Cars

The anatomy of a super touring car. This year the BTCC turns 60, but one of the series’ most exciting periods was the 2-litre ‘Super Touring’ era of the 1990s. Audi’s A4 quattro dominated in ’1996 – we take a closer look and find out why… Text by Antony Ingram and photography by Aston Parrott.

The Insiders… The BMW 3.0 CSL E9 has always been one of my favourite road cars and I was astonished to see a pristine model for sale at Ј200k recently. I was fortunate enough to have one of the first left-hand-drive models to be delivered. The CSL handled beautifully on the road and on the track, well ahead of its competition. In 1972 I won the 6hr Touring Car race at the Nurburgring driving a Schnitzer 2.8CS with Rolf Stommolen, and I just loved the car. If a car handles well at the ’Ring it will handle well anywhere. When the CSL was announced later that year I knew I had to have one. Through various contacts I was able to secure an early production model, which I planned on picking up from Munich on Zoll plates. On the way there I stopped of in Cologne to see Michael Kranefuss, who’d taken over from Jochen Neerpasch as competition manager at Ford Germany after Jochen moved to BMW. Stuart Turner had suggested to Kranefuss that he take Gerry Birrell and myself on to drive the RS2600 Capris in 1973.

Abandoned Lancia Flaminia project restored. Epic Restoration… The Lancia Flaminia GT which languished, rusting, for two decades before a marque specialist worked its magic to resurrect it. Resurrecting a rare Touringbodied Lancia after 20 years of rot and neglect. ‘We had to skin it like a rabbit to get it done properly’ Lancia only made a dozen right-hand-drive Flaminia GTs, so Martin Clife snapped up this stripped, corroded example as a rarity. Two decades on, the restoration finally began. Words Nigel Boothman. Photography Charlie Magee.

Six steps to buying a Porsche 928. A Porsche within realistic reach? Yes, but this grand tourer is also mightily complex. Words Paul Hardiman. Photography John Colley.

Life Cycle The life story of a Citroën CX GTi This Citroën has hauled a family around, shared a garage with supercars, and gone from concours to barn find and back via some unusual twists of fate Words Sam Dawson. Photography Alex Tapley.

Generation X Impressive new addition to BMW X family driven. On the road Generation X: We sample the newest addition to BMW’s ultra-successful range of X-series models.

AC Schnitzer Treats Latest BMW 540i and M550i fully tested.  We get to grips with the latest from AC Schnitzer. Tried and tested Two, four, six, eight… Two Schnitzer Fives – one with two-wheel drive, the other with four-wheel drive. One with six-cylinders, the other with eight. Bob Harper heads to Germany to investigate. Photography: Dave Smith.

BMW design Visionary or Vandal? The Bangle era There can be few more controversial figures in the world of BMW than ex-design chief, Chris Bangle. We profile the man and the significant influence of his work. Has there ever been a more controversial figure in the BMW world than Chris Bangle? Bob Harper looks at Bangle’s work and his legacy after 17 years in BMW’s design department.

Two of a kind battle of the sixes. Battling Sixes. A couple of tasty 6-Series models go head-to-head to discover whether it’s necessary to spend a fortune for luxury, GT performance. Given the choice, I imagine most enthusiasts would take an E24 M635CSi over an E63 630i but, can the newer car offer similar thrills for less cash? Bob Harper investigates.

The supply of affordable E39 M5s is starting to dwindle so, if you’ve always fancied owning one of these V8-engined super-saloons, then now’s the time to act. The V8-engined E39 M5 has long been a favourite of ours, but the supply of affordable examples is starting to dwindle. So, if you’ve always fancied owning one, now’s the time to act, says Guy Baker.

Summer Lovin’ Air-ride E23 728i What better car for a sunshiney road trip than a huge luxurious BMW, with low-and-lazy swagger and cool vibes for days…? Words: Daniel Bevis. Photos: Matt Dear.

BMW E39 M5 Buying Full guide to this affordable super-saloon Buying guide: E39 M5 It’s a super-saloon for Mondeo money, but what are the snags? We spill the beans on this iconic M car. Understated excellence With the E39 M5 regarded by many as one of the greatest sports saloons ever made, it surely can’t be long before values start to rocket. As things stand, though, it remains a tempting but potentially costly option, as Chris Graham explains.