10 - Rover 200 BRM
When the Chinese got the Rover consortium board members drunk on shots to purchase their marque for peanuts the British car industry went up in smoke. Smoking like a K series engine with a failing head gasket. Yet for all their unreliability and bargain bin build quality the last generation of cars from the firm actually had quite a few positives. The 200 was quite a hoot to drive, and the VVTi engine was revy and lightweight even if it seemed to be cast from aluminium about as pure as Katie Price on her third wedding night. I recall a chunk of my cylinder head coming off in my hand when attempting to tighten a stud.
Mix a little BRM into the cocktail however and things become a little more glamorous. The illustrious marque competed in 197 Grand Prixs, winning 17 and taking the World Championship in the hands of Graham Hill in 1962. They also had historic connections to Rover when they joint fielded a zany gas turbined car at Le Mans. Unfortunately BRM folded twenty years before the birth of this 200 so this is celebration rather than collaboration.
The proud orange nose may seem garish but it adorned BRMs of yesteryear, and the car sits nicely on 5 spoke alloys. The interior also sees a lift with some nice cross stitched red leather. Beyond aesthetics the cars 20mm lower ride height as well as stiffer springs, revised dampers means a highly rated drive. Yes, from new you were guaranteed the head gasket would fail before 30,000 miles but once done and looked after it was more reliable than you think.
9 - BMW E90 3 Series 320si
The 320i of previous generations could offer you the luxury of a smooth 6 cylinder engine but without the performance of its bigger brothers. Even worse the fuel consumption wasn't better either meaning only and idiot like me would own two of them. With that it mind how can this seemingly run of the mill 4-cylinder 3 series make the cut here?
Unbeknown to most however this isn't your normal sales rep mobile. The 'si' is much rarer with only 2,600 made. And its link to the pinnacle of motorsport is the engine. Hand built at the Sauber F1 factory, these small units rev all the way up to 8,000rpm thanks to a shorter stroke. Underneath a stunning carbon fibre rocker cover lies aluminium-alloy liners and forged piston rods. Gone is the complicated valvetronic BMW system, replaced with conventional rocker arms. The result is 173hp which won't hold a candle to an M3. So what the hell is the point in sexing things up with the help of the Swiss F1 outfit?
The simple answer is racing homologation. The World Touring Car Championship of the time was limited to 2 litre with engine components having to be linked to production technology. The Sauber built engine was a great bass line to be modded for their title fight, which they executed brilliantly under the hands of four time WTCC champion Andy Priaulx.
8 - Honda Civic Jordan
1999 was the pinnacle for the Jordan team. Heinz Harold Frentzen had a realistic shot at the championship with consistent results and two race wins. To celebrate Honda built the Honda Civic Jordan. Strangely it wasn't based on a Type-R but rather a VTi trim of their normal EK4 3 door. Things weren't exactly sluggish however thanks to their howling 160hp V-TEC pulling the front wheels. I always remember seeing one as a teenager shooting up and down the local seafront and longing for one. My first car however was on the other end of the spectrum in the shape of a Metro 1.1.
In an example of pure marketing spin the only Jordan influence was simply trim and paint. A plaque denoted you were one of only 500 as well as yellow and black interior. But it does have an ace up its sleeve, adorning the beautiful yellow paint is a Jordan decal. You could have even fit a wasp decal on it a-la 1999 F1 car. And that makes it cool.
7 - BMW E60 M5
How can a hefty four door that weighs three times as much as an F1 car be called inspired? Simple answer - V10 engine.
In the current era of vacuum cleaner noise levels many racing fans romanticise about the days of the aggressive piercing sound of a V10. At the time of the E60 M5, BMW had produced arguably the best of them all for Williams F1 team. It allowed them to be the only real challenge to Ferrari when so often rivals McLaren-Mercedes struggled to finish races. To celebrate the E60 M5 offered all the thrill of a V10 from the comfort of a big German saloon.
I've been lucky enough to floor a slightly ropey example in sports mode and you could very well be Juan Pablo Montoya gunning it along the old Hockenheim straights. Or setting that average speed record around Monza. The aural experience is surreal as is the acceleration thanks to the award winning S85 engine. But if you were thinking this was the same unit as in the back of the Williams you would be wrong. Considering you can't even crank and F1 car unless the oil is warmed to perfect temperature BMW thought it wise to produce their own road car engine to deal with the demands and comfort of everyday use.
However like its V10 racing cousin the power unit worked to very tight tolerances. Even new owners looking for something to show off to the neighbours that neglected regular maintenance would quickly find worn main conrod bearings potentially destroying the engine. Furthermore, BMW forever walking the fine line between engineering brilliance and crappy plastic parts, found plastic gears that controlled the throttle breaking very easily. Needless to say the car may be an absolute beast but a very brave second hand buy. What do you expect - its a high performance V10!
6- Renault Clio Williams
The first car I drove after passing my test was my parent's dark blue Renault Clio MK1. With Wolf Race five-spoke alloys it really looked the part of a faux Clio Williams. A fortnight in and much to my parent's dismay the quarter panel had a coming together with our parking bay wall.
The real Clio Williams is a hot hatch classic. With an aggressive bonnet scoop and gold alloys gave it road presence that deceived its small stature. The 145hp from its two litre engine is plenty for this roller skate. Flaw it through corners and the uprated suspension set up gives surprisingly good grip even on those piddly wheels. That classic lightweight hot hatch feel is forever present. Nothing like this will ever go into production again.
