contender
Suzuki Ignis Sport 1.5 dvvt pretty quick ( my sons is fairly rapid)
Sierra 4x4 Ghia Estate 2.8 V6 pretty potent in 1987. Had one and loved it.
Have to say as a stealth car my wifes Discovery 3 V8 4.4 can do 0-60 in 8 secs which does suprise a few.
I do have a thing about V8s.

 

Weren't the Maestro Turbo brakes the same set up that was fitted to the 1.3 City X?

 

No Meastro Turbos were 16valve.


Quick nonetheless.

 

It was once it had the 220 turbo transplant

 

Nutter

 

Had one for a while as a runaround -- 3.0 MV6 with manual box (essential if you want to have fun). Not that quick, 210 BHP but weigh as much as a small country. However the handling is suprisingly sublime, RWD and very easy to controllably drift.

Very comfortable and well specced too, serious amount of car for the money. Avoid the ex-police models though, as they are badged MV6 but are basically poverty spec with a 3.0 engine. The real MV6 is much better. Watch out for rust too on the bottom of the doors and rear arches.

 

BMW 540i & 550i.
Fabia VRS

 

Montego's were quick probably because they were as basci as they came, and light as a feather

A guy round the corner from me has a 735i up for sale for 600 quid, looks pretty decent too

 

Mk2 Seat Ibiza's.. bulletproof VW underpinnings, less conspicuous than a Golf Gti.. 8v @ a realistic 125 Bhp out of the box, and the 16v @ 150. (can be chiped for more, too )
scares a lot of things, stick a set of Yoko tyres on and in the rain it'll scare you , too