Top 5: Big European luxury brands with little prices

I've been scouring the internet for a number of weeks now, picking out what I think are the best and most overlooked European cars you can buy in Australia. For me at least it has been both enlightening and immensely fun, but it got me thinking, how cheaply can you buy luxury motors that once upon a time had a price tag on the distant side of $100,000? Turns out quite cheaply, allow me to enlighten you a little more with a top 5 count down, god I love depreciation.

5. Range Rover 4.6 HSE

Coming in at number 5, the Range Rover. What car signifies countryside pomp and ceremony more than a Rangie? As comfortable cruising city streets as it is up to its axles in mud the Range Rover is potentially all the car you could ever need. That iconic British badge, a commanding high driving position and not to mention supreme comfort meant that back in the day Land Rover could charge you $114,500 for the privilege of owning one. Nowadays though you can comfortably pick up a good late 90's car for under $10,000.

Posh stone arch and gravel drive in the background, check

Admittedly the big lazy 4.6 litre V8 isn't going to break any land speed records, but it will make a wonderful burble and if you want it too pull your house down so you can build a new one more fitting to the Range Rover image, it'll do that too. I'd suggest installing some palatial pillars when you rebuild, the Queen has a Range after all!

4. Mercedes Benz S-Class (S320)

Expensive hotel in the background, check

Another icon of luxury travel comes in at number 4, the Mercedes Benz S-Class. A class leading car
since it's launch in 1979 the S pioneered things like pretensioning seat belts, airbags, ABS and a whole heap of other driver aids, not to mention massaging air conditioned seats. The W220 model was built from 1999 to 2006 with even the early cars getting the option of in car TV's, DVD player, in car phone and self leveling air suspension. Unsurprisingly when new in 1999 an S320 would have set you back a cool $170,300 but now these mobile Dick Smiths can be bought for under $15,000 

3. BMW 7 Series (735iL)

Opulent country house in the background, check

Remember when James Bond drove BMW's? He screeched a 7 Series around a car park in 1997's
Tomorrow Never Dies. It was quite possibly the shittest bond car ever, I mean a German limo with zero sex appeal for goodness sake, not very "shaken not stirred" is it. Anyway I digress, don't let that foray onto the big screen detract from what a excellent BMW the 7 Series is. You see for the non Bonds among us the understated 7 Series is potentially all the luxury one would ever need, with a little bit of legendary BMW driving dynamics thrown in for good measure. A wonderfully smooth 173kw V8 powered the 735i meaning, that if sir wanted, 0-100km/h could be dispatched in 7.9 seconds. The cost of Bonds BMW new? $172,500. Now one can be had for a little over $10,000

2. Jaguar XJR

In life there are villains, cads, playboys and generally people who, on the surface seem like chuffing ruddy nice blokes, but after dark get a little devious. These people have long been affiliated with Jaguars, or should I say, Jaaaaaags and I'm not going to argue. Number 2 on my countdown of bargain luxury is the Jag for villains who want to do the driving themselves, the Jaguar XJR. Perfectly suited for chasing any heroins sports car the XJR offers up 276kw of shove from a 4 litre supercharged V8 dispatching 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Back in the day a villains unscrupulous activities would have had to net a profit of $178,000 to buy one, whereas now about $13,000 should do the trick.

Bad Ass powerslide for the Jag, check

1. Rolls Royce Silver Spur

There could really be only one conclusion to this run down of once expensive but now affordable luxury and that is a Rolls Royce. Quite simply a Rolls is the quintessential posh persons wheels, hand built and highly regarded as one of the best brands in the world. Sitting in one is akin to gliding along on a magic carpet, albeit with a bit more wood and a set of leather chairs thrown in for good measure. Powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine designed to waft rather than set your trousers on fire a Silver Spur is surely the luxury bargain of the century. When new a Spur cost way more than an average house, $328,900 to be precise, but now, some 20 years later you can get one for about $35,000. A tempting prospect when you realise that Hyundai's new luxury Genesis saloon could cost you double that!

A ruddy big castle in the background, obviously!

