Top 10:Greatest-ever BMWs!

BMW has made some cracking cars in recent years. Here, we’ve chosen 10 of our favourites. The Top 10 BMW-M Cars is still to come, but if your budget is a little less Formula One, you won’t be disappointed with one of these 10...

Please click the links to list available cars in the used market on Auto Trader.

E30 3-Series (1987-1991)

E30 3-Series (1987-1991) -

In 1987, BMW gently facelifted the E30 3-Series, replacing the chrome bumpers with full-length body-coloured plastic ones, while removing chrome detailing elsewhere, too. And so the yuppie mobile was born. Rarely has so minor a facelift proven so successful; the 3-Series now looked great, just at the right time, and BMW’s upward sales spiral commenced. The company has never looked back, and can thank this car. It can be brought for three-figure sums today, yet flawless mechanical integrity means they’re still decent drives, so long as you watch the back end in the wet...

E36 3-Series (1991-1998)

E36 3-Series (1991-1998)

If the E30 were responsible for BMW’s success, its E36 successor cemented it. Compared to what went before, this was revolutionary, with perfectly proportioned styling that even today still looks fantastic. It used to be the low-slung coupe that looked best, but the chunky four-door saloon is starting to win more fans as the years pass. It was groundbreaking beneath too, debuting BMW’s famous Z-axle rear suspension that cured all the waywardness without diluting the fun. Smaller engines are underpowered but still sweet; buy a £3k straight-six 325i for budget entertainment you never thought possible.

3-Series Compact (1995-1999)

3-Series Compact (1995-1999)

It’s easy to get a mid-‘90s BMW hatchback for under £2,000. It looks like the E36 saloon (even though suspension tech is more E30) and has a tidy, if underpowered, engine line-up. Aspects of the interior may, surprisingly, be low-rent and dated, but come on! This, or a Ford Escort. Which would you seriously prefer? The Compact is also a very significant model as it signalled BMW’s intention to become more ‘mainstream’, years before the 1-Series. It wasn’t an unbridled sales success but it nevertheless proved to those within BMW that they could do ‘budget’ cars without losing prestige. 1-Series and, arguably, MINI are the result.

528i (1997-2003)

528i (1997-2003)

The best car in the real world? It was when it was launched back in 1997, and for keener drivers, it probably remains so, almost a decade on. Not only was it devoid of flaws, it did nearly everything so incredibly well, particularly for the driver. The handling was pin-sharp, steering beautifully weighted and the six-cylinder engine a purring peach that also returned good economy figures. That you can buy it for £3,000 is nothing short of incredible. Spend £4k and you’ve a car for life that we reckon outpoints the latest one for driver satisfaction.

6-Series (original) (1976-1989)

6-Series (original) (1976-1989)

Introduced in 1976 and changed little to the end of production in 1989, the 635CSi is the closest you’ll get to a workable ‘classic’ BMW. It’s a cracking old-school drive, with smooth straight-six power and surprising pace considering the price you pay for a minter – less than £5k. The ultimate is the 286bhp M635CSi (using the famous M1’s engine, for 60mph in 6.4 seconds!), but you’ll be lucky to find one at any price – only 5,800 were built. How good is it? Reviewers at the time rated it more highly than the 850i that effectively replaced it.

X5 (2000-)

X5 (2000-)

The most entertaining off-roader on the road. Yes, on the road. You’ll never see an X5 tackling anything rougher than a muddy field – that’s because, despite appearances, its natural home is a twisting backroad, the more challenging, the better. 3.0-litre diesel engines are preferable to petrol units, while the 4.4-litre V8s are surprisingly cheap and sorely tempting if you can afford the fuel. Maddest? The 4.6iS, which would be called an MX5 if it weren’t for Mazda. It’s astonishing. Five years on, they still fly out of showrooms and set a trend for everyone else to follow. A classic in the making.

Z3 M Coupe (1998-2003)

Z3 M Coupe (1998-2003)

The Z3 M Roadster mated a sloppy chassis to a 3.2-litre M-tuned straight six. The results weren’t pretty. BMW engineers knew this so worked in their spare time to find a solution. Many burnt dinners later, out rolled the M Coupe, with stiffer bodyshell that looked utterly unique. A Z3 estate? It was superbly idiosyncratic, yet far better to drive – more accurate, more stable and less liable to leeriness. As a result, it reeks class today and still costs serious money. But what an investment in a car that fans will pay big money for in years to come.

8-series (1990-1999)

8-series (1990-1999)

The start of the ‘90s, and BMW was on a technological roll that saw the launch of the ultra-complex 8-Series. A more luxurious four-seat replacement for the 6-Series, it employed the very latest in gadgetry and one of the sweetest 5.0-litre V12 engines in the world. At the time, testers complained that all the tech made it soulless, but 15 years on, it’s quite an experience. Chances are it will all still work too, which means you can buy quite a remarkable car for little more than £6k. Even better, go for the later, sportier 840i V8, which is more satisfying even though it lacks that astounding V12. Modern BMW suspension theories started with this car.

7-series (1995-2002)

7-series (1995-2002)

Bond, driving a 7-Series, just didn’t look right. But YOU in a 7-Series, from just £2,500? (Yes, really – £2,500, for a 10-year-old one). Now that’s much more like it. You can indulge in 007-levels of goodies too, as all are stocked just as you’d expect a luxury car of the 1990s to be. Various engines, but such is the top-line 750i’s thirst, it often sells for the same as most-popular 728i straight-sixes. We’d be torn between them, but would probably go for the smaller-engine’d car as it’s more nimble and fun to drive. A scruffy old Scenic or some of these – which would the family prefer?

Mini (2001-)

Mini (2001-)

We’re being a bit cheeky, but even by recent standards, there haven’t been many more successful ‘BMWs’. Rumour has it, MG Rover engineers were responsible for a lot of the engineering, but to drive, the feel is very BMW, even if the Chrysler-sourced engines let things down. Just like the original, it’s become a mass-selling style icon that hasn’t become a pastiche, and given the choice between a Cooper S and a 130i to blast on a twisty backroad, we know which we’d take, central instruments, whining supercharged note and all. A brilliant British-built success story.

