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Peugeot 406 Coupe from around £2,300
Ferrari launched the 456GT in 1993. Peugeot launched the 406 Coupe in 1997. Pininfarina designed the 456GT. Pininfarina designed the 406 Coupe. And if you squinted, you could almost, on a dull day, mistake the two. Such was the delicate beauty of Peugeot’s sublime saloon car-based four-seater, made all the more delightful when fitted with a 3.0-litre V6 or (surprisingly) a 2.2-litre HDi diesel. All the controls have slick, sleek tactility, handling is poised and the ride superb. The dash is as plasticky as the car it’s based upon but, for £2,500, a dark maroon Peugeot with a tan leather interior really is the Ferrari you always promised yourself. Well, almost.
Fiat Coupe from around £1,000
If it weren’t for familiarity, this could be launched today as a head-turning, traffic-stopping new car - just as it was a decade ago. Before he went to BMW and launched its ‘flame-surface’ revolution, designer Chris Bangle was responsible for this classic, and how the world took notice. Just as dramatic as the exterior slashes was the body-coloured swathe in the dash, while the turbocharged models provided real firepower. The first used a Lancia Delta Integrale-sourced four-pot, but it was the later 2.0-litre five-cylinder that seduced with its warbling engine note and ferocious shove (though if it’s done 72k miles, a cambelt change is due – taking 16 hours, costing at least £650!). They’re generally quite reliable and if you get a good one, it shouldn’t depreciate as classic status beckons.
Ford Cougar from around £2,000
Not a huge hit, the Cougar was launched with great promise, as the latest in a line of fine-driving Fords, but its American roots meant the expected dynamism didn’t materialise. The 2.5-litre V6 was pacy though, giving the large, edgy-look car decent legs – but most were sold with the less invigorating 2.0-litre four-pot. It is very roomy inside and the interesting dash is well-stocked, but a modern-day Capri it was not. Nevertheless, sales ticked along which ensures there are plenty on the used market, all with the reassurance of the country’s largest dealer network (and thousands more independent specialists) to provide backup.
Vauxhall Calibra from around £500
An ageing choice but bulletproof Cavalier mechanicals mean even 15-year-old ones are good for everyday use – and literally cost small change to run and repair. 2.0-litre 16v models are best and, with 150bhp, perform well. Later 2.5-litre V6 variants are also tempting if there’s a service history, but avoid complex turbo and 4x4 models. Still-slinky looks contrast with a Cavalier dashboard and clumpy drive, but later models were generally better, yet all are genuine four-seaters with a big boot. Just watch for clocked examples; one survey a while back rated the Calibra as the car ‘most likely’ to have had its odometer wound back...
Toyota Celica from around £5,600
The current Celica is the latest in a long line dating back to the early ‘70s. Its also the last in the line, at least in the UK, as the company has decided sales volumes don’t merit its replacement. Not that the current car is bad (though the plasticky interior does feature horrid part-digital instruments), but it’s a measure of how out-of-favour non-premium coupes have become. But it drives well and an effort to reduce weight gives it a little flair through corners, while the standard 1.8-litre engine keenly produces 140bhp. You’ll wonder where the extra 49bhp of the T Sport model is, until you hit 6,000rpm and it floods in with a switch-like rush; relaxing or particularly satisfying the ‘sports’ model is not – but like standard cars, it is as reliable as, well, a Japanese car.
BMW 3-Series Coupe from around £6,000
Cars such as this are BMW’s lifeblood. The 3-Series saloon makes the money but it is the more focused versions that give the range kudos; to make a bad coupe would hit both honour and income. For many, the current version is the best as the range is so incredibly vast and its talents similarly broad; from 2.0-litre diesel to 3.2-litre M3, all display the feedback-infused mechanical interaction characteristic of the best BMWs. The shape is perfect and there’s even practicality inside for four and a decent boot. A car you’ll live with every day with pleasure; it’s perhaps the ultimate all-round driving machine of our 10.
Volvo C70 from around £4,500
The first ‘modern’ Volvo to genuinely look good, as opposed to looking like a tank. It was a revelation but not just for the way it looked. The chassis was 850-derived but engineered by TWR (who also ran the Arrows F1 team) and proved that Volvo was taking an interest in vehicle dynamics, too. Turbocharged engines and front-wheel-drive meant it could be lively at times, but it was still a decent drive, helped by a vibrant five-cylinder burble. Today, they’re hard, cheap and bring a world-class Dolby Surround-Sound stereo within reach, if you’re lucky. Like the remake of The Saint it starred in, it’s not as characterful as the original P1800, but not a bad effort.
Mercedes CLK from around £6,000
Never one to miss a niche nowadays, Mercedes wasn’t always so all-encompassing. Indeed, it took years to launch a rival to the BMW 3-Series coupe, but how satisfying the result was when it arrived in 1997. A blend of C-Class and E-Class, the clean lines are subtle enough to be timeless which means, in a dark colour and with a non-dating plate, even the cheapest CLKs carry plenty of clout. The drive can’t match the looks, with asthmatic engines and (relative to the BMW) a clumpy chassis, but it cruises well and without fuss. That’s why used prices remain so high – yet £6k for an early 230 K should be secure for some time yet.
Mazda RX-8 from around £13,000
The car with the funny rear-hinged rear doors and engine with the funny name is a fun choice that makes a lot of sober, rational sense. Inexpensive to buy new, relatively, depreciation levels are low but early cars have still lost enough of list to be within Focus drivers’ reach – with the reassurance of renowned Mazda build and reliability. The Wankel engine, either 192bhp or 231bhp, divides opinion and many still worry about its thirst for fuel and (worryingly) oil, but as a marvel of engineering it’s right up there. It’s not slow either, and a proper rear-drive chassis has the ability to make using it hard a blast. With genuine space in the back for two lanky adults. So four-door coupes can make sense!
Hyundai Coupe from around £3,000
The bargain-basement choice, but that doesn’t preclude Ferrari looks. The first coupe was a curvy treat in its own right but current model is reminiscent of the 575M Maranello, though the impact of both has softened with time. As with before, today’s Coupe has recently been facelifted but it’s pre-facelift models that look the best, preferably with the best-compromise 2.0-litre four-pot engine. The 1.6-litre is underpowered and the 2.7-litre V6 sounds good on paper and in operation, but 165bhp means the reality is unexceptional performance. A TT-like interior is spoilt only by too-flat seats and dodgy plastics in places, space isn’t a disaster in the back and it drives OK for the money. A bit of a well-equipped bargain for Fiesta money.
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