Cars

Bring Eighties excess back with the sleek 6 Series. Two-door coupés are always special. The sleek looks marry well with the rarity factor and many are rapidly become sought-after classics. Following the 630CS and 633CSi coupés of the 1970s, the 635CSi arrived in 1983. On the charts for seven years, the 635CSi and M635CSi were phased out in 1989 and replaced by the all-new 850i E31. These were days of big-engine rivalry and, with a car such as the Jaguar XJS boasting a 5,3-litre V12, BMW upped its cylinder game and the 850i made a switch from the traditional straight-six to a 5,0-litre V12 (M70).

Tech Focus: M2 Exhausts We look at some of the choices available to those wanting more noise from their M2. If you’re lucky enough to own the new M2, you’ll perhaps be considering a few subtle enhancements. First for many is an exhaust upgrade – but which is the best way to go? We join serial supercar tuner Litchfield as it works through its development programme for this most tuneable of platforms. Words: Dan Clow. Photography: Chris Wallbank.

The E46 Compact has been overlooked for far too long – it’s a great steer – bag one before they vanish. If you’re looking for a cheap runaround then a four-cylinder E46 Compact could be a remarkably fine choice or if a hot hatch is more up your street then may we suggest you consider the excellent 325ti? Words: Bob Harper and Andrew Everett.

What’s in your Garage? A sublime brace of Neue Klasse 2.0-litre saloons, the forefather of the modern 5 Series. Mike Taylor charts the history of the Neue Klasse Saloon and meets up with a father and son who are passionate about their 2.0-litre examples Photography: Mike Taylor.

Giant Test - Bavarian motor works - Jaguar XJ6 4.0 vs. BMW 535i Automatic SE E34. Jaguar's new 4.0 litre XJ6  (XJ40) versus the best saloon car the Germans make.

£50k? Here’s another way... If our trio of cover stars doesn’t flick your switch, here are three dream cars that will.  £50,000 used supercoupes. None of the above spark your enthusiasm? Threeour writers suggest their used alternatives from Audi R8 V8, Porsche 911 Carrera GTS 997 and BMW 1M, which should fire your imagination.

The Grand Tour. Modern performance cars can be so fiendishly complicated that it takes time to really understand them. With so many chassis, engine and transmission settings, and even different modes for the steering and so on, you really need to cover serious distances in a car before you can hope to get properly beneath its skin.

This is a titanic battle between sports cars from two of the greatest icons of motorsport. McLaren may now be seen only as a Formula 1 contestant, but it started as a highly successful maker of sports racing cars dominating the Can-Am series between 1967 and 1971, with Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme sharing the honours. The team also competed in Formula 2 and Formula Libre.

Buying Guide It’s easy to let the heart rule the head when considering a Lotus Exige, but don’t buy one before reading our exhaustive 12-point guide  Twelve steps to buying a Lotus Exige Experts and owners reveal why you need this road-racer and how to bag a good one Words Malcolm McKay. Photography John Colley.

The Collector. ‘It has quite a colourful history – the Queen Mother used to own it’ Steve Harris takes us on a tour of a Canadian collection dominated by rare British cars from the Thirties and Forties – plus the occasional pick-up. Words Iain Ayre. Photography Monique Sache.

Life Cycle. How the last ever TVR 450 SEAC survived endless leaks and a close encounter with the River Thames – and was once repaired using a designer lipstick. The life story of a TVR 450 SEAC. Nearly lost in a river, ruled too noisy for track days and once mended using lipstick, the life of the final TVR wedge has been a colourful, thrilling adventure Words Sam Dawson. Photography James Pardon.

Epic Restoration. Munich Legends had just 12 weeks to get BMW UK’s M1 press car to Goodwood, despite having to tackle extensive rust and blown body panels.   ‘It looked so good that we wondered if anything needed doing to it. Then we unwrapped it…’ When BMW gave its M1 press demonstrator to Munich Legends for some restoration work it imposed a deadline of just three months. Impossible, or just improbable? Words Nigel Boothman. Photography Neil Fraser.