10 greatest-ever Porsches

Ten Porsches? Is that all I’m allowed? Seriously, Porsche’s current range could easily take up the whole list, as they really are all excellent. We like Porsches here a great deal. Why? Simply because they offer a fantastic driving experience.

Whether you’re the owner of an entry level Boxster or a Carrera GT hypercar all Porsches have a beautifully engineered precision to the way they drive and feel. So to keep things simple we’ve concentrated on the more recent models and avoided the race cars. Include that lot and we’d need to do a top twenty... at least. Don't forget to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the page...

959

959 -

It’s perhaps clichéd to mention it, but this mechanical marvel became one of the poster icons for the Athena generation. I had one on my wall with a Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari 288 GTO with ‘decisions, decisions, decisions’ written underneath. Sadly, I’ve never had to make that decision but if I did I’d go for the Porsche. It was a technical masterpiece when it was introduced in ’88 and still commands real respect today. Based on the 911 but with highly sophisticated four-wheel-drive transmisson, twin turbochargers, electronic ride height adjustment and 450bhp it never quite managed the 200mph of its cruder rivals – topping out at ‘just’ 197mph. However there were some drawbacks.

That engine and complex transmission combined with its composite wind-tunnel honed ‘zero-lift’ bodywork made it fiendishly expensive to produce though, Porsche making a significant loss on every one of the 283 cars they sold. They are exceptionally rare and valuable and unfortunately Auto Trader doesn’t list any right now...

911 (993) Turbo from around £34,000

911 (993) Turbo

There are a good number of 911 fans out there that regard the 993 series 911 that ran to 1997 as the last of the ‘real’ 911s. That’s because it was the last 911 to be cooled by air. Like most generations of 911 there were several stand-out models based on the 993, the RS, the basic Carrera 2 being notable examples, but for many the Turbo is the 993 to aspire to. Never before had the 911 Turbo offered such blistering pace with ease of use. Previous Turbos had a fearsome reputation, the 408bhp 993 Turbo utilising four-wheel-drive to enable you to use its prodigious thrust on any road in any conditions. Ludicrously quick with a 4.5 second 0-62mph time and a 180mph top speed, the 993 Turbo remains a supremely able and enjoyable high performance 911 that’s hugely sought after.

’73 2.7 911 Carrera RS from around £10,000

’73 2.7 911 Carrera RS

The 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. The first of the RS (Renn Sport – Race Sport) lightweight Porsche 911s is still regarded as the absolute finest of the breed. Its 210bhp might sound modest today but it only had to push along a car weighing less than 1000kg, the RS’s 5.8 second 0-62mph time and 152mph top speed still highly credible today. Stripped of comforts its back-to-basics mantra meant it was agile as well as fast. It formed the basis for countless race and rally cars, racing 911s today owing a lot to this iconic car. Carrera scripting on the doors and the famous ‘ducktail’ spoiler highlight it over its lesser brethren, but there are now plenty of copies out there. As a race car it comprehensively whipped its opposition, as a road car it was sublime. Which is why it’s held in such high regard to this day.

924/944/968 from around £1,000

944 S2

It’s perhaps unfair lumping these three cars together as in each series there has been at least one derivative that’s given their 911 contemporary the frighteners with their performance and handling. I’m thinking of the 924 Carrera GT, 944 Turbo, 944 S2 and the 968 Club Sport. But hugely impressive as these individual models are it’s really the collective result of their sales that has been significant to Porsche. If it wasn’t for these front-engined machines, unloved by many of the ‘purists’, it’s highly likely that Porsche as we know it today - an independent and hugely profitable company - probably wouldn’t be the same. More that just helping Porsche on the sales front, these three cars offer a hugely thrilling drive, and as a result of their less favoured status can be owned and run on surprisingly sensible money today.

Boxster from around £12,000

Boxster

Like the trio above the Boxster has allowed Porsche to indulge its customers with the 911 and projects like the Carrera GT by offering volume models at more affordable prices. The Boxster is a fantastic car and one that’s never been bettered in the roadster market with its combination of decent performance and fantastic ride and handling. It’s made it the benchmark in its price range. However, as it sits under the 911 it’s always been capped for power to prevent it taking sales from its iconic big brother. The earliest 205bhp 2.5-litre cars introduced in 1997 underline this by being a touch slow, but any other model is well worth considering; particularly the faster S derivatives with their larger engines. The current Boxster continues where the original left off. That is, heading the roadster class effortlessly and providing a hugely enticing and relatively affordable step onto the ladder of Porsche ownership.

Cayman S

Cayman S

Some might consider it rather early to be proclaiming the new Cayman S as worthy of a place among our top ten Porsches, but we’re absolutely certain it deserves the accolade. A coupe version of the Boxster was always going to be special and the Cayman S certainly doesn’t disappoint. Significantly stiffer than its Boxster relative, the Cayman S offers a supremely sharp and focused driving experience. There’s such immediacy to its responses and fine control it’s an absolute joy to drive on a challenging road. Its Boxster/911 derived 3.4-litre engine offers 295bhp, allowing it to sprint to 62mph in just 5.4 seconds. Certain to be joined by a lesser powered version that should slot between the Boxster and Boxster S in price and performance there’s a lot more to come from the Cayman. We just hope the rumours of a lighter, even more focussed Club Sport version are true.

Cayenne from around £32,000

Cayenne

Whoa. The Cayenne? Still a moot point among Porsche enthusiasts the Cayenne is nevertheless a hugely significant model for Porsche. Not least because it accounts for a considerable slice of sales, particularly in the USA, and hence profitability. That means it can afford to continue developing its sports cars while remaining independent. That, and no other model so clearly exhibits Porsche’s ability to engineer the impossible; Porsche making a sports car out of a heavy 4x4. It’s quite incredible to drive, the Turbo able sledgehammer to 62mph in just 5.6 seconds, with agility and performance that’s way beyond what you’d expect from a chunky off-roader. You might think that to achieve this Porsche would have quietly forgotten to develop it to work off-road, but it copes with talent that’s not far off that of a Land Rover. An engineering achievement to be proud of, if not a design one...

