Current cars that'll be future classics

One word – scirocco

Its try-too-hard. The classics of the future will be the cars that everyone had. The sirocco is trying too hard to be collectable. Theres something in-genuine about them.

Maserati 4300
Merc C63 AMG
Jag F type R
Jag Xf Type R
Alfa Brera 3.2 V6
Ford Focus St / Rs models
Vauxhall Monaro VXR 500
Bmw M4
Bently Continetal GT
Audi RS3 / RS4 / RS5 / Rs6
Porsche Cayene turbo S

Interesting article in Evo this month on a UK Alfa specialist making the Alfa 4C drive something like it should. They might be a bit special

Oooh. Nissan Bluebird. My Dad’s. Although he wasn’t in it at the time.

A w@nk then 😛

The various Mini monstrosities, for being Minis and rare due to their horrendousness.

Metzger engined 911’s.

Last normally aspirated v engines of the fast versions of regular cars.

Hoping Panda 100hp will be as good a choice as the Porsche 944 it replaced.
Some of the Abarth 500’s are quite nuts, if not quite as charming.

Alfa Brera V6 – I see somebody else thinks the same. Awesome styling and Alfa V6 – even better if a Prodrive, just bloody slow though.

Subaru Impreza 330S. Not the usual UK spec but the proper 330S – Prodrive again. It led the way for the new Focus RS – which will also be a future classic.

Alfa 147 GTa – torque-steertastic.

V60 Polestar – on account only the dealers bought them…….A sort of Lotus Carlton – nobody really got it until it was out of production, then they all went mad…

Suzuki Jimny – total poo until you take it off road, then it’s a cracker. Bought by pensioners and hated by the car press but actually a good little bit of kit.

Audi S5 4.2 – cheap as chips at the moment, because the world has gone forced induction mad, but will be a real collector’s item in 20 years.

Any of those BMWs won’t be as their image will soon be tarnished by watching even more oiks driving them around as they get older and cheaper.

That’s the thing with Beemers. They all depreciate to a point where they become affordable, but a few iconic models start to go back up in value once enough have been written off by boy racer types! 15 years ago you could buy a good E30 M3 for £6-7k, these days you’d need to multiply that figure by 4 to even start looking! Immaculate EVO3 models are demanding the best part of 6 figures!

8L Audi S3
I know people find them bland and very boring, but I loved mine!

It’s an event just getting into one with those almighty leather Recaro’s! It’s the understated choice sat next to a TT or a Leon Cupra that both share the same engine for sure, but it was the first properly quick “cost no object” hatchback that wasn’t trying to be a rally car, but rather a miniturised Q car. The GF has a 2000W plate version with just over 140k on the clock, it’s in far better condition than most cars with half the milage. Don’t get me wrong it’s had money spent on it keeping it in good condition, and a stage 1 remap and coil overs help make it a much more exciting drive than a standard one, but it’s not a costly car to own either. Drive it sensibly and it’ll do 35mpg, decent tyres are only about £65 a corner as they’re 17’s. If and when she decides to get rid, I’ll almost certainly have it off her, it’s definitely worth more than she paid already and I’m certain it will continue to go up as long as it’s looked after.

Ahem mboy, as you know I had a S3 & a Cupra, the Cupra was a far better car to drive, if you can live with the image…

I do think big engined N/A manual cars will be future classics as they simply won’t exist due to emission targets, unfortunately I bought a DSG 3.2 8P 😉

Oh & LOL at the RUF 959 being a future classic, try & find one for less than 6 figures.

This, in fact I am very tempted to buy it!

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/peugeot/306/peugeot-306-gti-6-2-0-16v-a-c-3dr-hatchback-petrol-manual-red/5855358?v=c

but £8k is more than they have cost for 10 years!

Saw a mint-looking K-reg Peugeot 205 Rallye for sale in Ross-On-Wye today, £4k 😯

If we’re doing not-current cars that will be future classics I’m gonna go for the Nissan 350z, even though I’m not particularly keen on them. Tremendous engine, good looks, Z-car heritage.

Cupra was a far better car to drive, if you can live with the image…

When I test drove one, it had sharper turn in and more steering feel, but didn’t feel as planted and torque steer was very present…

Maclaren 675LT – Aventador SV – Ferrari F12 – Ferrari 458 Speciale.

I worked out my van had gone through 46 tons of diesel in its lifetime – it was still a going concern when I sold it so maybe its chugged through a few more. It doesn’t seem like that a product that would consume that much energy to make could be sold for £16,000.

depends which source you take, 76000kWh is a high one (I think the lowest I’ve seen was 2000 but I think that was just the car factory, not steel, transport etc) but that is about 40 tones of CO2.

