The Boyhood Fantasy: Ferrari F40
The car that posters were invented for, the quintessential supercar, and probably my favourite piece of automotive design. A perfect marriage of aesthetics and technological prowess. You don't need to drive this to know that it'll be magnificently fast. In fact, at one time it was the world's fastest production car. It was a technical tour de force as well, its 2.9 litre V8 pushing out a whopping 471bhp, largely thanks to the aid of a pair of enormous turbochargers. Ferrari made liberal use of Carbon, Kevlar and Aluminium too, getting the kerbweight down to a featherweight 1100Kg and forcing the car from a standstill to 60mph in just over 3 seconds. It's an elegant yet brutal piece of machinery, intent on a single purpose: Going really, really fast everywhere, and looking magnificent while you do so. I've loved it all my life, still do, always will. But will probably never get to drive one... I might just cry now.
The Show-Off Mobile: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray '67 Convertible
I still remember the first time I saw this thing, I was spellbound. It's an astonishingly pretty car, well-proportioned and beautifully detailed. Cunningly, this beautiful shell hid a monster: a 427 cubic inch big block V8 that pushed a frankly ridiculous 435bhp through the rears. Needless to say, it'd kill you as soon as look at you if you tried to push on through the corners (Yank-Tanks never really did get to grips with the whole 'handling' thing), but the straight line speed and effortless cruising ability was unparalleled. Not to mention the fact that it's earth-quakingly, bowel-looseningly, eardrum-killingly loud. Which is a good thing.
The Cheeky Chappie: Fiat 500 Abarth SS
Ooh, it was a close run thing between this, the Clio Williams and the Clio RenaultSport Cup. The 500 just nicked it by way of being, well, irresistibly cute. Like a puppy in a box of kittens. Every dream garage needs a cheeky little scamp like this, perfect for dashing around towns, bombing down B-roads and generally putting a dirty great grin on your face. Learn the lesson Volkswagen: less power + less weight + a willing chassis = A Massive Win.
The Race Thoroughbred: Audi Sport Quattro
Look at it. No, seriously, LOOK AT IT. Who wouldn't one of these in their garage, that's what I want to know. The 2.1 litre turbo unit pushed out 444bhp in full race trim. It's the greatest rally car ever built (Scooby and Stratos fans be silent, you know you're wrong). I don't need to say anymore, I can barely even think about this car without making engine noises...
The Far-East Road-Racer: Honda NSX Type R MkII
Honda have always been the Kings of Naturally Aspirated Engines. This really was the pinnacle of the NA ethos. A screaming, rev-hungry 3.2 V6 VTEC that just begged to be thrashed all the way to the redline, tied up in a legendarily well-balanced chassis was the recipe that enabled Honda to create one of the finest driver's cars ever made. Not surprising when you consider that Ayrton Senna was involved in the chassis development. By keeping the car light and agile, the engine's relatively modest output of just 290bhp still managed to hustle you along at a right old rate; 0-60 disappeared in 5 seconds. For me, this is the ultimate expression of Japanese automotive engineering. You can keep your Skylines, this would do me nicely. It's a looker too (just don't mention the interior, it's like sitting in an egg carton).
The Cross-Country Blaster: Lotus S1 Elise
It's made of plastic, it's got the engine from a Rover and it's made by the notoriously flaky Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious brigade. It shouldn't work. But somehow it does, and beautifully. Despite the tiny power output (just 118bhp), it'll crack the 0-60 stretch in a touch over 5 seconds and hustle you through the corners with an unmatched ability to sniff out apexes and communicate with the driver. The Series 2 probably makes more sense (more power from a tremendously reliable Toyota unit, same wonderful handling), but I've an enormous soft spot for the Series 1. Even if you do have to remove your legs to get in the thing...
The Gentleman's Classic: Jaguar E-Type
What would a dream garage be without a classic GT car for that weekend in the countryside with your lovely lady? Classic GTs certainly don't come much better than the E-Type. Forget the handling (seriously, who cares in a GT?), forget the power (although there's plenty there if you go for the V12, and you really should), the E-Type is all about style. Which it has by the bucketful. Widely thought of as the most beautiful car ever made, even folk that hate supercars and hypercars love the E-Type. With that swooping bodywork, acres of bonnet, oodles of wood, leather and chrome and some magnificent detailing, it garners itself a caddish, rogue-ish image. It's like driving around in Terry Thomas.
The Hypercar Indulgence: Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce
Named after a bull that survived 28 sword strokes during a bull-fight, the Muurcielago was a supercar classic from the moment it went on sale in 2001. But it was in 2009, with the release of the LP670-4 SV (yes, I know it's an incredibly silly name, but it's a hypercar so it needs an overblown moniker), that it reached its full potential. It had always been fast, very fast, not to mention being the visual equivalent of being hit in the face with a house. However, once the ultra-aggressive, stealth-bomber looks were married to that sublime 661bhp V12 and 100Kg was lopped off the kerbweight, the Murcielago hit the stratosphere, becoming a true hypercar. Scissor doors? Check. Rear wing like a dining table? Check. 0-60? 2.9 seconds. Top speed? 213mph. King Kong sized adrenaline surge and tumultuous fireball resulting in manly heroic death? Check. I'll have mine in brighter-than-the-sun yellow or lime green, ta.
The Aston: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
You can't have a dream garage without an Aston, they're simply too pretty and wonderful to be ignored. It's difficult to make a bad choice from the current crop of Astons, they're all bewitchingly lovely cars. The DBS is a great piece of design, while the Rapide has lovely proportions and hides it bulk under some seriously svelte bodywork. But it's the V8 Vantage that I'd choose. Firstly, it's got a V8, and I've always been a sucker for the thudding tickover rumble and throaty full-bore roar of a V8. Secondly, it's a delightfully pretty thing in V8 guise, without the visual bluster that the V12 adds (Bonnet vents on an Aston?!). In all honesty, it'd probably get driven more than anything else in the garage, simply because I get the feeling that walking past an Aston and not wanting to drive it is impossible...
The Airport Taxi: Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS
Annoyingly, I am occasionally forced to endure the company of others (not including my wife, she's delightful – hello dear). This being the case, my garage needs a decent four door to take care of such occasions. The Rapide is an obvious choice, but there's already an Aston in the garage, so there's really only one other sensible choice: the Quattroporte Sport GTS. It looks absolutely fantastic: poised, athletic and muscular. It goes like a stabbed ferret and sounds like a rockslide in a tunnel (thanks to that marvellous 4.7 V8 and a not-really-at-all-muffled exhaust system). What's not to like? Well, the ride's a touch firm and the transmission's apparently a bit rough around the edge's. Not that any of that would stop me rushing out and buying one of these forthwith, had I the funds. It's sublime.
No comments:
Post a Comment