911 (996) GT3 from around £40,000

911 (996) GT3

The 997 might be here now, but you can still buy new versions of the 996 series car like the Turbo and GT3. The GT3 is a car in the vein of the RS’s that preceded it, stripping out excess weight, adding precision and power and offering a drive that’s race car fast for the road. Delivering 381bhp from a very special version of the standard 911’s 3.6-litre powerplant the GT3 achieves this heady power output without a turbocharger, yet it’s Turbo brisk with a 0-62mph time of just 4.5 seconds. The even more extreme limited GT3 RS is rawer and even more focussed, and makes a referential link to the iconic ’73 Carrera RS with its white paintwork with blue or red wheels and graphics running along the sills. Porsche is readying a new 997 GT3, when it arrives we expect it to be sensational. It’ll need to be to beat its predecessor.

911 S (997) from around £55,000

911 S (997)

It’s perhaps predictable putting the fastest current version of the 997 into this mix at the expense of other worthy Porsches like the 928 GTS, 993 RS or 964 3.8 RS, but it’s difficult to ignore the latest car’s huge all-round talent. In S guise the current Carrera offers 355bhp, which, amazingly, is around 100bhp more than the turbo 911s of the ‘70s. It’ll sprint to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and reaches a maximum of 182mph – which is 993 Turbo pace. However, it’s not its power or pace that impresses so much, but the way that it remains so easy to drive. That makes it an accomplished everyday driver or a circuit weapon, the brilliant feel, handling and body control all accompanied by the aural thrill of its wonderful 3.8-litre flat six. A fitting step in the 911’s evolution, rival manufacturers constantly try to better it, but none has, or is likely to.

Carrera GT from around £225,000

Carrera GT

Fittingly, given we started this top ten with the last Porsche proper production hypercar we’ll finish it with its latest. The Carrera GT. Like so many of Porsche’s models its roots lie in racing, the Carrera GT conceived as a race car before a change in regulations ruled it out before it was ever raced. Pragmatically, Porsche decided not to waste all its efforts in developing the Carrera GT and hastily turned it into a road car project. The result is phenomenal, the Carrera GT able to breach 200mph and sprinting to 62mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s possible because of the 612bhp 5.8-litre V10 engine powering it, and the light and immensely strong carbon fibre chassis. Expensive, exclusive and outrageously fast and capable, the Carrera GT is the fastest production Porsche to leave the factory, but amazingly for such an exotic machine it’s just like every production Porsche as it really can be used and enjoyed everyday.

Top 10: greatest-ever Mercedes

By Henry Biggs

The company which can rightly claim to have invented the motorcar has not been having a good time of it of late, losing its reputation for building seemingly indestructible cars and gaining one for poor customer service.

However Mercedes seems to be clawing its way out of the doldrums, even if their stated aim of increasing reliability to Toyota levels was a rather sad admission on their part. Seemingly keen on filling every possible niche they can find, Mercedes is at least doing so with some decent models now. Here we take a look at some great Mercedes models from the company’s 120 year history.

The beginnings

1886 Benz Patent Motor Car -

Typical - you wait for centuries for a petrol powered conveyance and two turn up at once. Incredibly, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, both working in south-western Germany, produced automobiles within months of each other. Benz, working in Mannheim, just pipped Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach to the post, registering the three-wheeled, internal combustion engine driven Benz Patent Motorwagon with the patent office in January 1886. Daimler and Maybach took their prototype gas engine and fitted it to a stagecoach in March 1886. The pair followed this with the world’s first four-wheeled, four-stroke powered horseless carriage in 1889. It was two years later before Benz added a fourth wheel to his design.

1886 Daimler Motor Carriage

SSK (1928)

Mercedes SSK in the Ralph Lauren Collection

Regarded by many as the finest pre-war sportscar ever built, the SSK was actually designed by Ferdinand Porsche and was the ultimate evolution of the 'S' model line launched two years earlier. The S was itself a lower chassis version of the ‘K’ series cars and used a supercharged 6.8-litre engine. In order to go Grand Prix racing Mercedes needed a smaller, lighter car so they chopped 19 inches out of the chassis to create the “Super Sport Kurz”, the last word being the German for short. Much lighter than its 2.5 ton predecessors the SSK was used to devastating effect by greats such as Rudolf Caracciola, winning numerous competition events including the 1930 Grand Prix, thanks to a 7.1-litre supercharged engine producing 225bhp. The final model actually produced 300bhp and had holes drilled in its chassis to lighten the car in an attempt to keep it competitive.

300SL 'Gullwing' (1954)

Loosely based on the successful 1952 competition car of the same name, the 300SL was available as a convertible or a coupe with those now legendary 'gullwing' doors. These were necessary because of the car’s tubular chassis which ran through where the lower half of the door would be on a standard car, making it exceptionally stiff for its day but making entry and exit a feat in gymnastics. It was also the first production car fitted with fuel injection. The mechanical system from Bosch more than doubled the power of the three-litre straight six from 115bhp to 240bhp, making it more powerful than the original racer. Around 1400 were made, with the similar looking 190SL roadster outselling it by nearly eight to one until both were replaced in 1963 by the 230SL.

300SLR (1955)

Stirling Moss and 'Jenks' in the 300SLR on the Mille Miglia

Despite the name this bore no relation to either Gullwing or the earlier racecar. It was essentially the 1954 Mercedes W196 Grand Prix car, its straight-eight engine enlarged from 2.5 to three litres and covered with a two-seater roadster body. It was in this form that a 300SLR won what is perhaps still the most famous race victory of all time. With a young British racing driver named Stirling Moss at the wheel, directed by co-driver Denis ‘Jenks’ Jenkinson, the 300SLR destroyed the opposition in the 1955 Mille Miglia, a non-stop 1000 mile race on public roads in Italy. Moss won the event at a scarcely credible average speed of 97.96mph. The 300SLR was withdrawn from competition when one crashed into spectators at Le Mans in 1955, killing 82 spectators. The shock of this horror stunned Mercedes, and it withdrew from racing, not to return until 1987.