Ironically something so well tuned wasn't breathed on by an F1 team. Like Honda years later, Renault looked to capitalise on its successful partnership with Williams on track. As Alain Prost won the World Championship in a Williams-Renault, a sporty Clio bearing the brand was released in 1993. However lack of input from the F1 outfit wouldn't matter. Its highly experienced and legendary Renault Sport division would develop the car that had the pedigree and homologation for rally car conversion if required. Three fazes followed as well as the start of the infamous Renault Sport Clio series.
5 - Honda NSX
In the eyes of the vast majority of F1 fans the cult of Ayrton Senna takes on an almost metaphysical and spiritual form. The great Brazilian took his second World Championship in his Honda powered McLaren in 1990. At the time the Japanese industrial giant was looking to produce the ultimate every day sportscar and drew on the greatness of Senna for his feedback and development.
However much hype is made of this involvement across the online world that you would actually think Ayrton penned the car himself. In reality the original development of the car lies with the genius of Honda engineers and Japanese race driver Satoru Nakajima battering it around Suzuka race circuit. It wasn't until later in development Ayrton was invited down to Suzuka for the day to have a go. Adorning aviator glasses and a crazy combination of white socks and brown leather slip on shoes, Senna immediately pushed the envelope of the prototype. His feedback was to stiffen the chassis to improve handling response, something his other-worldly intuition echoed in his mind. Senna's interest was sparked and he agreed a few more sessions including time at the mighty Nurburgring circuit, focusing on suspension development.
What followed was a very sharp and often challenging drive that set a benchmark of high performance motoring. You could have all the fun of a mid engined supercar but not break down like other exotics of the time. And ofcourse, a certain Ayrton Senna played an influencial role...
4 -Ferrari F50
As we venture into the world of the unattainable the Ferrari F50 was arguably the first car that claimed to be a Formula 1 racer for the road. While its predecessor the F40 stunned the world with its performance whilst being superglued together with no carpets or even side window handles, the F50 featured a V12 as a stressed member like Alain Prost's then F1 car. This resulted in pin sharp response at the cost of comfort. Jeremy Clarkson famously reviewed the car and hated this sensation, quoting it being akin to the engine being bolted to your back.
Some say the styling was flawed, which seems to not have aged terribly well. A nose-cone inspired front end was fitted with fans to suck the car down even at low speeds - a technology actually banned in F1. Unlike many in this list the engine was actually developed from the 3.5 V12 found in Prost's chariot, all be it in bigger and refined 4.7 litre form. Even a subdued F1 engine is something to behold, with the F50s party piece being the scream of those howling twelve cylinders. Unfortunately the Marenello outfit faced some stiff hyper car competition in the UK from McLaren and Jaguar which beat the F50 in headline grabbing top speed. Yet for all its flaws the F50 remains something very special and captures the raw essence of racing brilliantly.
3- Lotus Esprit Essex Turbo
The Esprit has always captured my imagination . As a young boy I idealised the 'wedge' as it cut its way on screen through James Bond, Pretty Women and the atrocious Teen Agent. In what seems to be a celebration by Colin Chapman of Lotus' then F1 title sponsor, the 'Essex' was the first turbo Esprit. Thankfully this isn't your 'Essex-ed' up motor. The red leather interior invited you to be cocooned into a seriously focused road car.
This was 1980 British car industry stuff, with a slightly garage built build quality. The long throw of the gearbox could irritate. But why does the dream of driving an Esprit persist? Gunning the whistling 4 cylinder early turbo engine is said to bring smiles to the face. The engine sits low thanks to its dry sump oil system and the chassis is made to be thrown around. Weighing in at under a tonne even a now wheezy 210hp is enough for decent performance.
2 - Ferrari Enzo
The 'F60' was an evolution of the concept of the F50 yet executed brilliantly. The car featured trick aerodynamics with bodywork that looked very prototype racer. Some say its form-over-function made this just as ugly as the F50 and very un-Ferrari. Catch it at the wrong angle and that rear could look bulky. But as the suspension and gearbox dug the car into the ground and the full force of the V12 sent you the horizon, your opinion may have changed. On the road the choppy gearchange trying to lock the rear up would get your attention in the wet. Certainly not a GT cruiser just like the previous generations of Ferrari hypercar.
The reality was the gearbox and engine wasn't as much the same to an F1 car as the F50. Yet the downforce created was immense. Ferrari released a crazy FXX model which was wasn't road legal. You had to cough up enough money to be 'invited' to purchase a car only to be used official Ferrari track days. An 'MC12' Maserati was its sister car, yet producing more downforce and intended to compete in GT Championships.
1 - McLaren F1
The boot space of a fiesta and two passengers meets 248mph. The McLaren remained on at the top of the ultimate hypercar mantle throughout the 90s and for good reason. Mix Gordon Murray genius, a BMW V12 engine and absolute disregard for cost and you have a formidable machine.
Isuzu were actually approached to produce the V12 to sit in the back of it. As crazy as that idea sounds the hopes were to flog their very decent prototype F1 engine. However the accolade for possibly the best road car engine ever goes to BMW. Sharing little but basic principles from other V12 engines from the Bavarian manufacturer, the S70/2 was an absolute tour-de-force of linear power delivery. Push down on the chain-linked throttle pedal and the independent throttle bodies open up to give you a 618hp kick in the backside.
Legendary Formula 1 engineer and designer Gordon Murray produced a chassis way ahead of anything else of the time. Using McLaren resources the car was the first in production to feature a carbon fibre monocoque. With budget no being a question the engine bay was even lined with gold to offer the best heat resistance. A central driving position allows a formula car experience with enough room for two passengers either side.
The cold hard truth is probably the best car ever made is also a proposition that would make a millionaire's eyes water. With annual running costs estimated at £20,000 even a tyre change involves McLaren 'running in' at least two tyres around a race circuit. But ask yourself what is the price of a dream?
