Do You Own One Of These Rare Rides? If So, Respect!
There's nothing cooler than owning a sweet and super-rare ride. Jesus will love you, people will give you respect and you'll be let out at junctions; even by the bloke in his massive BMW. But just how rare is your motor? We delved into the How Many Left? archives (UK based) to find out:
Ford Focus
Numbers mean nothing without context, so let's take a look at something popular to give you a frame of reference. Combining all models of Ford's super-selling Focus gives you a figure of nearly 1.5 million Focuses on the road. No wonder you see them everywhere.
Ford Focus RS
So let's narrow that down a bit. The original Focus RS is a torque steering, loaded gun of a car. With 217bhp coursing through the front wheels every time you hammer the throttle, a deft touch is needed. But master the power and you're rewarded with a stonking hot hatch that handles like it's on rails and looks stunning. It's all flared arches and massive OZ alloys; it has presence.
Aston Martin DB5
Although it never made our list, the DB5 is universally recognised as one of the sexiest cars ever produced. This beauty first rolled off the forecourts in late '63, which means it's 50 years old this year. And as if it wasn't cool enough already, James Bond drives a DB5. Although he didn't take very good care of the last one...
Peugeot 205 GTI
The 205 GTI is a working man's hero. Introduced in 1984 it featured a 1.6-litre motor with a fairly respectable 104bhp. And in 1986, Peugeot added a 1.9-litre engine with 115bhp to the range. Hardly startling figures by today's standards, but it quickly became the hot hatch benchmark, with future Peugeots unable to live up to the original's reputation.
Mercedes Benz 190 Evo
The Mercedes 190 Evo is a brute of a car. It's also one of the best looking Mercsever made. And forget all these 'manly' cars, this is the ultimate bloke's weapon; sharp angles a massive wing and a rarity unmatched by anything else here.
Ford Escort RS Cosworth
The Escort Cossie is the original boy racer car. While the 'yoof' of today think Essex means Joey and his hairspray, car nuts know the Cossie is Essex's true symbol. With a wing to rival the 190, the 'whale tail' became iconic. Built for rally homologation purposes, the 2.0-litre Cosworth unit produced 217bhp in standard form, while four-wheel drive ensured tyre shredding grip that left supermarket car parks squealing and smoking in tar-tortured pain. Chavtastic.
Honda NSX
The NSX is a seriously cool car. Want Ferrari baiting power from a manufacturer that also makes shopping carts? This is your beast. The NSX was the first production car to have an all aluminium body, which didn't so much shave weight, as dump it over board with a 200kg weight reduction over the steel equivalent. Its 300bhp motor was pant wettingly quick when VTEC kicked in, yo!
Audi Quattro
Alex's shout for The Best Looking Car Ever is a rare beast indeed. Another stunning example of 80's boxy design, the Quattro's four-wheel drive system was an insane way to stamp its authority on the rally scene. Producing more than 300bhp, it is perhaps surprising to find that there's still around half of these monsters left. You'd imagine most would be wrapped around a tree by now, though that epic grip would probably rearrange your organs before you had time to go tree surfing.
MG Metro Turbo
With suspension fettled by Lotus, the Metro Turbo should've been more popular than it was. But being a Metro, it was always destined for a difficult life, and judging by the steep decline in registered vehicles there can only be two explanations. The first assumption is that they were so awful that many owners, blinded by their own tears, couldn't keep it on the road. Thanks to its Lotus suspension, we'd imagine handling was one of very few strengths, and with a measly 93bhp, any accident was likely to be nothing more than a bump. Therefore theory number 2 is more likely: car suicide.
Ford Probe
The Probe has lived a sad life of mockery. This is mainly down to its name, and we here at CT are guilty of poking fun. But the Probe was meant to be the Mustang's front wheel drive successor, which makes it a spiritual pony car. Sort of. But regardless, it is a cool looking motor and featured a decent spec.
Jenson Interceptor
These days everyone's making a shooting brake. It's the cool thing to do, and every single one is inspired by the Jensen Interceptor. Epically British, the Interceptor is set to make a comeback thanks to Vin Diesel and his Fast and Furious friends. Being American they obviously went for the frankly insane 7-litre V8 version.
Now it's your turn. Check the website and let us know how rare your pride and joy is.
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