230SL (1963)

Mercedes 230SL 'Pagoda'

Sorry if this list seems rather 'heavy' on SLs (meaning 'Sehr Leicht' or 'Sport Light') they can almost all be justifiably regarded as classics. The 1963 model was the first to sell in really significant numbers, shifting nearly 20,000 units between 1963 and 1971, many of them in the American market. With a 2.3-litre straight-six engine producing 170bhp the 230SL was good for 125mph and by using aluminium panels for the boot, bonnet and doors lived up to the 'light' bit of its name, at least in part. The car was available with a distinctively styled hardtop which gave rise to its nickname of 'Pagoda' SL. The engine was enlarged in 1967 to 2.5-litres to create the 250SL, which also gained rear disc brakes, and then again a year later for the 280SL, the biggest selling of all three variants.

600 Pullman (1963)

Mercedes 600 Pullman

The 600 series was introduced in 1963 and intended by Mercedes to represent the pinnacle of automotive engineering. It actually took two years to put the massive car into production, the first ones being delivered in 1965. It was available as a conventional four-door saloon, a four or six-door limousine or even a landaulet with a folding roof over the passenger compartment. The car rode on air suspension to cushion its occupants and an enormously complex hydraulic system powered everything from self-closing doors to adjustable seats and air vents. The car was moved at surprisingly rapid pace by a 6.3-litre V8. It was in production until 1981 and famous owner include Chairman Mao, John Lennon, Leonid Brezhnev, Aristotle Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Hugh Hefner and even Elvis.

300SEL 6.3 (1968)

Mercedes 300SEL 6.3

This was the original Q car, developed by gifted Mercedes engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut in his spare time and without him revealing his plans to Mercedes bosses who doubtless would not have approved. Uhlenhaut took the mammoth 6.3-litre V8 from the Pullman limousine and stuffed it under the bonnet of the 300 series, the latter day equivalent of the S-Class. Matched to the air suspension, also from the 600, the result was a hot rod in a business suit, apparently able to humble contemporary Porsches, cracking 60 in under eight seconds. They also handled well enough for a number of racing versions to be built by tuning firm AMG, one of which, fitted with a 6.9-littre lump would hit 60 in 4.2 seconds. It was succeeded in 1975 by the 450SEL 6.9, one of the first cars ever to be fitted with anti-lock brakes.

C111 (1969)

Mercedes C111 record breaker

The C111 was a rare example of Mercedes letting its hair down and testing out some wild ideas. The original 1969 model used a mid-mounted three rotor Wankel rotary engine in an incredibly streamlined fibreglass body that produced a drag co-efficient of just 0.191. Of course being a Mercedes it featured a leather trimmed, air-conditioned cabin and gullwing doors made a welcome return. The following year it reappeared with a four-rotor, 350bhp Wankel engine and was reportedly capable of 180mph. Mercedes decided against rotary technology and the third iteration of the C111 used a 230bhp straight-five turbodiesel. With it Mercedes beat numerous diesel records, achieving 200mph at the Nardo high-speed bowl in Italy in 1978. Mercedes revived the name in 1991 for a road going supercar, the C112 but after taking 700 orders decided to kill the project.

S-Class (1981)

No round up of great Mercedes models would be complete without mention of the S-Class, a series that has its roots in the 1956 W180 range and is now in its tenth iteration. Mention S-Class to people however and it is the 1981 W126 range that many will picture, as driven by number one rat JR Ewing. The car replaced the previous generation W116 but kept the 6.9-litre model’s hydro-pneumatic suspension on top of the range models. The car came with a range of diesel and straight-six petrol engines but the pick of the bunch were the powerful V8 models. The car came in long and short wheelbase models and a two-door SEC coupé was also made. The car introduced the world to the airbag in 1983 and sold over 800,000 units in its ten year life, most of which are still around thanks to Mercedes’ then legendary build quality.

190E 2.3-16 (1983)

Mercedes 190E 2.3-16

The W201 series was introduced in 1982 to sit below the E-Class range and was quickly dubbed the 'Baby Benz'. By Mercedes own admission the car was 'massively over-engineered', the company spent £600 million on its development. That hewn from solid quality did mean the car wasn’t a fireball however. To remedy this Mercedes called in the wizards from Cosworth to breathe on the basic 2.3-litre four cylinder engine. Thanks to double overhead camshafts and a light alloy, 16-valve cylinder head the engine produced 185bhp, 72 horses more than the stock motor. The car set three speed records at Nardo in August 1983, averaging 154mph over 50,000km.

Top 10: greatest-ever Ferraris!

Choosing ten Ferraris for a greatest list should be easy. It isn’t. Ferrari is a brand that defines emotion and as such whatever choices we make here there are certain to be many who will dispute them.

As such we’ve not included Ferrari’s racing cars; that’s an entirely different list which would obviously include some of the latest F1 cars as well as beautiful prototype and endurance racers like the F333 SP, Dino 268 SP and the 330 P4. Instead, we’ve concentrated on the accepted greats and cars that have been important to the company technologically, or in sales. We hope you agree with our selection which is in no particular order - but understand that it’s unlikely. We've also supplied links to Auto Trader so you can find out how much these cars are second-hand (clue: usually quite a lot!).

F40

F40 -

Unveiled personally by Enzo Ferrari himself on 12 March 1987 the F40 was built to celebrate 40 years of Ferrari. With a quoted top speed of 199mph its twin turbocharged, twin intercooled, 2.8-litre V8 engine was a development of the 288 GTO’s. In the F40 it produced 478bhp, giving this road racer savage performance. 62mph was reached in just 4.6 seconds - it doubling that to 124mph in 11 seconds dead. Constructed using a mix of composite materials and steel alloy tubes the F40 weighed in at just 1254kg. Its raw, stripped interior helped keep the weight down - making no concessions to comfort.

