Future Classics

[Devinda_Z]

Devinda,

Try downloading the whole episode. Here is the link,

http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgear/12/3/

Sagaris

Thanx Sagaris - i've got all 12 seasons

just wanted to add the youtube link for illustration purposes

[MasterDon]

in my most humble opinion i don't think all sti's will be classics...specially the new one..now with subaru out of WRC it won't have the rallying pedigree like it's brothers...and if subaru do return it'l most probably be with a new car..

[MasterDon]

what about these

renault espace MPV

vauxhall monaro

honda prelude

chrysler 300c

Edited December 18, 2008 by HelRazor

[Kavvz]

my someone seems to be rather smittened with it!

lol !!

Of the mentioned, my favorites are the 1996 Peugeot 406 Coupé and the 1998 Toyota Mark IV Supra. To add to the list: I think the 1992 Volkswagen Corrado is a potential future classic as well.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Kavvz

[GTAm]

GTAm wouldn't you say that your lists are biased? Golf 3 VR6? Z3 M-Coupe? Fiat Coupe? 155? Some of these cars aren't even loved today.

Take it to the ATM, within the next decade you'll see some crazy prices paid for mint condition DC2 Honda Integra Type Rs, EK9 Honda Civic Type Rs, the Mitsubishi Lancer 6.5 TME, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type RA-R, R32 and R34 Skylines (esp. the limited editions) and possibly even AE86s. I think the genuine low mileage Type Rs will fetch especially high prices.

Hey KLM have you missed my Jap list?? It's further above.

EK9 was really nothing special. It was heavier than the GTi6, 145 and god forbid the Mk 4 Golf which was also quite a barge disguised as a hot hatch. Further more the EK9 handling has never been highly rated.

Fiat Coupe is a regular in Classic Car mags already usually compared with the Corrado and 200SX. M-Coupe is tipped to be highly collectible and it wasn't a commercial success so it will be rare while it has the M3 engine - rated as the best 6 in the world.

155Q4 has the same running gear as the Delta Integrale which is already a classic. In a way its an Integrale sedan.

Besides the 155 utterly wiped the opposition in the BTCC, ETCC and DTM which had very big budget manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes among many others.

Most people agree it was the most dominant era of a single brand in the recent past. There are loads of guys who think the 156 is too soft for them and love the hardcore nature of the 155. They are the ones who'll treasure their Q4s and even V6 Ti s and bring them out when the dust has settled into layers.

[GTAm]

GT AM,

Just surprised about your French cars,

The BX and the XM best for scrap value!

I agree with the 306

The Avantine-A coservatory on wheels!

Where is the 206? The 406 Coupe etc.

Maithri

Maithri we are talking FUTURE classics and trying to predict. Many future classics go for scrap value now. The trick is to be able to predict. One of my friends sold an MGA for Rs. 10,000 in the early 90's!!!!!!

The 406 Coupe is there in my list

BX GTi was a cracking drivers car at the time. And the styling was ahead of it's time. And it's ability was heavily under-rated. XM will be very rare and will follow the CX which is starting to get collected now............. They are still searching for a new DS but this is as close as they've gotten.

Avantime was a very brave move that the market wasn't ready for. The last time Renault defined a new ganre it was the Espace and Scenic. All other manufacturers followed soon after. Eventhough the Dodge/Chrysler pre-dated the Espace.

206??? What's special about that? It just look cute and that's it.

[GTAm]

made its debut in the 80's so didn't want to list it - pioneer no doubt

but its already established itself as a classic dare i say

Of course!! And it's my favourite Audi as well

[GTAm]

you'd have done yourself a favour and simply gone with ALL italian cars made in the last 2 decades!

Ha ha no. I left out some dogs. No Fiat Tipo, Tempra Chroma, No Lancia Dedra and Delta 2. No Alfa 146 and the regular 147, 156, 164, 166 etc. Oh certainly no Alfa 90 and Arna No Fiat Stilo and Brava/o either... Oh I can make the list very long.,...

[GTAm]

you or Fulvia?

can i PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE have drive??

Tell me they got the Abarth , EsseEsse bits??

Oh no no no. Not us. It's a v wealthy guy who has a couple of Porsches, An SL among others. Seems to have got a Fiat bug all of a sudden. He's bought a mint Fiat 1100 a month ago.....

