Despite what everyone else at PH thinks, shooting twin tests is not always fun. There is always a lot to do in a short amount of time, usually on frustratingly busy roads - and there's always the chance a bemused police officer might ask you why there is a photographer hanging from your boot. But Morgan Plus 4 versus Caterham 7 Super 1600 was fun. We were in the Malvern Hills, the sun was shining and we were driving a Morgan Plus 4 and a Caterham 7 Super 1600. That's practically a Mary Berry-approved recipe for British fun.
Now, I'll admit that the Super 1600 is not my cup of tea. I don't like my Sevens delivered with a clingfilm-thin layer of old-timey chintz. Morgan can credibly lean on 110 years of history; Caterham started building replicas in 1973. Better it sticks to what it is good at. Something like this unregistered 270R, which can be had for many thousands of pounds less than the 1600, and comes with everything you need to lose your mind in the sunshine.
Why this one in particular? Well, because Gulf. McLaren's sponsorship deal with the American purveyor of oil is obviously good news all round - goodness knows, the firm needs the money. But it also puts one of the most recognisable liveries on the F1 grid, and boy do those colours work well on quick cars. Also, unusually, this car has the standard seats, which I still fit in. And that's important for having fun, too.
NC
Old habits die hard at BMW. It wasn't that long ago a Competition car was given a makeover, lent a few extra horsepower, dropped on some sexy wheels and then introduced to the world with a very chunky asking price. For M2 CS, see the previous M3/M4 CS.
I'll bet junior CS - having not driven it yet - is a lot like its big brothers, too. That means even naughtier and even more exciting than an already thrilling Comp, but not sufficiently so to warrant the hefty premium. The day before driving it undoubtedly still feels like December 24th of the great PS2 Christmas of 2000, but I have my reservations.
For now, time to remember all that was good about the M3 CS. While some cars have dropped below £60k from an ambitious £86k RRP, this one is on offer at £68k - so still thousands less than the M2 - thanks to a few modifications. Note the lovely BBS wheels and the Akrapovic exhaust, for starters; there's also what you can't see, which is Litchfield's Stage 3 software. Meaning - wait for it - 560hp...
Which, given how supreme the standard CS was, sounds like a recipe for Joker-style permagrin fixed on my face. Or perhaps a little too much for even the improved CS chassis to handle - only one way to find out, I guess. And presumably I could return to Litchfield, meek and with tail between legs, to have it turned down if it was a tad excessive. To be honest, a standard M3 CS on those wheels would probably be more than enough for me - knowing that I've paid less than the M2 for a better looking, more powerful M car will be the cherry on top.
MB
Very quietly this week, Subaru stopped taking orders for the BRZ. You can still buy one new from a dealer of course, but only from existing stock; the announcement essentially signalling the end of production. It wasn't unexpected - the car has lived a full eight-year life cycle - and yet it still seems like a humble sign off for a model which received a rapturous reception when it launched. Or mostly rapturous. Some people did point out that it didn't really have enough power, and would lose sight of well-driven builder's van on a wet road. But we didn't listen to them because on track (or a deserted roundabout) it would do things that made your head spin. While almost spinning.
You wouldn't spin though because the BRZ (like the GT86) was so absurdly well balanced that it let you think about going sideways like you might think about finishing a book chapter before going to sleep. 'My first drift car' is how it was once described to me by a senior journalist, and that was exactly how it drove. Of course, if you didn't drive it like that, it didn't always seem like the full ticket - not if you were comparing it to an all-wheel-drive, 300hp hot hatch - but it still had delicacy and feedback and charm like nothing else which could claim to be quicker.
Now it's on its way out and that's sad, because affordable cars for the connoisseur are not exactly thick on the ground. Still, the upside of the BRZ's middling popularity is that it can be bought very cheaply. You can have a first-rate example for £15k, which might very possibly be among the best pound-for-pound deals on the used market. Or you could have this one, which is practically new, for under £25k. It will last for decades, give you hours of fun and not be expensive to run. Avoid racing anyone away from the lights and you'll never look back.
SS
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