Indeed, the F40 represented a polar opposite to the contemporary Porsche 959’s incredible technical sophistication and comfort, yet its fierce performance and aggressive styling saw it go on to become a tremendous sales success where the Porsche floundered. A total of 1311 were built between 1987 and 1992, making it one of Ferrari’s most successful specials in both sales and profitability.

Dino

Dino. Photo by Bruce Whitaker

Say Dino to a Ferrari enthusiast and it’s highly likely that this is the car they’ll think of. That’s despite the fact that the Dino name has been used on several occasions throughout Ferrari’s history. Yet the Dino never, ever wore the prancing horse badge of Ferrari when it left the factory, enthusiasts putting them on afterwards. First shown in concept 206 GT Speciale form at the 1965 Paris Salon, the first production cars followed in 1967. Power for the early Dino 206 GT models was from a mid-mounted 2.0-litre V6 engine producing just 180bhp. Only 152 206 models were built before the engine was enlarged to 2.4-litres, raising power to 195bhp. The Dino’s model number changed to 246 to represent the larger engine, with other changes including a wider track and increased wheelbase. The open GTS model joined the range in 1972, it particularly popular in the USA. It may never have been badged Ferrari, but there’s no mistaking the bloodline of this achingly beautiful and highly sought after car.

308/328

308/328. Photo by Perry Stern

This is perhaps the archetypal Ferrari, the shape that people immediately associate with the marque. Made famous through its role in "Magnum" television series the 308/328 cars are still today commonly referred to as the ‘Magnum’ cars. And it is a beautiful shape, sharing visual cues with the Dino before it. Its mechanicals came from the edgy, unloved 308 GT4 and early cars featured glassfibre bodies – to the horror of many Ferrari customers. They’re now the more sought after cars, as the metal bodies from 1977 are susceptible to rust. Power for the 308 came from a transversely mounted 3.0-litre V8, hence the 308 model designation - the 328 from 1985 featuring a 3.2-litre engine. Power varied from 255bhp in the early cars to 214bhp in later models - due to the introduction of K-Jetronic fuel injection in 1980 over the previous Weber carburettors. Ferrari solved this with a 32-valve head in 1982 boosting power back to 240bhp. Later 328s produced as much as 270bhp, the 308/328 series cars proving hugely successful over their 1975-1989 production run. In total Ferrari sold over 21,000 examples in both GTB Berlinetta coupe form and also GTS with its removable roof panel.

288 GTO

288 GTO. Photo by Michael Meredith

It may look similar to the 308/328 cars, but the 288 GTO was a completely different proposition. Introduced in 1984 the 288 GTO was limited to just 273 examples, it remaining a highly coveted car among Ferrari collectors today. The 400bhp from its longitudinally mounted 2.8-litre, four cam, four valve per cylinder, V8 engine is achieved by the adoption of two turbochargers and intercoolers these allowing the 288 GTO to sprint to 62mph in 4.8 seconds and onto a maximum speed of 188mph. Its backbone construction was of tubular steel, but fibreglass and Kevlar were also used to keep weight as low as possible. Its beautiful, muscular looks belie its vicious performance, as does its interior, which, unlike its F40 descendant features proper door pulls, handles and carpets. In every way the 288 GTO lives up the famous GTO badge that has always represented Ferrari’s most extreme sporting cars, though such is the pace of progress a current F430 will outperform it in every area.

250 GTO

250 GTO

The most revered letter and number combination in Ferrari’s history the 250 GTO was Enzo Ferrari’s retort to a change in sports car racing rules introducing a new Grand Turismo category. That’s the G and T of GTO taken care of, the ‘O’ representing omologata or homologated. This allowed Ferrari to take the GTO racing, where it dominated. Power for this legendary car came from a 3.0-litre V12 similar that of all the 250 series cars but featuring higher profile cams and larger valves, with it all fed by no less than six Weber carburettors. As impressive as its engine is it’s the 250 GTO’s beautiful lines that make it so legendary. The hand sculpted aluminium panels clothing its tubular structure might have been formed to cleave the air efficiently, but the shape they produce is sensational. Built in tiny numbers the GTO might have been a road racer, but it also fulfilled its Grand Turismo role perfectly. Effectively replaced by the mid-engined 250 LM in 1963 the 250 GTO remains the holy grail among Ferrari collectors. And they’re prepared to pay £millions for them.

Daytona

Daytona. Photo by Perry Stern

An established Ferrari classic the 365 GTB/4 Daytona was so named to celebrate Ferrari’s triple success in the American 24 hour race. Its 4.4-litre, V12 engine is mounted under its impossibly long bonnet in a time when competitors like the Lamborghini Muira were adopting a mid-engined layout. Even so, that V12 produces a more than ample 348bhp, allowing the Daytona to reach 170mph and sprint to 60mph in 6.1 seconds – bettering its then rivals. Impressive as that performance is the Daytona isn’t an easy car to drive quickly. The five-speed transmission is reluctant, and the steering leaden, but it was the undisputed speed king among its contemporaries. Around 1300 were built between 1968 and 1973, pre-‘71 cars featuring perspex enclosed light housings – later cars featuring pop-up units. A spider model was offered for a short time, their production numbering 124, meaning that they’re both sought after by collectors and that a number of GTB coupes have been converted latterly to drop-top specification.

550 Maranello

550 Maranello

Introduced in 1996 the 550 represented something of a change in Ferrari’s philosophy for its flagship sports coupes. Its predecessor, the Testarossa and its 512 TR and F512 M developments were mid-engined machines, the 550 Maranello going back to the front-engined layout of cars like the Daytona. Its 5.5-litre V12 engine is effectively mid-mounted though, being positioned as far back as possible under that long bonnet. It produces 479bhp, more than enough to propel the 550 Maranello to beyond 190mph and to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. Significantly, Ferrari’s decision to re-adopt the front engined layout was vindicated by the fact it could lap around Ferrari’s own Fiorano test track 3.5 seconds quicker than the mid-engined F512 M that it replaced.

