Wednesday 24th February
£100K Garage: Alex Hennessey
Alex has spent as much money on an Escort as an M5 - full details here!
Previously owned : Vauxhall Nova SR, Vauxhall Astra GSI, Ford Escort van, Fiat Uno Turbo, Vauxhall Astra GTE, Ford Escort RS Turbo x3, Ford Fiesta RS Turbo, Renault 5 GT Turbo, Ford Sierra Cosworth, Subaru Impreza STI, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, Toyota Yaris (hire car really, but I had it for a year in Dubai), Porsche 911 C2 cabrio (996), BMW M3 E46, BMW Z3M, Maserati GranSport
Currently owned : Mini Cooper S (my travel car) and I'm now shopping
On the shortlist : "I've had quite a variety of hot hatches and turbo cars over the years; I think it all started when I was a kid and our new next door neighbour had a black RS turbo that he kept for over 20 years in the end. I always loved taking a relatively cheap car and making it mine and ultra-special, even the Maserati had modifications. I have a feeling this may take time! Notable cars that very nearly made are the Noble M12 GTO - one day I will own one - Mercedes SL55 AMG, Range Rover, Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R and the BMW 2002."
TVR Tuscan S
Cost : £24,750
Balance : £75,250
Why I chose it : "Come on! Show me a man who doesn't want a chameleon TVR and I'll show you a liar. For me it would still be one of the best pose-mobiles money could buy and can also back it up with some good old fashioned no nonsense brute force. This particular example looks to have had a lot of love in its life with some very choice modifications like the hydratrack diff and a very comprehensive service history. I think this would look amazing driving in Knightsbridge and even better tail out on the Black Mountains."
Cost : £37,000
Balance : £38,250
Why I chose it : "A show car that would also be brilliant on track. Get past the pearl paint and slightly dodgy front end and there is a beast lying beneath! I have always loved these cars, not just because of the astonishing performance and noise, but to me because it's a bargain Saleen S7. I would hate to see the build cost of this particular car as it must have been the £100K budget gone in one; there's a Peter Knight fully forged engine, Quaife diff, trimmed interior and a load of other mods. It's almost a shame that it would be blasted to high heavens round the track. Almost"
BMW E60 M5
Cost : £11,800
Balance : £26,450
Why I chose it : "Simple - it's a practical, albeit slightly fragile, affordable 500hp daily driver. I would have gone for the E39 but with prices of those cars going through the roof I personally would rather have the 100hp and extra toys. Admittedly the blue would not be my first choice (I would prefer black) and I may have bent the rules a touch as the car is in the Netherlands, but it's a tremendous price for the mileage."
Cost : £11,995
Balance : £14,455
Why I chose it : "I had to have one! The ultimate Evo in a lot of people's eyes and still one of the best point to point cars ever produced. If I still lived in the UK this is probably the car I would go and see today as it looks whistle clean above and below the car; couple that with mods such as Ohlins suspension and the incredibly low miles and it looks like someone has looked after it just how I would have."
Ford Escort RS Turbo
Cost : £11,995
Balance : £2,460
Why I chose it : "I have owned a few of these but never one in such original low mileage condition. I strongly believe that the S2 has been overlooked by the S1 for a long time and with numbers and original cars dwindling quicker than ever this would represent one of the more sensible purchases. Hopefully I would get quite a bit for it in a few years." [Sadly this RS Turbo is sold; there's a similar carat £1,000 more - MB].
Cost : £1,995
Balance : £465
Why I chose it : "With under £2,500 left this would be the track car I'd let my mates have a go in and not worry about. This car has already seen the track a few times so probably wouldn't last too much longer. However it would remind me of an old M3 a pal bought at auction for peanuts; it was a wrecked car when he bought it ludicrously cheap but everyone had a go round the track in it and it kept going! Often driving home we had to use the handbrake as there were no pads left..."