TOP FIVE: MODERN CLASSIC V8S FOR LESS THAN £8K

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The world is in ecological meltdown - well, so we're told. Global warming is a terrible thing, as espoused by those soaking up the sun in North London parks in March. Even showing an interest in cars is deeply passé...

So a V8 seems rather counter-culture these days. Naughty, even. It's something that has to be done before we're all told to conform to 1.0-litre-or-less mediocrity.

But it doesn't have to mean breaking the bank. Here are eight-cylinder lovelies for less than a new EV car that will probably make more impact on the world's ecology thanks to building and shipping limited-miles EV batteries.

 

Audi S4 (B6) 

The B6-generation Audi S4 is all about tight, well-groomed and efficient minimalism. It's a car that's never looked old, and still holds up well today. But the real story is the everyday, all-weather peformance. Thanks to its four-wheel drive system you could be in a monsoon and still deploy its 339bhp and truly mighty 302lb ft of torque without concern. Try that in any other car and you'll be in a tree, contemplating your limbs - or the lack of.

Cost new: £38,235        Value now: £6000

 

BMW 840Ci

It's Munich's forgotten supercar - too complicated, too modern-looking and, at the time of its luanch, too expensive. But as time has advanced the BMW 840Ci is getting much more appealing; it's looking fresh and dynamic in a clipped, Ikea manner. The V8 cars may lack the glamour of the V12s but should the worst happen you'll be able to find more donor 5-series V8s than you wil 7-series V12s. It was pilloried at the time for not being as sharp-edged as the styling suggests, but if you look at it as a staggeringly fast cruiser, it starts to make sense. Prices have already started to rise for the very best examples.

Cost new: £54,950        Value now: £5000

 

Jaguar XJR X308

These old Jaguars may look as if the closest they come to hardcore is driving past a builders' skip on the way to the golf club, but don't be fooled. With 370bhp on tap and suspension tweaks that mean you'll corner in a way E-type owners can only dream of, it's a truly special car. While it may lack the vim and vigour of a BMW M5, the Jaguar XJR has a loveable-rogue charm all of its own. No new car will ever look like this again - and in the long term, that augurs well.

Cost new: £58,935        Value now: £8000

Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG

mercedes_clk_500x375.jpg

Oddly for a Mercedes-Benz, this is perhaps the most-discreet Q-car here. The Audi and the Jag may not wear their high performance on their sleeve, but they still look special. The CLK 55 just looks like an old Merc, no more no less. But get on a straight stretch of road, wind up that handbuilt 5.4-litre, 342bhp V8 and you'll be on speaking terms with the horizon befoer you know it, and all in sumptuous comfort.

Cost new: £58,965        Value now: £5000

 

Toyota/Lexus Soarer/SC400

If you've never heard of these majestic-looking machines, you're missing out. With a smidgen less than 300bhp on tap and an engine note akin to a jetliner, it's a pity they're such a rare sight - they were never officially imported to the UK, but several came over as personal imports. Sixty comes up in just over six seconds and you'll be tickling 170mph on a long-enough autobahn; in-gear shove is hefty with 300lb ft or torque.

Cost new: $38,000 (US)        Value now: £3000

Originally featured in Issue 003 of Modern Classics magazine, pick up a copy by emailing Leise Enright at leise.enright@bauermedia.co.uk 

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