So about a quarter of its energy is used to build it.

Cars haven’t improved anywhere near efficient enough that a new one would save that much energy over its life, let alone 10 years till it’s scrapped for some other reason.

Sticking with completely-ignoring-the-biref-from-the-OP and so a car that’s been out of production for ten years, the Alfa Romeo 156. Specifically an early one.

😆

I do love STW (and am guilty of the above)

Can’t see it posted already but for definite a Lotus, probably an evora.
Slightly older I think that the elise will be seen as a classic

I N R A T S

…but current TT is a very pretty car.

Cube is unique as an original design from Nissan.

Defender? Tragically you may be right.

Booster saved Porsche did it not?

Vauxhall Monaro is a good shout.

I’d also, bravely, throw in the Renault Wind. Rare, actually quite good, interesting, bold styling – surely it’ll be a classic?

My love for these things will never die. The MK1 1.8 non turbo/Quattro version with the baseball tan leather, essentially the first TT roadster brought into the UK.

TINAS – there was a report a while back showing that a “small petrol multicylinder car” (1.4 16v) could be run for over 15yrs before it approached anywhere near the CO2 output of putting it in the showroom.
Oddly – the diesel version was around 12yrs.
The same car was over 20yrs of something like a Prius leaving the factory before it gets shipped.

Dacia – never be desirable so can’t qualify. Old Lada’s aren’t revered, they are laughed at.

The early Audi TT’s were awful cars. My wife had one and it was a nasty, nasty drive.

A Boxster is probably a good shout. Now they have gone to a 4 cylinder the 6’s will be revered. Same as when the 911 went water cooled, the last air-cooled became instant classics.

I think Nevis is right with the V60 Polestar. The first one with the 3.0l T6 not the current 2.0l 4cyclinder. I intend to buy one as soon as they start coming out if warranty and drop below 20k.

I have a S60R and both those and the V70R have a following already and good ones hold their money.

2unfit2ride
Oh & LOL at the RUF 959 being a future classic, try & find one for less than 6 figures.

Really sorry – I respectfully retract my last post as you’ve obviously deemed it too expensive to be a future classic 😆

Wasn’t most of Ferrari’s 1960’s range quite expensive when they first appeared? Not quite as expensive as they are now admittedly, but I thought most of those held classic status regardless of how few folk could actually afford them at the time?

Shame Ovlov didn’t have the balls to build this…

I think Nevis is right with the V60 Polestar. The first one with the 3.0l T6 not the current 2.0l 4cyclinder. I intend to buy one as soon as they start coming out if warranty and drop below 20k.

I have a S60R and both those and the V70R have a following already and good ones hold their money.

POSTED 47 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

A bit of a Volvo in-joke though isn’t it?
Looks exactly the same as every other variant of the model which looks exactly the same as every other model in the range, which are all versions of Fords.
Not special, not groundbreaking, Not horn inducing or clever (especially compared to Volvos of yore).
What then?

reuben = that one wasn’t built by ovlov……

The Volvo C30 Polestar Concept is Polestar’s first ever road going car, built to celebrate the 2009 Swedish Touring Car Championship title and utilising the experience of the racing the C30 model.

The purpose of the project was to find out what the result would be if a team of racing engineers and drivers got free hands to design their own ideal road version of the car they had spent thousands of hours perfecting for racing use within a specific set of race regulations.

The car was converted to all-wheel drive with the Haldex Generation Four system, combined with Quiafe limited slip differentials, to take a substantial step forward in terms of handling and grip. For power supply the proven Volvo T5 2,5 litre turbo engine was chosen to ensure that the car would get a suitable performance level as well as reliability and drivability in all conditions.

Exterior design and aerodynamics were based on Polestars extensive race car testing in the Volvo Cars wind tunnel. Suspension was reconstructed in cooperation with long-standing race team partner Öhlins. To ensure brake performance in level with power and handling, high-capacity Brembo brakes were fitted.

The interior of the car displays an ambition to use the highest level of materials in an honest way, with performance and function coming first, produced in cooperation with Tärnsjö Garveri.

The result was a car that builds on the duality of the C30. It was designed to deliver both high performance driving and long distance travelling. A true Grand Touring car combining high performance and efficiency from the conclusions and results proven in motorsport with the luxury and feeling from high level materials and solutions.