The styling might not be Ferrari’s best, but the 550 is such an accomplished supercar it’s difficult to ignore - the fantastic chassis underlined Ferrari’s dominance in the supercar class. A historically significant and brilliant car, Ferrari thought enough of to name it after its Maranello home.

250 California Spyder

250 California Spyder. Photo by Michael Meredith

America is an important market for Ferrari, so when the US concessionaires ask the factory for something they usually respond. That is exactly why this car exists. Based on the 250 GT SWB the California Spyder was built by Ferrari for its wealthy customers wanting an open-top car to enjoy California’s warm climate. It’s an indulgence in this list as historically it’s perhaps not that significant, but it’s unquestionably one of the most beautiful open-topped cars ever made. A short run of 108 were produced between 1957 and 1962, the specifications of each cars differing significantly depending on customer’s exacting needs. That means you’ll get aluminium-bodied examples and some with steel bodies with the odd lightweight panel. The standard V12 engine offered 280bhp but like the body the engines come in a variety of differing specifications – some California’s were even specified with race engines from the Testarossa. A sensational looking car, California owners are very lucky people indeed.

Enzo Ferrari

Enzo Ferrari

No greatest Ferrari list would be complete without mentioning the latest limited run hypercar. Named after the man himself, the Enzo Ferrari represents the pinnacle of Ferrari’s road and race car knowledge. That means it features a carbon-fibre and aluminium monocoque, carbon-ceramic brakes, double wishbone suspension with push-rods operating the horizontally mounted springs and dampers and a paddle-shift six-speed transmission. Like F1 drivers each owner has the car fitted to them, the seat and pedals adjusted to suit your exact needs and accommodate factors like whether you prefer to use left foot braking or not. But as with any Ferrari it’s the engine that’s the most important feature. And the Enzo’s 6.0-litre V12 is a masterpiece.

It produces 660bhp, allowing the Enzo to reach 62mph in just 3.6 seconds and breach 220mph. It’s all controlled by highly complex electronic systems that control the damping, engine management, gearshift, traction and stability – though for those wanting to experience their Enzo properly the ASR traction control can be switched off. Exclusive, with only 400 being built, and offering quite staggering performance the Enzo is a highly fitting tribute to the man who started the company.

F430

F430

There will undoubtedly be a few of you who will question the inclusion of the F430 in the list of greatest Ferraris. But like its 360 and 355 predecessors it represents the ultimate expression of the current ‘small’ Ferrari and that alone means it’s worth including. With power to better all of the cars, barring the Enzo, listed above the F430 develops 483bhp. That allows this current entry-level Ferrari offer performance that’s equal to and in many respects better than the F40 of 12 years ago. That highlights quite staggering progress, the F430’s 4.3-litre, normally aspirated V8 developing a sensational specific output of 114hp per litre.

Using Ferrari’s latest F1 know-how the F430 features both an electronic differential (E-Diff) and a manettino switch on the steering wheel that allows the driver to directly control the car’s dynamics. Its shape is a result of extensive development in the wind tunnel, too. Overall the F430 underlines Ferrari’s commitment to producing cars that keep pushing the performance boundaries. And that alone is enough to warrant it a mention among these established greats.

Top 10 Bond cars

The world’s best-known spy is back on our screens again. Yes, James Bond is thrust into action once more, this time in Casino Royale. It is the 21st film in the series and no doubt the super-sleuth will be up for more of the usual planet saving, bed-hopping and death-defying car stunts.

Click images to enlarge: New Bond Daniel Craig with the equally-new Aston Martin DBS

Bond is played by blonde actor Daniel Craig who, it transpires, will drive the new Ford Mondeo in the film. If this sounds more like your next door neighbour than a sharp-shooting secret agent, the good news is his main Bond wheels will have an Aston Martin badge on the bonnet. The car in question is the DBS. Based on the DB9, and packing a walloping 6.0-litre V12, the limited edition £160k supercar produces a healthy 530bhp making it, ignoring the tank in Goldeneye, the most powerful Bond car ever. But will it be the greatest? Who knows, because we’ve rounded-up the best Bond cars of all time and rated each one with an elusive ‘Bond Factor’ scoring out of 10. The DBS will have its work cut out to fend off this lot.

Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger - Sean Connery

Classic Bond: Sean Connery poses with the Aston Martin DB5 at Stoke Park golf club, Berkshire, where Goldfinger was partly shot

Of all the cars Bond has had the pleasure of driving over the years none stick in the mind quite like the Aston Martin DB5. The date was 1964. The film was Goldfinger. And Q-Branch had a car Bond could finally lust after. Rotating number plates, machine guns that pop out of the bodywork, an oil slick maker, telescopic tyre slashers, smoke screen, bulletproof glass and a radar screen – it had everything the spy about town needed. In Simon Cowell speak, it has the ‘Bond Factor’. However, the passenger ejector seat was the ultimate optional extra. The car chases were some of the best of any Bond flick; there’s a memorable Alpine dust-up with a young blonde woman in a Ford Mustang that sees him put his tyre cutters to good use.

He keeps the rest of his toys for several nail-biting scenes around Goldfinger’s ‘Auric Enterprises’ factory, but the DB5 meets a sticky end during a run-in with a couple of sinister-looking black Mercedes saloons and Bond is knocked unconscious. However, it isn’t the end of the DB5 – or Bond. The car makes an appearance in Thunderball, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies and will also star in the forthcoming Casino Royale making it the most popular Bond car of all time. However, to drive this car in reality would be a rather nail-biting experience. Although today it wouldn’t feel that potent, 0-60mph in 8.1secs and a top speed of 143mph is pretty special for a ‘60s car with a 4.0-litre 282bhp straight six engine.

