(CarThrottle.com)
Thursday, April 14, 2016
These Are Worthy Project Cars
The Cheapest Legendary Performance Cars You Can Buy Today
We're often asked the question: 'how can I get a cheap performance car with iconic heritage'? The answer is not a straightforward one, so here are the cheapest ways to secure yourself a quick car from a legendary brand
BMW: E36 M3
The oft-overlooked BMW E36 M3, hit the bottom of its depreciation curve a few years ago, and although prices have risen by around 50 per cent, it’s still the a great entry point into M car ownership. You can find high-mileage examples for under £6000, but we would recommend spending a couple thousand more to find a clean example; you don’t want to end up buying a lemon like Alex…
The 3.2-litre S50B32 straight-six engine fitted to post-September 1995 M3 coupes is, as Alex describes it, “a heartless destroyer of speed limits”. With an impressive (for the time) 316bhp, the E36 is good for a 0-60mph time of around 5.4 seconds, and will go on to a top speed of 170mph (sans limiter). With clean examples hitting the £10,000+ point, now is the time to buy!
Alternatively, around £8500 also puts you in E46 M3 territory, so that’s a car well worth considering too.
Audi: RS6 C5
Somewhat surprisingly, the iconic Audi RS6 C5 is now one of the cheapest ways into RS ownership. With a 4.2-litre, 450bhp, twin-turbocharged V8, the RS6 absolutely decimated the competition when it was released back in 2002, with the Avant claiming the title of ‘world’s fastest estate car’.
With a 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 155mph (over 180mph delimited) the RS6 sported serious supercar-rivalling performance. So what’s the catch? Well, with any car this advanced, problems are going to be commonplace. Owners have reported issues such as cracked manifolds, blown mass air flow sensors, worn bushes and leaky intercoolers. Servicing costs are also painfully high. You can pick up cars for under £7000, but we’d invest another £7k to secure a cleaner example. If you want the limited-run Plus, expect to pay around £20,000.
Mercedes: C36 AMG
The C36 AMG W202 was the first AMG model to be sold through Mercedes’ official dealership network and was a car designed to take on the dominant E36 M3. The sonorous inline-six found in the C280 was retained, but the AMG crew bumped the displacement up to 3.6 litres. Aggressive camshafts, an increase in compression and a performance exhaust were also added to give the car 276bhp and 284lb ft of torque. Granted, the 0-60mph time of 6.7 seconds and top speed of 155mph was still some way off the M3, but it wasn’t a bad start for the iconic tuner.
Firmer suspension with a 25mm drop gave the car impressive handling, and the S600 vented disc brakes guaranteed fade free braking performance. Surprisingly, for such a historically significant vehicle, high-milage examples can be had for under £5000. And if you double your budget, you can get a mint-condition C36 for just under £10,000. What a steal!
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
We're often asked the question: 'how can I get a cheap performance car with iconic heritage'? The answer is not a straightforward one, so here are the cheapest ways to secure yourself a quick car from a legendary brand
BMW: E36 M3
The oft-overlooked BMW E36 M3, hit the bottom of its depreciation curve a few years ago, and although prices have risen by around 50 per cent, it’s still the a great entry point into M car ownership. You can find high-mileage examples for under £6000, but we would recommend spending a couple thousand more to find a clean example; you don’t want to end up buying a lemon like Alex…
The 3.2-litre S50B32 straight-six engine fitted to post-September 1995 M3 coupes is, as Alex describes it, “a heartless destroyer of speed limits”. With an impressive (for the time) 316bhp, the E36 is good for a 0-60mph time of around 5.4 seconds, and will go on to a top speed of 170mph (sans limiter). With clean examples hitting the £10,000+ point, now is the time to buy!
Alternatively, around £8500 also puts you in E46 M3 territory, so that’s a car well worth considering too.
