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This early Phantom VII may be the finest long-journey car money can buy, but it’s also the one its owner has held onto for longer than any other Rolls-Royce or Bentley. An interesting history and unique features only add to the appeal.

Lotus lover Sam Hunt adores his Series 1 Elise, but would he like the range-topping Esprit V8 more? With the keys to one of the last Hethel wedges ever made, he’s about to find out.

The politics behind racing are sometimes more intriguing than the on-track action itself. When the VW Group acquired Bentley from Vickers in 1998, it immediately set about picking up the pieces of a brand that was by then reduced to a poor cousin of Rolls-Royce. This mission found further fervour through the painful reminder that not only had VW lost the bid for Rolls-Royce to BMW; but the latter would also win Le Mans the year thereafter.

The second machine to wear the iconic Coupé, Sport, Lightweight moniker was the E46 M3, but was it as good as its wonderful namesake?

BMW’s E85 Z4 Roadster has aged rather gracefully. There’s still enough good weather remaining to make investing in an early 3.0i very much worthwhile.

In this, the 50th anniversary year of BMW Motorsport, could the E46 M3 CSL be the greatest M-car of all? Glen Waddington finds out.

The facelifted XK8s from 2003 onwards were the best of the bunch thanks to Jaguar’s new 4.2- litre V8 – and in non-R format they’re a terrific bargain that still come with plenty of clout.

These two chairmen’s carriages offered what their manufacturers felt was the perfect blend of comfort and technology but achieved their aims in different ways – one favoured evolution, while the other was unashamedly revolutionary. Both are excellent value modern classics today, but one’s just that little bit more captivating

The 3.0 CSL and its contemporary, the 2002 Turbo, laid the foundations for BMW’s ‘ultimate driving machine’ adventure. Along with their less powerful but still charming siblings, they pointed the way to BMW’s modern car-making template: mixing the excitement and drama of the better Italian sports saloons and coupes with the reliability and quality of a German car. It’s been paying dividends ever since.

Back in 2003, Volkswagen may have just debuted the latest 3.2-litre V6 hot hatch, but somebody at Wolfsburg decided that engine would work far better planted in the middle of a sleek roadster powering the rear wheels – enter the Volkswagen Concept R.

You might not believe it but Stephen Horscroft’s B10 V8 has covered over 185,000-miles. However, with a fastidious approach to maintenance and curatorship, it’s more willing to play than ever