• Aston Martin DB5 Bond Factor: 10/10

Toyota 2000 GT convertible - You Only Live Twice - Sean Connery

The car that wouldn't fit: Connery and the specially-built Toyota 2000 GT convertible

Back in the late ‘60s the Toyota 2000 GT was a really special, genuinely futuristic car. With a production run limited to 350 coupés and a construction that made use of advanced engineering techniques like independent suspension, disc brakes on each wheel and a six-cylinder engine, it made the perfect Bond car. The trouble is it didn’t quite fit the bill, literally. Apparently Connery was too tall for the coupé so Toyota produced two convertible prototypes for You Only Live Twice – and never made any more. That makes the 2000 GT convertible one of the rarest cars in the world – but does it give it the ‘Bond Factor’?

Not really. Some critics got upset that Bond was driving a Japanese car, yet few people can deny that the 2000 GT is a beautiful piece of machinery. In the film, the car belongs to Japanese secret agent Aki and the only gadget it is fitted with is a TV screen and cameras in the bumpers, which Bond uses to spy on a load of villains who are being dropped from a helicopter. As for where the two remaining convertibles are now, one is in a Japanese museum and the other is rumoured to be in the private collection of a Toyota executive.

• Toyota 2000GT convertible Bond Factor: 4/10

Ford Mustang Mach 1 - Diamonds are Forever - Sean Connery

Connery showing off in the Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 might seem like an unlikely Bond car after reading about the high-tech Aston Martin, but boy did it put in a top appearance in Diamonds Are Forever. The coupé, which was born in 1969, defined muscle car, sporting a choice of two potent V8s – a 5.7-litre or 7.0-litre. In the film Bond upsets the local cops and he seems to have chosen the right getaway car, where he uses its famed handling prowess to lose the cops in daring style through the busy streets of Las Vegas.

But it’s when Bond is faced with a narrow alleyway that he really shows what the ‘Stang can do. Flipping it onto its side, he squeezes through with inches to spare. It lacks ‘Bond Factor’ simply because it’s rather sparing in the cool gadgets department, but it does score some kudos for that big, thunderous engine and driving ability. Keen-eyed fans will notice a glaring continuity error, though. Going into the alley the car is titled to the left, yet when it comes out it is driving on the opposite side. However, some clever editing saves the scene from the cutting-room floor.

• Ford Mustang Mach 1 Bond Factor: 5/10

Lotus Esprit S1 - The Spy Who Loved Me - Roger Moore

Roger Moore takes a wrong turn in The Spy Who Loved Me

Q and his boffins excelled themselves when they took on the project of making the Lotus Esprit S1 Bond proof. Apart from the Aston Martin DB5, the white Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me is without doubt the most recognised Bond car ever. It isn’t difficult to see why. There’s the classic scene where Bond is being pursued by a missile-firing helicopter. To escape, he launches the car off a pier and into the sea in what appears to be a fit of utter madness. But it’s what happens next that is even more unbelievable.

The Lotus sprouts fins, the doors and windows seal tight and the Esprit turns from mere Lotus to submersible. Bond then fires a rocket and knocks the heli out of the sky before zooming off to fight more underwater baddies. The waterproof Esprit then emerges on a packed beach and a very smug (and dry) Bond drives off. Classic stuff and only the DB5 beats it in the ‘Bond Factor’ stakes.

In reality, though, the Lotus Esprit, especially an early one like Bond’s, was pretty ropey. Yes, it looked absolutely fantastic, but it was much too cramped and the non-turbo versions had a not-terribly-potent 2.2-litre engine. Roger Moore peddled another Esprit in For Your Eyes Only, this time a turbo version, but the car was soon put out of action when a thief tried to steal it and Q’s clever anti-burglary device blew it to smithereens. The Esprit was rebuilt and returned later in the film in a copper-colour and with a ski-rack attached to the back but only sticks around for a brief driving scene.

• Lotus Esprit S1 Bond Factor: 9/10

Citroen 2CV - For Your Eyes Only - Roger Moore

The Citroen 2CV, the unlikely hero

With the Lotus out of action and Bond and his partner Melina requiring a speedy retreat, a canary-yellow Citroen 2CV sitting by the roadside suddenly looks very tempting. But for any true petrolhead, seeing Bond swap that gorgeous Lotus for a clapped-out 2CV is heart-wrenching, especially as it gets a paltry ‘Bond Factor’ of one for its lack of gadgets. What follows is an exhilarating car chase along the traffic-clogged roads of Corfu in Greece. And as this isn’t a true Bond car, complete with the usual Q refinements to keep him out of trouble, JB has to get rid of his pursuers through good old-fashioned driving skill.

The 2CV might not be fast – in fact, the car in the film had a more-powerful flat-four engine fitted just to make it half decent – but it’s extremely light and the unique four-wheel independent suspension means it is extremely manoeuvrable. As we see when he ducks and dives his way out of danger, launches the 2CV down some steps and jumps over the pursuing cars. In reality, the 2CV was originally developed to provide farmers and doctors with a cheap and reliable means of transport – and interest was so high that initial orders only went to these people. To prove its worth as a farming car the 2CV needed to pass the eggs-in-the-basket test. Basically, it needed to cross a field without breaking any of the delicious hen produce inside. Of course, it passed with flying colours thanks to that independent suspension system.

• Citroen 2CV Bond Factor 1/10

Aston Martin V8 Volante - The Living Daylights - Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton his co-star Maryam D'Abo and an Aston Martin V8

The Aston Martin V8 is one of the most important cars in the British firm’s history. This was the car that marked the start of eight-cylinder Astons and it ran in one form or another from 1969 to 1990. The two-door coupe and convertible uses a 5.3-litre V8 engine which will propel it to 60mph in 6.1secs and on to a top speed of 162mph – impressive for a car tipping the scales at almost two tonnes. And its brutish styling and big-block V8 give it genuine muscle car status. Timothy Dalton used a V8 in The Living Daylights, although at the beginning we see the Volante – or convertible version – and towards the end it’s been winterised with a hardtop.

