Automotive Perspectives

I was thinking about this whilst flinging my Optra around on my commute today down a gravel covered B road and thought I'd share with everyone as well as request responses with your choices.

Here are the guidelines. Pick your favourite top 10 choices of vehicles you'd like to own, and are technically in your price range (doesn't mean it'd be easy, but basically it means no Bugatti Veyron unless you're pulling over the equivalent of 1,000,000 € per year). Five should be vehicles that are available for purchase right now in your country, and five should be unavailable for purchase (legally) in your country. By country, I refer to where you are currently living, not where you were born per se.

Vehicles can be from any year past or present, and prices of said vehicles should reflect what they would cost in 2006 dollars.

Finally, what, if any modifications would you make to said vehicles, whether it be paint, or engine, or even upholstery changes?

As for me: My top 5 cars (available in the United States) and what i'd do with them are (in no particular order):

1. 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro (AWD) with a Subaru WRX STI motor mounted in place of the stock motor. This engine is wonderful, they FIT in the Vanagon (as others have proven with the NON-STI version of said powerplant, and the vehilces are a hoot to drive with gobs of room and surprisingly wonderful handling (especially for a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a cinder block.

2. 1988 Toyota Celica (RWD) in white with a proper tarmac specific rally suspension setup and lightened drivetrain bits. Think Juha Kankunen in the late 80's.

3. 1993 Ford Escort Cosworth (SUN Racing imported US Spec, Street Legal versions for $43,000 from 1992-1996). I would make this into a look alike of Carlos Sainz's Repsol sponsored WRC cossie. I absolutely loved the looks and design of the RSII Cosworth.

4. 1985 Merkur XR4Ti in black, with all of the necessary body bits to give it the interior and exterior appearance of the fabulous Ford RS500 Sierras, one of my favourite touring cars of all time. This would include a larger Garrett turbocharger and the necessary intercooling upgrades. I'd be aiming for 450ps output for this one (though in the US there is one guy pushing 650ps output overall, which is just plain sick).

5. 1987 Alfa Romeo 164 3.0l V6 (last of the RWD 164's) in Red, kept entirely stock. To me, this is the epitome of what a European saloon should be.

An now, My top 5 cars (NOT available in the United States) and what i'd do with them are (in no particular order):

1. 2005 Renault Williams Clio 182 Trophy - in Blue with Yellow alloys, otherwise stock.

2. 1967 Morris Minor 1000, Right hand drive, bone stock.

3. 2005 Vauxhall VX220 roadster.. Everything that people like about the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky but with better looks and nicer switchgear.

4. 1997 Nissan Sunny GTI-R in fully rally look alike trim down to the graphics and all.

5. Peugeot 206 GTi, in white, lowered with 19' 5 spoke alloys shod with Michelin Pilots, and a quad rally light pod on the nose of the bonnet and the WRC rear aero package (high spoiler).

So that sums it up, 1 Volkswagen, 1 Alfa Romeo, 1 Toyota, 2 Fords, 1 Nissan, 1 Renault, 1 MG, 1 Peugeot and 1 Vauxhall. Fairly well balanced and affordable (just not all at once).

What about your choices?