[GTAm]

what about these

renault espace MPV

vauxhall monaro

honda prelude

chrysler 300c

I'd bet on those!!!

[GTAm]

in my most humble opinion i don't think all sti's will be classics...specially the new one..now with subaru out of WRC it won't have the rallying pedigree like it's brothers...and if subaru do return it'l most probably be with a new car..

Is the new one all new underneath? If it's a careful eveolution of the previous STis, then I don't see a prob. The blueprint is already classic Imho. Having driven just a 1.5R hatch I can safely say it's the best drivers car in the class in SL, Golf, Civic, Bravo, Mazda 3 included. I have yet to drive the new Lancer but I doubt it will top the Subaru.

If only they hired a designer who coul stay awake..............

[GTAm]

WHAT??!?!?!?!?

an XT here????

Yes yes. Near our house. he's the guy who first imported an X 1/9 and the Renault 5 Turbo 2 - the midengined one

Will make inquiries and see....

Edited December 18, 2008 by GTAm

[MasterDon]

Yes yes. Near our house. he's the guy who first imported an X 1/9 and the Renault 5 Turbo 2 - the midengined one

Will make inquiries and see....

if i'm not mistaken the subaru xt was voted one of the ugliest cars ever by some car magazine...can't remember which...

but hey as richard hammond of TG once said being ugly can add character to a car...but being a bland design is the crime(and then proceeds to burn a nissan sunny with a jet engine..lol...)

[Devinda_Z]

if i'm not mistaken the subaru xt was voted one of the ugliest cars ever by some car magazine...can't remember which...

but hey as richard hammond of TG once said being ugly can add character to a car...but being a bland design is the crime(and then proceeds to burn a nissan sunny with a jet engine..lol...)

it was do doubt designed with men with rulers - one of the "folded paper" generation, but ugly it wasn't imo...

not pretty either - but very 80's

[Devinda_Z]

Yes yes. Near our house. he's the guy who first imported an X 1/9 and the Renault 5 Turbo 2 - the midengined one

Will make inquiries and see....

so i'm thinking someone who took the toruble to get those would have ticked the AWD drive & the 2.7L flat 6 ya?

[Devinda_Z]

the Renault 5 Turbo 2 - the midengined one

bloody 'ell!

& again one learns something new on AL everyday!

[Devinda_Z]

Fifth Gear - Future Classics

Ford Ka

Rover 75

Volvo C70

Toyota Prius

Saab 9-3 Viggen

BMW 530d

MG ZT 260

Renault Avantime

Lotus Carlton

Volvo T5

Ford Focus RS

Porsche Boxster

Vauxhall Astra Coupe 2.0T

Audi S8

Fiat Barchetta

MGF

Range Rover

BMW 8 series

Skoda Octavia vRS

Honda Civic Type-R

Ford Puma Feature

Peugeot 406 Coupe

Jaguar XJR

Alfa 156 GTA

Volkswagen Corrado

Vauxhall VX220

http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?mn....x=0&go.y=0

Edited December 18, 2008 by Devinda_Z

[GTAm]

Other Brits,

1. MGF

2. XKR

3. TVRs?

[Devinda_Z]

by default just about any and every sports car seems to end up in the "future classics" pile or so it would seem...

the hard ask is to point out the everyday nondescript vehicles that would possibly make the cut...

[GTAm]

the hard ask is to point out the everyday nondescript vehicles that would possibly make the cut...

Well I think that they won't. Times have changed. They need to be truly special to make the cut.

[KLM]

EK9 was really nothing special. It was heavier than the GTi6, 145 and god forbid the Mk 4 Golf which was also quite a barge disguised as a hot hatch. Further more the EK9 handling has never been highly rated.

I'm no Honda spokesman by any stretch, but I think that an EK9 would have eaten all of these cars on a track on any given day. That should say enough about the car.

Guys, I know the term 'classic' is subjective, but aren't we losing the plot here a little? The Peugeot 406 a classic? Come on! It looks great for a 4-door sedan and drives decent but do you see Ralph Lauren's son (or whoever) plonking down big money at the 2030 Barrett-Jackson (or whatever) on one? I think we've all just listed our favorites here, regardless of whether they are really classics or not.

