Saturday 28th January 2017

£100K Garage: Mark Burton

A pair of rally icons, a fast estate and a bruising TVR make the grade for Mark's fantasy garage

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Name: Mark Burton
Previously owned: Ford Puma 1.4, Rover 45, Citroen Saxo VTR (dead on arrival, so I never got chance to enjoy it), Toyota MR2 Mk3
Currently owned: Another Ford Puma
On the shortlist: Various Lotuses and TVRs, Lister XJ-S Le Mans (if only...), Alfa GTV, Honda Prelude, Peugeot 406 Coupe, Fiat Coupe, Mercedes E63 AMG Estate, BMW M5 Touring

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70s: Alpine A110
Cost: £54,995
Balance: £45,005
Why I chose it: "Quite honestly, I didn't really know what I wanted from the 70s, and the three cars below would be more than enough to keep me happy. With this much budget left over, though, it was time to be a bit impulsive. I've always liked rally coupes in general (hence the Celica), and having seen one of these show more powerful modern cars the ropes at Shelsley Walsh last summer is the icing on the cake. I know it's a cliche, but I bet every drive would feel special."

80s: TVR 350i
Cost: £6,750
Balance: £38,255
Why I chose it: "I've always fancied one of these, and my old MR2 has given me a real appetite for something small, light and a bit bonkers. There's a lot I love here, from the sound to the pop-up headlights to the sheer aggression they're known for. The only other wedge available is a 450i at almost twice the price, and call me a big girl's blouse but I reckon I'd like to get used to this one before I added an extra 100hp."

90s: Toyota Celica GT-Four
Cost: £5,900
Balance: £32,355
Why I chose it: "This would be the daily driver, including for driving to my uni digs in Sheffield. It's probably just about capable of getting me and my housemates to KFC at one in the morning... More importantly, I reckon it'd be a cracking thing to drive round Snake Pass, especially given the motorsport pedigree. This is the cheaper of the two cars on the site at the moment, but it looks decent enough, though I can't say I'm really sold on the wheels."

00s: Audi RS6
Cost: £28,789
Balance: £3,566
Why I chose it: "I'd certainly want something big and comfortable to make those long journeys disappear. It makes sense to throw in a big boot and decent rear legroom too. Of course it needs a powerful engine to keep progress smooth and easy - this V10 should do nicely. Add a slick gearbox and a capacity for more than a bit of fun once you get onto the back roads, and you have what I'd say is the recipe for a perfect grand tourer. To be fair, I'm sure an E63 estate or an M5 Touring would do just as well, but AWD just feels appropriate here, somehow. I like the understated spec on this one, too."

"The money left over should be more than enough to sort some original wheels out for the Celica."

[rossybee]

The two TVR interior pics are of two different cars, unless one is pre, and the other post rebuild...

[JMF894]

I shouldn't worry you won't be experiencing 'another 100bhp' by buying the 450

Both my 400se and 450 se were woefully short of their quoted bhp figures. To the point, actually, of it being complete lies....................

[GibsonSG]

Love the Alpine, always wanted one of those!

[breezer42]

Am I drunk or is the maths here completely screwed?

[NeilC4S]

The maths is screwy and that Alpine the windscreen price is 45k and the advert is 54k. I remember chancing on the petrol station next to the garage a couple of years ago and seeing the car for sale then!

[Mattheww055]

Liking the 90's rally weapon Celica, and the Alpine is certainly different too!

One question, what email address are people submitting their garages to? I tried the one PH said to use and it won't send through

[RoadRunner220]

breezer42 said:

Am I drunk or is the maths here completely screwed?

It's just upside down, so to speak.

The Audi was theoretically bought first, then the Celica, then the TVR and lastly the Alpine, leaving the £3.5k balance.