Technical Specification
Performance

0-100 km/h: 4.2 seconds
Top speed: over 290 km/h

Engine

Volvo 2.5 liter straight five cylinder
KKK K26 Turbo
451 hp / 336 kw
510 Nm / 376 lb-ft

Chassis / Drivetrain

Öhlins dampers
6-speed manual gearbox
All-wheel drive
Quaife LSD front and rear
Brembo ventilated discs

Aerodynamics

New front splitter
New rear spoiler
Carbon fiber diffusor
Developed in Volvo wind-tunnel

The early Audi TT’s were awful cars. My wife had one and it was a nasty, nasty drive.

And that is exactly why it will become a classic. The pre suspension modification/spoil will be worth way more than the updated version, and there will not be many of them about.

The TT broke all the rules on styling at the time.

No I wonder never ever buy one because they are awful cars, but being good isn’t what makes a classic

Re: Volvo’s.

Because they are a great sleeper for that reason. Will do 0-60 in between 5.5-5.7secs depending on gearbox. Are AWD and have a Ohlins designed Monroe electronic suspension control variable suspension system, 4C active Chasis design and Brembo brakes yet unless you know look just like a normal Volvo. Rumour has it they lost money on them as well.

That and they only released 350 in the UK market of the S60R and I’m sure the V70R wasn’t many more. There are at last count about 240 S60R’s left on the road and they are already starting to be imported from Japan.

The V60 is even more advance and has a flappy paddle gearbox and Ohlins damping etc.

There’s a silver Polestar V60 a few doors up from my parents house and i’ve never paid it much attention but on the back of this thread i’ve had a better look over it, it’s quite an imposing looking car when you get closer with the huge wheels and massive brakes – Quite nice for a volvo 😉

It will also do 60 in 4.7 seconds… Not bad for a big estate.

wilburt – Member
I’m hoping we come to our senses and start scrapping all vehicles over 10yrs old.

Well, if you’ll take my fifteen year old Octavia, and give me the money to buy a much newer car, fine.
Of course, that would mean losing all old classics like Morris Minors, Minis, Bentleys, Rolls Royce, Jaguars, etc.
Back to modern classics, I’d say the Puma, especially the Racing Puma, as only 500 were built, they were hand-assembled, with extensive bodywork engine and running gear mods, and higher spec interior, and there are less than 400 left.
The standard Puma didn’t have a large production run either, across all three versions, especially the 1.4, and the 1.7 Zetec shared engines with the Fiesta 1.7 Zetec, Yamaha only built 100,000 units for cost/license reasons, and many got scrapped in the last scrappage sceme, so good ones will start to appreciate.
Still wish I had my 1.7. 🙁
Still, the Puma entered production last century, so among current cars, I’d suggest the Citroen DS3; it’s a stunning design, a lovely car to drive, and not over-complicated, so should have a good lifespan.
I’d dearly love one, the 145 miles I drove in one convinced me it’s a fine car to drive and own for everyday use.

Yep all of them, nasty polluting tin cans of flaky engineering.
Keep a few in museums but they shouldnt be on the roads and I say that as someone who did his apprenticeship on Jags.

Modern cars won’t ever be classics worth even a spot in a museum because they are just computer designed commodities, the only meaning they have above that is imaginary, created by marketing teams and brought alive in the minds of the easily influenced.

That anyone would think anything else is testemant to the value of good advertising.

DS3 a lovely drive? You what? Had one as a pool car at work. It was a truly odd car to drive. Very strange driving position and no feel. Not as bad as a Citroën Cactus though. The auto version of that is possibly the worst car I’ve ever driven.

Classic of our time … F type or an Aston Martin Vanquish.

Looks exactly the same as every other variant of the model which looks exactly the same as every other model in the range,

Yep. Q cars and all the better for it!

The Rs were awesome.

There may even be a V90 Polestar in the offing!

Fiesta St – 2013 will be a classic. Critically acclaimed. In twenty years it will definitely be in Peugeot 205 gti territory.

Current bottomed out value car that will be a classic is definitely the citroen saxo vts. No, not the Vtr, the vts.

I think that the Alfa 4c (maybe after a Alfaholics fettle) will be a future classic. Being an Alfa and carbon fibre helps!

Being an Alfa and carbon fibre helps!

As in carbon doesn’t rust?

🙂

The TT broke all the rules on styling at the time.

Was that the rule that stopped it looking like a bar of soap?

Audi haven’t made a good looking car since the Quattro

Was that the rule that stopped it looking like a bar of soap?

Or aerodynamics that caused it to swap ends at 71mph?

So you don’t like the TT, big deal.

Since when has “driving” experience been a fundamental requirement to a car becoming a classic?

You won’t buy one, good. Plenty already think it’s on it’s way to become a classic, like all cars you need the right model and right spec.