Since we'll all have our favorites and will be biased anyway, I think the criteria to look for would be how much collectors would pay for cars in the future. In this era of mass-produced cars the only ones that will demand premiums will be absolutely mint-condition limited edition models, and not your run of the mill daily drivers like 406s etc.

[Supra_Natural]

I'm no Honda spokesman by any stretch, but I think that an EK9 would have eaten all of these cars on a track on any given day. That should say enough about the car.

Guys, I know the term 'classic' is subjective, but aren't we losing the plot here a little? The Peugeot 406 a classic? Come on! It looks great for a 4-door sedan and drives decent but do you see Ralph Lauren's son (or whoever) plonking down big money at the 2030 Barrett-Jackson (or whatever) on one? I think we've all just listed our favorites here, regardless of whether they are really classics or not.

Since we'll all have our favorites and will be biased anyway, I think the criteria to look for would be how much collectors would pay for cars in the future. In this era of mass-produced cars the only ones that will demand premiums will be absolutely mint-condition limited edition models, and not your run of the mill daily drivers like 406s etc.

I agree on the EK9, it will be remembered for it's performance and giant-killer nature, as well as the engineering significance of that lovely motor.

as for the 406, i'm thinking most people are talking about the Coupe, which really is a lovely piece of work.... i mean we only have to look at the good old 504 to see the logic, the sedan is still used as a everyday hackabout in many parts of the world, but the lovely coupe and convertible are now considered "Classic"

so i dont think it's too much of a stretch to assume the 406 coupe will join those ranks IMO

[GTAm]

I'm no Honda spokesman by any stretch, but I think that an EK9 would have eaten all of these cars on a track on any given day. That should say enough about the car.

Guys, I know the term 'classic' is subjective, but aren't we losing the plot here a little? The Peugeot 406 a classic? Come on! It looks great for a 4-door sedan and drives decent but do you see Ralph Lauren's son (or whoever) plonking down big money at the 2030 Barrett-Jackson (or whatever) on one? I think we've all just listed our favorites here, regardless of whether they are really classics or not.

Since we'll all have our favorites and will be biased anyway, I think the criteria to look for would be how much collectors would pay for cars in the future. In this era of mass-produced cars the only ones that will demand premiums will be absolutely mint-condition limited edition models, and not your run of the mill daily drivers like 406s etc.

I can picture Ralph Lauren sitting on the bonnet of a 406 Coupe next to his Alfa 8C but some how I don't think the EK9 will fit in there...

KLM the 406 Coupe was semi hand built in Italy by Pininfarina. That's enough kudos for Ralph to at least pose with one being a great designer himself. But you really can't bring a minorty like Lauren into a discussion like this. They'll collect the classics of all classics only. The modern equalents to his Alfa 8C is the Mac GTR and Ferrari FXX.

You really think that the EK9 would have eaten a GTi-6??? I doubt very much if at all it would have been the other way around. I have read many group tests - actually I have one that pitted the EK against the GTi-6 and Golf GTI and Alfa Clover Leaf. The Honda was nothing special accoring to them apart for it's highly revvable impressive VTEC engine. That too had too little low down torque, something you need a lot on twisty tracks........ Having driven a few performance Hondas I have to agree with that. The Ek9 was place last in that test.

Maybe in Asia the EK9 was the best hot hatch but from a worldwide perspective it was only average. The Peugeot is a lot lighter don't forget. To make a car light and fast is not easy. Of course the EP3 Type R is a real contender with its great chassis. I recently had an opportunity to drve one on the road and it was great. From the way it behaved when pushed as much as I could on the road I know it will be a dream on a track. Actually I feel it is a car more suited to a track than the road.

[MasterDon]

by default just about any and every sports car seems to end up in the "future classics" pile or so it would seem...

the hard ask is to point out the everyday nondescript vehicles that would possibly make the cut...

yep...so far only a handful of commoners has made it through...would like to see more cars suggested that are normal

Edited December 19, 2008 by HelRazor

[MasterDon]

Well I think that they won't. Times have changed. They need to be truly special to make the cut.

i bet the people in the 50's 60's said the same thing when their beetles,2cv's and mini's were running around ..nah i think this era too will also produce it's share of classics...