Now go get one

Not content with just telling you this though, my blog wouldn't be complete if I hadn't done the hard work for you already. So here picked from Ebay, 5 real examples of my top 5. I'm not saying buy these exact cars, merely showing you whats out there after a quick search, plus these 5 won't stick around for sale forever anyway.
1998 Range Rover HSE, $8,500
                 

1999 Mercedes Benz S320, $11,990

1998 BMW 735iL, $10,900

1998 Jaguar XJR, $12,950

1991 Rolls Royce Silver Spur, $37,000

Bruce's Car of the Week: Peugeot 306 GTI-6

Cue the use of some obligatory French cliches as this week my car of the week is the rather lovely 90's hot hatch the Peugeot 306 GTI-6. Please come with me as I guide you through why this little Frenchie might be an even better used buy in Australia than a Golf GTI, sacre bleu!

3 doors are better than 5

Let me start with doors, something I'm sure you'll agree we need to get from the outside of our cars to the inside. But have you stopped to consider how much better cars look the fewer doors they have? Probably not, but I have and when it comes to hot hatches some have too many of them. Maybe it's my inner rev head but more doors signal more commitment and ultimately less fun. So while yes a 5 door Golf GTI (most Aussie GTI's are) is hugely practical it also shatters the care free nature of a hot hatch in the process. Which brings me to the 306 GTI-6 which you guessed it, was only available as a 3 door, period. No room for commitments, just some 2 litre naturally aspirated nonsense. And from a technical standpoint, bear in mind that a 3 door hatch without the burden of having to carry 2 extra doors, will be a slightly sweeter drive too.

The design

Moving on from the number of doors for a minute, my next reason to consider the 306 is to appreciate on the whole what a good looking car it is, especially given the rather fat and bloated Peugeot design language of recent years. Designed by Pininfarina the 306 took all that was good with the classic 205 and brought it into a modern age. Yes it was bigger and heavier but it had a pretty face and neat rump. Also with the wheels pushed into the four corners, it's clear that from the outset the 306 was designed to handle well. All in all the car was blessed with a real, jua de vivre.

The oily bits

With a chassis so sweet under pinning the 306 the performance GTI-6 can properly exploit it. Powered by a tweaked version of Peugeot's 2 litre 16 valve petrol engine the GTI made 123kw which it delivered to the front wheels through a close ratio 6 speed gearbox, meaning it could dispatch 0 to 100km/h in 7,4 seconds. Engineers also fiddled with the 306's already capable chassis and suspension set up to make sure the GTI-6 could live up to it's hot hatch promises.

The reason why

The 306 GTI-6 I think makes quite a compelling argument for itself in the world of second hand hot hatches. It is a real drivers car that doesn't give two French horns to commitment's or the practicality of carrying back seat passengers. It is a car often overlooked because of the strength of it's German opposition, but actually the 306 GTI-6 is a cheap way into the world of European hot hatches in Australia. Peugeot's have quite a fan base here and a wide dealer network, specialist garage and forum/club scene should mean maintenance will never be too costly or difficult. Better than a similarly priced Mk4 Golf GTI? With less weight, fewer doors, a sweeter chassis and a smidgen more power, I think the Frenchie might be, tres bien!

Whats out there then?

My first choice is this 1998 GTI-6 being sold by a dealer. Has low km's given its age and comes with log books and a service history. It is priced very well with rego until April 2015

1998 Peugeot 306 GTI-6, $3999




If you have a little more to spend and like the security of what that can get you, the next 2 might be more up your street. The first is a genuine 1 owner example that appears to have been extremely well cared for. The second a later 2000 car, again enthusiast owned and meticulously cared for. Both look excellent, so really its down to whether you prefer red or black?


1998 Peugeot 306 GTI-6, $7250

2000 Peugeot 306 GTI-6 $7750

Left field choice

Before the GTI-6 there was the S16, same engine, bit less power, one less gear in the gearbox. Still a hot hatch, still a good buy if your on a budget. This one looks to be in really good condition, an un-faded red paint job in hot, hot Queensland says a lot about how this car was cared for. The exhaust looks pretty shinny and new too. A shame the dealer hasn't described the car a little more though!

