Aston Martin V8 and V12 Vantage Manual
No surprises here, in fact the real enigma is that the best-looking Aston of the noughties can be bought with a naturally aspirated V8 engine and three pedals for around 30,000 euros. If you’re willing to hand over a little more cash, you can even get one of these Ian Callum-designed stunners with 12 cylinders, which simply doesn’t add up when you consider that a modern hot hatch is pushing 50,000 euros. The latest incarnation of the Vantage may be just as attractive, but they carry a hefty premium and their Mercedes-sourced turbocharged V8s just don’t possess quite the same charm. Find one with an interesting spec and hold on to it for dear life, you won’t regret it!
BMW Alpinas
2025 is the year that we’ll witness the rebirth of Alpina under its new Bavarian owners. Whether the brand retains is cult, handcrafted appeal remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Alpina’s relaunch will turn a host of new enthusiasts onto their back catalogue and their many, many hits. Between the luxurious interiors and glorious pinstripes, it’s hard to select just one model, but the E34 and E39 Alpina B10s have always been high on our list of must-own modern classics, especially as their M5 counterparts continue to rocket up in price!
Ferrari 360
The cat’s already out the bag regarding the widely-adored F355, but the Ferrari 360 has never quite escaped its predecessor's shadow, despite being an absolute delight to drive. Now that the 360’s great-grandson, the 296 GTB, has lost a pair of cylinders and gone over-the-top in the spec sheet, the Y2K-era styling and just-right power output of 400hp from this new-millennium supercar looks more attractive than ever. Even better, manual-conversions have become surprisingly accessible for the F1-boxed cars, but we recommend snapping up an original six-speed or a Challenge Stradale before the prices disappear into the sunset along with that gorgeous Pininfarina bodywork.
Jaguar X100 XKR
Unless you’ve been dwelling in an elaborate cave system, you’ll probably have noticed that Jaguar’s relaunch didn’t go quite as smoothly as they might have hoped. The Type 00 certainly got people talking, but unfortunately no amount of comment section combat will turn the marque away from their all-electric future. Therefore, we recommend beating the crowds and finding a golden-era big cat of your own before it’s too late. If any model fulfils the “Grace, space and pace” brief, it’s the X100-generation Jaguar XKR with its supercharged V8 and pinnacle retro-modern soap bar styling. Currently the best examples are available for around 20,000 euros, but we wouldn’t expect it to stay that way for long!
Early Koenigseggs
The hypercar market is more overpopulated than ever, but somehow the current host of four-digit-horsepower-figure poster cars have lost some of the lustre that earned their early-2000s counterparts a place in our hearts and minds. After a Pagani Zonda achieved more than 10 million euros at auction last year, we wouldn’t be surprised if their Swedish rivals follow suit. Of Koenigsegg’s numerous bombastic rides, we’ve always held as soft spot for the simplistic designs of their first few models, especially the CC8S. Its 655 horsepower supercharged V8 might not hold up in a spec sheet battle against newer hypercars, but the manual gearbox, uncluttered bodywork, and ultra-limited production run of just six examples more than makes up for it. However, if you can’t track down one of those unicorns, the CCX and CCR are just as alluring and even faster, thanks to their 800-plus horsepower in-house developed monster of a V8!
Lamborghini Gallardo
Unlike its contemporaries from Maranello, the first ‘baby Lambo’ of the 2000s managed to avoid a serious hit with the depreciation stick, and now it seems they’re on the rise as the appeal of Sant’Agata’s latest models starts to wane. While the Revuelto and Temerario went all-in on horsepower and Transformers styling, the Gallardo has been gracefully maturing like a fine Piedmontese wine in the background, and now its Luc Donckerwolke-designed bodywork looks better than ever. Whether you’re taken by the purity of an early V10-powered manual, or are instead attracted to the sharper handling and Reventon-influenced styling of the later cars, there’s no wrong choice in the Gallardo lineup. We’ll take a Balboni edition, please!
Mercedes S211 E55 AMG Estate
When was the last time you saw an E55 Estate in the wild? Well, if you’re drawing a blank don’t be surprised, because just 1,444 examples of these super sleepers were built between 2004 and 2006. Powered by the legendary hand-built M113k 5.5-litre supercharged V8, arguably one of the greatest AMG engines ever, the E55 was the fastest estate in the world when it released. Mercedes quotes an output of 469 horsepower, but put one of these family rocket ships on a dyno and you’ll see a number closer to 500, while a sprint down the Autobahn could easily reach 300 km/h. In the past, values have been kept down due to expensive air suspension repairs, but we wouldn’t expect that trend to continue as the appeal of these ‘bahnstormers starts to outweigh the cost of maintenance.
Porsche 991.2 GT3 Touring
The 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3s are supremely desirable cars, there’s no denying it, but if you ask us, they could have called it a day with the 991.2 GT3 Touring. Not only is it in the goldilocks zone in terms of size and usable performance (although the latter may depend on where you live), but it also boasts the most attractive styling of any post-2010 911 to our eye, representing a return to the old sleeper formula of combining unassuming looks with jaw-dropping performance. While the newer models have become increasingly powerful and massive, the smaller 991 serves as a reminder that sometimes more doesn’t necessarily equate to better, which is why it remains Classic Driver’s choice of modern Porsches.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
The Rolls-Royce Spectre and Cadillac Celestiq have proven that the combustion-engined land yacht is rapidly approaching extinction, so why wait for the dino juice apocalypse before adding one of the greatest luxury coupes ever made to your garage? Unlike the Ghost-derived Dawn and Wraith that followed, the Phantom Coupe was based on the big-daddy Roller of its day. At 18 feet long, it combined a cloud-like ride with imposing bodywork that emanated a “Get out of my way, peasant” vibe quite unlike anything else on the road. Rolls-Royce won’t disclose official numbers, but during its eight year production run between 800-1600 were supposedly built, making this barge something of a ghost ship on the open road!
Smart Brabus Roadster
Finishing off the list, we have our wild car(d) of the year! The Smart Brabus Roadster’s lethargic automatic box would usually banish it from any conversation related to collectable modern classics, but this diminutive sports car possesses an undeniable appeal that’s hard to quantify. Boasting improvements such as a twin sports exhaust, lower suspension, polished six-spoke aluminium alloy monoblock wheels, and model-specific bodywork, Brabus Roadster looked quite a bit meaner than its standard counterpart. However, unlike other Smart Brabus models, the Brabus Roadster wasn’t just a styling exercise and benefitted from a 19 horsepower bump, giving it a whopping 99 rampaging stallions on tap. We still can’t quite pinpoint why we love this bizarre little Brabus, but if its good enough for Gordon Murray — who still daily drives his — then we don’t see why it shouldn’t be your automotive guilty pleasure for 2025.