Audi: RS6 C5
Somewhat surprisingly, the iconic Audi RS6 C5 is now one of the cheapest ways into RS ownership. With a 4.2-litre, 450bhp, twin-turbocharged V8, the RS6 absolutely decimated the competition when it was released back in 2002, with the Avant claiming the title of ‘world’s fastest estate car’.
With a 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 155mph (over 180mph delimited) the RS6 sported serious supercar-rivalling performance. So what’s the catch? Well, with any car this advanced, problems are going to be commonplace. Owners have reported issues such as cracked manifolds, blown mass air flow sensors, worn bushes and leaky intercoolers. Servicing costs are also painfully high. You can pick up cars for under £7000, but we’d invest another £7k to secure a cleaner example. If you want the limited-run Plus, expect to pay around £20,000.
Mercedes: C36 AMG
The C36 AMG W202 was the first AMG model to be sold through Mercedes’ official dealership network and was a car designed to take on the dominant E36 M3. The sonorous inline-six found in the C280 was retained, but the AMG crew bumped the displacement up to 3.6 litres. Aggressive camshafts, an increase in compression and a performance exhaust were also added to give the car 276bhp and 284lb ft of torque. Granted, the 0-60mph time of 6.7 seconds and top speed of 155mph was still some way off the M3, but it wasn’t a bad start for the iconic tuner.
Firmer suspension with a 25mm drop gave the car impressive handling, and the S600 vented disc brakes guaranteed fade free braking performance. Surprisingly, for such a historically significant vehicle, high-milage examples can be had for under £5000. And if you double your budget, you can get a mint-condition C36 for just under £10,000. What a steal!
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
Some Bourbon B.S.
5 Biggest Lies About Bourbon That Everyone Believes To Be True
Bourbon must be made in Kentucky
Bourbon must be made in Kentucky
- Although all of the big brand bourbon distilleries are located in the state of Kentucky, there is no law saying that only if it is made in Kentucky is it bourbon. MGP, the industrial distillery that has been around for decades and provides much of the industry’s stock bourbon, is located across the Ohio River in Indiana. Plus, historically many states were engaged in bourbon production prior to Prohibition. Virginia, for example, had a nice reputation for bourbon of the kind that Texas and Colorado are aspiring to now. The Bluegrass States is the best source for bourbon, but not the exclusive source.
- While the Reverend Craig was certainly a frontier Kentucky distiller, there is no proof of any kind that he invented either bourbon whiskey as a whole or any of the features that go into making it. The claim that Craig was the “Father of Bourbon Whiskey” postdates his death by some six decades. Furthermore, Craig opened his first distillery in 1789, six years after another bourbon pioneer, Evan Williams, is supposed to have opened his.
- Last year’s fracas in the Tennessee state house over what is or isn’t Tennessee whiskey revived the classic bar stool debated over whether Jack Daniels’ and George Dickel are or are not bourbon. In spirit, the 2013 Tennessee Whiskey Law confirmed that they were bourbon, because it defined them as being bourbon in accordance with Federal statute, plus the added step of the Lincoln County Process (drip-filtration through maple charcoal). Instead of setting Tennessee whiskey fully apart from bourbon, what the law actually did was confirm it as a major and distinctive variant within bourbon.
- This was actually half-true once upon a time, which is why some of the classic American distilleries are located on their own springs, but no longer. Modern health and industrial standards usually demand that the water used to produce a drink product like bourbon be treated, almost invariably with reverse osmosis. This process removes 99% of all minerals and metals from the water in question. Whether the water comes from a river, stream, spring or the municipal tap doesn’t matter very much after that.
- The only reason why bottling whiskey stock made by someone else seems new and controversial to Americans is because Prohibition wiped out the American whiskey bottling sector. Prior to that, bottlers (or “rectifiers” as they were sometimes called back then) were at least as important in the American whiskey trade as distillers who sold their own product, especially in the 19th Century. W.L. Weller, often credited as the creator of wheated bourbon, was one such 19th Century bottler. Whereas bottling remained common in Scotland and Ireland, for many years the only whiskey company in the U.S. relying solely on bottling was Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, now known as Willett.
