The Mini was manufactured by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s and its space-saving front wheel drive layout that allowed 80% of the area of the car's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage influenced a generation of car makers. In 1999, the Mi..
The Ford Escort RS Turbo was based on the three-door Ford Escort saloon and was supplied in a Diamond White body colour only. The engine fitted to the RS Turbo was a 1600 CVH unit modified to suit the higher loads and the application of a turbocharger. Computerised fuel injection and engine management incorporating turbocharger boost control were a..
Launched in 1974, the Golf represented a complete break with Volkswagen tradition, yet it would prove as big a sales success as its Beetle predecessor. In GTi form, the Golf has become one of the great icons of modern motoring, giving rise to an entirely new class of sporting saloon - the 'hot hatch' - in the process. First seen at the Frankfurt Mo..
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagon, short for Geländewagen (cross-country vehicle), is characterised by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction. It uses three fully locking differentials, one of the few vehicles to have such a feature. The G-Class is still in production and is one of the longest produced Mercedes-Benz vehicles in their hi..
The Porsche 911 is a luxury two-door sports coupé. It has a distinctive design, rear engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998. Since its introduction in autumn 1963, it has undergone continuous development, though th..
Unveiled in June 1995 for the 1996 model year, the fourth and final series of the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur were heavily revised and improved by Rolls-Royce. However, the new cars were simply known as New Silver Spirit and New Silver Spur as the IV suffix was a symbol of death in some Far Eastern regions. As before, the Silver Spur was the long..
The Ford GT40 is synonymous with Le Mans but was first seen at the Nurburgring in May 1964. Two unsuccessful years followed until in 1966 the GT40 took 1st, 2nd and 3rd places at Le Mans in its Mk. II form. In 1967 a new Mk. III road version was built which differed from the previous road and race cars. The two square headlights were replaced with ..
Unveiled at the March 1989 Geneva Motor Show, the new Mercedes-Benz R129 Series SL range was beautifully engineered. Based around a two-door monocoque bodyshell, its sophisticated, all-round independent suspension (double-wishbone front/five-link rear) was augmented by a host of active and passive safety features including electronic stability cont..
Successor to the race proven E9 3.0CS/CSi, the BMW 6-Series was introduced in August 1976, it utilised a modified version of the 5-Series saloon platform equipped with all-round independent suspension and powerful disc brakes. A natural rival to the 928 and XJS, the four-seater 6-Series proved more capacious than the Porsche and sportier than the J..
The Porsche 944 S2 was introduced in 1989, powered by a 208hp normally aspirated, dual overhead cam 16 valve 3.0 L version of the 944 S engine. The largest production 4 cylinder engine of its time, it featured a bore of 104 mm (4.1 in) and a stroke of 88 mm (3.5 in). The 944 S2 also received a revised gearbox to better suit the 3.0 litre engine. Th..