1994 Peugeot 306 S16, $4990 

Photo's: carsales.com.au & gumtree.com.au

 

Audi release new RS3 details

Hot hatch backs are the have a go hero's of the car world, based on cars you see everyday they offer maximum thrills for not a lot of dollar. Show one a twisty a back road and they'll make sports cars sweat. At least that used to be case, over recent years hot hatches have changed and now don't just keep up with the sports cars of the world, they just outright overtake them. And today see's no let up in the hot hatches quest for even more power, with the unveiling of the new Audi RS3.

Audi's new RS3 develops a face bending 270 kw and 450Nm of torque delivered to all 4 wheels through Audi's familiar Quattro set up. It can dispatch 100km/h in 4.3 seconds and if you opt to remove the limiter will romp onto a top speed of 280km/h. Blatantly with figures like that Audi have aimed the RS3 squarely at Mercs A45 AMG which for the record makes 265kw. Whereas the Merc uses a 2 litre turbo four though, Audi have made enthusiasts of thrumming engine notes happy the world over by sticking with an updated version of the last cars 2.5 litre turbo five cylinder. Go on have a listen, its wonderful.

Audi's expertise at all wheel drive may mean the RS has the handling edge over its rivals too and judging by the wording in Audi's press release the car definitely has a fun side. With a trick differential and various driving modes, flick the RS3 into sport and it can send up to 100% of its torque to the rear wheels. Audi point out that,

In this mode the driver can even perform controlled drifts on low-friction surfaces

that's what we like to hear Audi! A car that isn't afraid to embrace it's rallying roots. Building the car on the existing A3's MQB platform means this car is not only lighter than its predecessor but also sits lower and wider than the previous Sportback RS3 model.

The increased width explains the RS3's flared arches, traditionally a trait of Audi RS models over their lesser powered siblings. The other design touches that signify this as an RS are subtle in true Audi style, but there are enough to hint that this car means business. Things like those massive 370mm front, 310mm rear, brakes behind those lovely 19 inch alloys, a re-profiled rear bumper with diffuser and space to accommodate those large noisy exhausts. There is also a rear spoiler and a smattering of RS badges to convince any left over non believers that this is one very quick hatch back.

Like any new car, especially a performance one, the options list for the RS3 is long and includes some spectacular and no doubt mightily expensive upgrades for the more committed driver. For example, those big brakes not enough for you? How about a set of carbon ceramic's for your 5 door hatch back? Seats not quite racy enough, then there's the option for light weight carbon shelled RS buckets, with for the first time in a seat like this integrated airbags, just in case that low-friction surface drift goes awry. Magnetic ride adaptive dampers can also be optioned to firm up the car and better the handling even more. There is however one option buyers can get for absolutely free, and I urge anyone who buys this car to opt for it. Audi are offering a no cost upgrade to the exhaust system so you can make your understated Audi slightly less, well, understated.

From humble beginnings hot hatches have morphed from cheeky sports car baiting scamps into supremely capable thoroughbred road cars. Audi's new RS3 due for release mid to late 2015 by the way, has taken that already high hot hatch bar and raised it another few notches. Other manufacturers appear to already to be taking note with Ford also today confirming a new Focus RS. I can sense an almighty super hatch war on the horizon.  

Bruce's Car of the Week: Ford Escort Mk2

Week number three of the blog and time again for me to pluck something interestingly European from the classifieds, but a warning first, this weeks pick might cause a little controversy. Ladies and gentlemen my car of the week is, the Ford Escort Mk2.

Wow, look at that handbrake work!

Yes you read correctly, an American company that bolted its cars together here in Australia is my Euro car of choice. Please bear with me though as I reckon the humble Escort is not just inherently European but about as bloody British as as it gets, right up there with the Queen, her Corgis's and afternoon tea. My reasoning is simple; you see the Escort was solely designed by Ford of Europe for you guessed it, European buyers, this proved to be a masterstroke. For most of its 32 year production run the Escort was at the top of the sales charts in the UK. 4 million were built meaning that almost everyone had someone in their social circle who owned an Escort. Sales down under however where not so spectacular and size was probably the key factor. Designed with European roads in mind and tight arsed British people who weren't keen on buying petrol, the Escort didn't really fit the Australian bigger is better ethos of the 1970's, meaning the local, bigger, Ford Falcon was a much more appealing mode of transport for many Aussies.