Happy 89th Birthday, Volvo!
Celebrate Volvo's 89th birthday with some neat facts
We delve deep into obscure Volvo history.
4. These Swedes take coffee seriously.
That pride in Sweden extends to some of the country's other products. Swedes drink more coffee per capita than almost anyone else (it keeps them awake during the long, dark winter). The mid-afternoon fika coffee break is otherwise-industrious Sweden's version of the Spanish siesta.
Volvo is so enthusiastic about its hometown's best-known coffee roaster, Da Matteo, that it flies a couple of baristas and a lot of coffee beans to major international auto shows and passes out joe on press days. There's a lot to get your attention at an auto show, but even jaded attendees will agree that Volvo brews the best cup.
Consumers seem to think the same, even though the coffee served at your local dealer probably came from a Keurig cup. Sales are way up this year, buoyed by the brand's hot XC90 (admittedly, its other models aren't fairing quite as well). A host of new products are on the way, and for once Volvo has something to sell other than safety.
Complete list (AutoBlog.com)
We delve deep into obscure Volvo history.
4. These Swedes take coffee seriously.
That pride in Sweden extends to some of the country's other products. Swedes drink more coffee per capita than almost anyone else (it keeps them awake during the long, dark winter). The mid-afternoon fika coffee break is otherwise-industrious Sweden's version of the Spanish siesta.
Volvo is so enthusiastic about its hometown's best-known coffee roaster, Da Matteo, that it flies a couple of baristas and a lot of coffee beans to major international auto shows and passes out joe on press days. There's a lot to get your attention at an auto show, but even jaded attendees will agree that Volvo brews the best cup.
Consumers seem to think the same, even though the coffee served at your local dealer probably came from a Keurig cup. Sales are way up this year, buoyed by the brand's hot XC90 (admittedly, its other models aren't fairing quite as well). A host of new products are on the way, and for once Volvo has something to sell other than safety.
Complete list (AutoBlog.com)
A Trip To Thai Town To Grub Must Be Planned Soon
10 Must-Try Dishes in Thai Town (That Aren't Pad Thai)
Naked Shrimp Salad at Hoy-Ka Thai Noodles
Khao Soi from Khao Soi by Inthanon Thai
Jade Noodles from Sapp Coffee Shop
Naked Shrimp Salad at Hoy-Ka Thai Noodles
- While Hoy-Ka may be best known for its noodles, its naked shrimp salad is a refreshing appetizer that should kickstart your meal. A row of large, fresh raw shrimp covered in a spicy lime and garlic dressing sits on a bed of shredded cabbage and carrots. Since it has a bit of a kick, you might want to order a Thai iced tea to cool you down. 5908 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; (323) 463-2979, hoykahollywood.net.
Khao Soi from Khao Soi by Inthanon Thai
- When a restaurant's name has the words "khao soi" in it, then you know they must mean business about this Northern Thai dish. The bowl comes with egg noodles in a delicious curry-coconut broth that's thinner than your average viscous Thai curry. It's topped with a hard-boiled egg and a little nest of fried egg noodles. You can choose from 12 different protein options, including crispy pork, chicken and tofu. Each bowl also comes with sides of pickled mustard greens, onions and lime; we suggest adding all of that in your bowl for a pleasant punch. 5907 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; (323) 464-1790.
Jade Noodles from Sapp Coffee Shop
- This hole-in-the-wall spot that Anthony Bourdain featured on No Reservations gets a lot of cred for its boat noodles, but we're even bigger fans of its jade noodles. This dish hits sweet and savory notes and looks like Christmas in a bowl. A bed of spinach egg noodles is topped with red char siu pork, crab meat, roast duck, Chinese broccoli and slices of green onions. Make sure to squeeze on the lime juice and give the bowl a good toss before digging in. 5183 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz; (323) 665-1035.
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