Vee for victory! | Six of the Best
Done with Valentine's Day already? Good, let's talk engines - specifically all those with 'V' in the name...
Morgan 3-Wheeler, 2015, 15k, £31,450
It’ll come as no surprise to learn that it’s far easier to find example cars for certain configurations listed here than others. Everyone has a great V6, V8 or V12 on the top of their heads, but a v-twin? That’s a whole lot trickier, because it’s a layout far more commonly associated with motorbikes. The solution? Something somewhere between a car and a bike, in the form of the Morgan 3-Wheeler. It marked a glorious return to the genre for Morgan in 2011, with its history on three wheels stretching back decades, and the hearty v-twin was a huge part of the contemporary charm. With the sound of a warplane, the torque of an ox and a look like nothing else, the S&S 2.0-litre was the perfect fit for such an idiosyncratic machine. The Ford three-cylinder that now powers the Super 3 is better in many respects, but for sheer character there’s nothing to rival a bathtub with a brace of litre-sized cylinders. This one is well-known to the selling dealer, and seems all set for summer with fewer than 15,000 miles.
Lancia Fulvia HF, 1972, 87k, £POA
Another class of one contender, really (there’s a Ford Corsair here if you must), the V4-powered Fulvia was one of those icons that Lancia apparently couldn’t resist building in its pomp. It was popular, selling almost 200,000 across all bodystyles, it was advanced - with four-wheel disc brakes and front-wheel drive - and, in coupe form at least, it was extremely pretty. Oh yeah, and a formidably successful rally car, sweeping to success after success on the stages before international rallying became the WRC. If maybe not as coveted as some later Lancias, the Fulvia remains a very significant little car, and potentially unique as a model offered exclusively with V4s . This HF must be the world’s best example of the most desirable Fulvia, fresh from a six-figure restoration. The twin-Weber’d masterpiece under the bonnet looks as glorious as you might hope.
Nissan GT-R, 2024, 500 miles, £119,995
Obviously V6 opens up many more possibilities than v-twin and V4 combined. From bargain barges to brand new supercars, there’s a V6 on hand, and such is the variety that you’ll never please all parties with a single nomination. This time around, we’ve plumped for the Takumi-assembled VR38 DETT found in the R35 Nissan GT-R. Maybe not the most tuneful V6 in the world, but hugely effective and undoubtedly memorable, as all the best engines are. Plus, as had become GT-R lore by the introduction of the R35, hugely tuneable as well. You only needed to look the way of Litchfield for another 100hp, additional potency (on top of a healthy dollop from the factory) all too easily accessed. It makes standard GT-Rs hard to come by in the classifieds, though they’ll likely be the desirable ones in decades to come. Especially in Bayside Blue…
Jaguar XKR, 2010, 37k, PH Auction
All things considered, eight cylinders arranged in a vee is probably the greatest single engine configuration of them all, and remains so popular among buyers that manufacturers - particularly those in the business of producing supercars - have endured a very rocky road when attempting to replace with something smaller and more economical. Generally speaking, a V8 is the antithesis of all that. It is petrol-burning personality personified. And you can take your pick of household names. We were edging toward the princely 6.2-litre masterpiece that powered the SLS Black, but have instead erred toward a comparative pauper in this XKR to remind you that six (or even seven figures) are definitely not required to capture lightning in a bottle. JLR’s 5.0-litre V8 has been supercharging our enjoyment for two decades; with only 37k on the clock, this XKR ought to keep you grinning for two more…
BMW M5 (E61), 2007, 94k, £29,995
Ask to think of a V10, most PHers tend to conjure up three engines: the 5.2-litre unit shared between Audi and Lamborghini, the operatic 4.8-litre 1LR-GUE motor in the Lexus LFA and the 5.7-litre colossus Porsche installed in the Carrera GT. Masterpieces all, of course, but generally reserved for a lucky few. Thank goodness then for the ‘no replacement for displacement’ madness that swept premium German carmakers after the millennium, which left us with a similarly equipped Audi RS6 and BMW M5. Sure, you don’t get the same quality of sound, but you need not spend large sums of money to hear it. Also, you can have something wagon-shaped, which was intriguing at the time - and downright baffling twenty years later. This one has not seen much action in the last few years, but £30k doesn’t seem like too high a price to pay for BMW’s first (and last) V10.
Ferrari 599 GTO, 2010, 785 miles, £849,899
Okay, enough with the penny-pinching: while there are certainly V12 bargains to be had in the classifieds, you’re better off bringing big money, if only to fund the potentially absurd running costs. And with respect to the rest of the world, there are only two countries to shop in if you want the best: England or Italy. There is much to be said for buying a big Aston or late-model Aventador - but in the end, we couldn’t look past Ferrari’s F140, arguably the finest engine it has ever installed in a road car. It will deliver beyond 800hp in later iterations, yet we’d recommend seeking out the earlier 6.0-litre version that earned the 599 its GTO badge. Go beyond 8,000rpm and there is no question whatsoever that you’re in the presence of greatness. Which is exactly what you want when spending the best part of a million quid...
As a 3W owner for 3.5 years, the Morgan gets my vote of course. I don't think it's possible to get a more visceral experience on 4 wheels (or 3, for that matter.)
The XK would be my number 2 pick, it would make a great daily sit along side the 3W.
I'd also love to have a go in a Fulvia.
To add to the list I’d love to have a Nissan Z, 350 or 70, a TVR wedge, an MG RV8 and a Mustang of some sort.
Total bias to the V4 Fulvia s for me, they are truly awesome cars, we have ours reluctantly up for sale at the moment . Shameless plug
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1968-lancia-fu...
Drove a 3 wheeler shortly after it was launched and loved that (apart from the brakes) - tricky to justify cost versus how much it would get used, but it'd make me very happy every time I opened the garage. Looks cracking in yellow too.
A couple of the cars aren't really my taste. I would love a go in the M5, just to hear that screaming engine.
I've driven a couple of GTRs and they are incredible things. Big and heavy but they sound bloody good and boy are they fast!
Not sure I'd like to own one though.
That GTO...... I don't like red Ferraris as a rule but that just looks stunning.
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