The Mk1 was built in Australia from 1970

Despite the dismal sales though Ford continued importing the parts to assemble the Escort in

Australia for a decade. Persevering as Ford did meant Australia captured the real sweet spot in the cars lineage, the original rear wheel drive Mk1 followed by the Mk2 which now, some 40 odd years later can be bought for not a lot of dollars, with some hunting.

So without further ado here it is in all its 70's brown'ness my car of the week, a 2 owner from new 1976 Mk2 Ford Escort XL. A real classic, in almost pristine condition with just a little scab of rust according to the add.

This car yours for $7950

A car bolted together in Australia by an American company it may be, but the Escort is a car firmly rooted in Europe and is actually a bit of British icon, go and buy one.

A Mk2 van was also produced in Australia, to help happy gardeners like this guy!

Photos: carsales.com.au & Newspress

   

 

Get your own Euro Barn Find

In a potentially very tenuous link to my earlier post about the ultimate barn find collection, I have been spurred on to see what decaying European metal is out there in Australia ripe for some restoration. Thankfully I discovered there is quite a lot, so much in fact that I'm only going to focus on one manufacturer for this first restoration themed post and that brand is Jaguar. So please allow me to guide you through some of the best potential big cat projects I found out on the world wide web.

Firstly however, a brief explanation of why classic European cars can be found decaying around Australia. You see in the days before Japanese and Korean cars dominated the new car sales charts a full contingent of British car manufactures, some now deceased I hasten to add, battled for supremacy with their European and Australian counterparts. Some truly awful creations from British Leyland arrived down under, like the Morris Marina, but some good made its way here too. And thanks to a combination of blind luck and some careful owners once upon a time, there are classics out there that have not rusted back into the soil from whence they came.

Jaguar seemed like a fittingly British marque to start my hunt for classic's with. A company now in resurgence thanks to a truly modern range things haven't always been so rosy. Desperate years owned by the aforementioned British Leyland almost sent the big cat to the rescue center in the 70's while the 80's and 90's weren't much better. However despite the troubles cars kept rolling out of the factory and found homes with many Aussies. Some Jags were destined to be classics from the day they were penned, like the Mk2 while others like the XJS pictured have grown into their looks over time. Regardless of the back stories though I'm pleased affordable classic Jags can be found in Australia, as long as your willing to spend a little more cash getting them road ready! Here are my findings.

How do 2 Jaguars for the price of one sound? My first find is exactly that, two cars bought with the intention of taking all the best bits from both to make one very good XJS. Unfortunately the owner has not been able to turn their dream into a reality and is offering both Jags for a very reasonable price. The bonus of this buy is, given that spare parts are likely to eat up any restoration budget getting that second car thrown in could be worth its weight in dead cow hide, walnut and oily bits.
2x Jag XJS's, $4750

My next find needs a little bit more TLC, quite a lot actually as it is a proper barn find condition Jag. However don't let that put you off, the majority of this beautiful Mk2 does appears to be there just not necessarily all screwed together. The seller mentions the biggest missing piece is a dashboard. I suspect the car might have had an interesting past too, those red wheels scream period race car to me.  
1962 Mk2 in need of restoration, $1200

My last pick is a little more sensible, for starters it actually works and has rego. It also appears to
have had some very careful and loving Jaguar enthusiast owners. Yes admittedly the unknown mileage is of some concern but really once a car gets to this sort of age condition is key and this one looks good, if the engines lasted this long somethings been done right! This one just needs a little TLC.  
1976 Jag XJ6,$3500         

Just a bit of inspiration

Ultimate Barn Find Collection up for Auction

You know that dream you've always had, the one where you buy a whole heap of rare cars then build a museum to put them all in? No? Me neither. However one Frenchman by the name of Rodger Baillon did and he almost made it come true. Unfortunately though amassing the cars was the easy part and before the dream could turn into reality financial hardship struck, Rodge's dream was shattered, some cars where sold but only now almost half a century later are the rest being offered for sale.