As usual, it’s fairly well packed with goodies, from lasers in the front wheels which Bond uses to slice a cop car in half, to missile launchers hidden behind the headlights, re-inflating tyres, a police scanner, built-in skis, jet-propulsion and a windscreen that can track targets. As Bond cars go, it isn’t bad and it sits fairly high on our ‘Bond Factor’ chart. It also has a self-destruct facility which Bond unfortunately puts to good use later on in the film, not before a spot of ice-skating with some Lada police cars.

• Aston Martin V8 Volante Bond Factor: 7/10

T-55 Russian tank – Goldeneye - Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan regrets flunking his tank-driving test

Stifle your laughter if you can. We know the T55 Russian tank is hardly the fastest, sleekest machine in Bond’s garage, but as unlikely a Bondmobile as it sounds, the T55 proved its worth in Goldeneye. Brosnan’s official set of wheels in the film was a BMW Z3, but it couldn’t quite live up to the task at hand. The scene for the tank showdown is set in St Petersburg and Bond’s sidekick Natalya Simonova is kidnapped by General Ourumov. Handily, Bond just manages to find a Russian tank in which to pursue them. He soon masters the controls before racing, well trundling, through the streets giving chase.

Of course, you don’t need to be a Hollywood screenwriter to know what happens next. Bond takes out lots of bad guys who are trying to stop him, which isn’t that difficult when he’s packing the firepower of a small army – and all they have at their disposal is ancient Russian weapons. In an effort to cause as much carnage as one man in a tank can do, JB drives over cars and through buildings on his mission to save Natalya from the General’s evil clutches. Incredibly, Bond manages to keep up with the leaving committee and tracks them down to Alec Trevelyan’s armoured train, whereupon he fires a missile and the train slams into the tank. He rescues Natalya. The end. The tank, in passing, is quite a beast. It boasts a 100mm cannon, two machine guns, a 580bhp engine and weighs a hefty 40 tonnes. A Bond car of much respect but not iconic enough to get a 10/10 ‘Bond Factor’.

• T55 Russian Tank Bond Factor: 5/10

BMW 750iL - Tomorrow Never Dies - Pierce Brosnan

"Now listen up, Bond", asks Q, as he demonstrates the BMW 750iL

An unlikely partnership with BMW sees Bond swap his usual British-owned sports cars for an altogether more unlikely BMW 750iL in Tomorrow Never Dies. It was a decision so obscure that Jeremy Clarkson famously said the 750iL is the sort of car German cement executives drive. It caused a bit of a stink among Bond fans too, who roared that the secret agent shouldn’t be seen driving an executive saloon. Still, whatever your feelings are on Bond driving a 750iL, there’s little doubt that the V12-engined super saloon is a great car. Fast, refined, superb handling – on reflection it’s the perfect non-descript choice of wheels for the spy who doesn’t want to rouse suspicion. But it doesn’t go far enough to get the ultimate ‘Bond Factor’.

Among the car’s impressive array of gadgets are Stinger missiles hidden in the sunroof, a metal cutter hidden behind the BMW badge and re-inflating tyres. But the bit we love most is that it can be controlled remotely – as Bond kindly demonstrates from the back seat when being chased through a multi-storey car park. Unfortunately the car doesn’t survive the impact of being launched several hundred feet into the air and ultimately through a shop window.

• BMW 750iL Bond Factor: 6/10

BMW Z8 - The World Is Not Enough - Pierce Brosnan

The ultra rare BMW Z8 and the impeccably cool Pierce Brosnan in a scene from The World Is Not Enough

The BMW 7-Series wasn’t the end of the Bond-BMW tie-up and the retro-styled Z8 appeared in The World Is Not Enough. This may have pleased the fans who accused the 750iL of being a bit too flaccid for the world’s least discreet secret agent. The Z8 roadster is a rare and beautiful car – but an expensive one. At launch it cost a whopping £86,650 – which cynics might say is a lot for a big Z3 – although the Z8 is a lot more special than that. Its 400bhp V8 engine, lifted from the previous M5, sits in a lightweight aluminium frame which endows it with a tremendous power-to-weight ratio; it can sprint from rest to 62mph in 4.7secs before hitting its electronic brick wall at 155mph. And a secondhand one these days will still set you back about £70k. Ouch.

As a Bond car, it was pretty special too – but not so special that it gets the full 10/10 ‘Bond Factor’. There are missiles hidden in the side vents, body armour, a long-range eavesdropping device and a windscreen that doubles as an information display. Like the 750iL, the Z8 could also be operated by remote control. The car sequences in Tomorrow Never Dies weren’t particularly spectacular but Brosnan does show off its remote abilities and takes a helicopter out with the missiles. The Z8 meets a sticky end when it gets chopped in half by another chopper with a circular saw.

• BMW Z8 Bond Factor: 7/10

Aston Martin Vanquish - Die Another Day - Pierce Brosnan

Skating on thin ice: Bond, in the Vanquish, takes on Zao and his weaponised Jag in Die Another Day

The Aston Martin Vanquish, with its sublime 460bhp V12 engine and aggressive styling, is the modern-day successor to the DB5. And like that early Aston, the Vanquish is also one of the most gadget-packed Bond cars ever. Q must have forseen a full-blown assault when fitting-out the car for Die Another Day because it’s so well armed it could fight a small war. There’s 9-mm machine guns behind the front grille, a passenger ejector seat, heat-seeking missiles and two guns in the bonnet – but the best feature has to be the Vanquish’s ability to become invisible. ‘Bond Factor’? This car oozes it.

Then again, Brosnan does face an indomitable foe with Bond-style gadgets of his own in the form of Zao, who has an equally impressive car in which to house them – a Jaguar XKR Convertible. Bond and Zao then fight it out on a frozen lake, but Bond outwits his opponent by flicking the invisible switch and Zao falls into the misty waters below. Bond then engages the spikes in his tyres and climbs up a wall, as you do…

• Aston Martin Vanquish Bond Factor: 9/10