Rodger Baillon was a transport company entrepreneur and throughout the 1950's, 60's and 70's he
spent his wealth on some of the worlds most exotic machinery. Coach built masterpieces from Maserati, Ferrari and Bugatti where bought and tucked away in make shift sheds ready to be displayed in an as yet unbuilt museum showcasing the very best in automotive treasures ranging from the very beginnings of motor manufacture to the present day. The cars however never made it into that temperature controlled museum, Rodger's company came upon hard times, the dream was abandoned and so unfortunately where the cars he had collected. French Auctioneers Artcurial who discovered the stash of cars are now faced with selling them on in what could be the worlds most expensive sale, of essentially, scrap cars.

Despite appearances Artcurial say that a large number of the 60 cars discovered are of savable value. Two cars however, that Mr Baillon himself obviously liked over the rest given that he put them in a proper locked garage, are deemed to be of extreme value. A 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB California Spider one of only 37 made and presumed lost is estimated to make anywhere between 9.5 and 12 million Euros when it hits the auction blocks. While next to it in the same garage was a one of 3 ever made 1956 Maserati A6G Gran Sport Frua's, it is expected to fetch 800,000 to 1.2 million Euros.

Possibly 13 million Euro's worth of motor in this shed

The collection goes on sale at the Retromobile Salon on the 6th of February in Paris, pictures and details of every car will be released closer to the sale date and I for one will be very keen to see what was lurking in those sheds. Meanwhile here's a very atmospheric video of the cars still in situ.

Full press release here featuring comments from the very excited men that stumbled across the collection.                    

Photos: Artcurial

Bruce's Car of the Week: Audi S3

It's Monday again, which means it is time to share with the world my findings on the internet. This week it is the turn of Audi's S3, a bargain way into the world of 4WD hot hatchery that many people overlook. Let me try to explain why you should maybe pay it a little more attention.

Released in 1999 the S3 brought a bit more performance to the Audi A3 line up. By using the familiar 1.8 litre turbo engine, shared among numerous VW and Audi models, Audi was able to reliably extract 154kw from the S3. A perfectly adequate power output that could haul the baby Audi to 100km per hour in 6.8 seconds, however the S3 had a trump card over it's other rivals. Being an Audi it benefited from Quattro 4WD, not proper full time 4WD I must point out but a clever on demand haldex system that sent power rearwards when the car sensed the front wheels could no longer cope. This meant that despite its weighty proportions the S3 makes a formidable back road warrior.

As well as 4WD the S3 also stole only the best parts from the Audi parts bin, meaning luxuries such as figure hugging Recaro seats, bi xenon headlights and climate control came as standard. More power came the S3's way in late 2000 when the engine received variable valve timing, now making 165kw and dispatching 0 to 100km per hour 0.2 seconds quicker. The car also received a minor face lift like the rest of the 8L A3 range at this time. Differences were minimal, one piece headlights, clear rear lights and a cup holder in the interior are about the sum of the visual enhancements. As mentioned though if you do want a bit more oomph the face lifted car is the one to go for. Refreshingly the S3 also came in some very un Audi like colours, so if you want to stand out from the crowd this could well be your sort of car.

Right I think that is enough yabbering from me for the moment, here are some examples I've found for sale right now at quite reasonable prices. Do yourself a favour, get some vorsprung durch technik in your life, chances are you might also be getting yourself a future investment too.

This 2001 face lift S3 might have high km's, but don't let that put you off, a lot of mechanical work has been done to make sure this car just keeps on motoring. Can't really argue with the price either!
2001 Audi S3, $8500

This pre face lift S3 has fewer km's on the clock and comes in a rather splendid yellow! Not much in the way of detail given in the add but the aftermarket grill, mirrors and rear lights mean this could have been owned by an "enthusiast" of sorts. Can spot rare half yellow alcantara Recaro's inside though so might be worth a shot at just under 10 grand.
2000 Audi S3, $9999

My last pick this week is the one I'd have, a well cared for 2002 face lift model in arguably the best colour Audi have ever concocted, Nogaro Blue. This colour is rarer than others and the relatively low km's slightly justify the higher price.
2002 Audi S3, $11000