Cars

In the late 1980s you had a couple of choices if you didn’t want an M5 – Alpina’s B10 and AC Schnitzer’s S5. We pit these ’80s icons against each other to see how they fare today Words: Johann Venter Photography: Mahomed Abdulla  Alpina vs. Schnitzer E34 grudge match – B10 3.5 takes on S5  Heavy Weight Contenders E34s from AC Schnitzer and Alpina do battle.

The World’s Fastest M3…E36 M3 Salt Flats racer.  The World’s Fastest M3… On salt! The story behind a record-breaking E36 Salt Flats racer from Australia.  BMWs make fantastic racers. But this record-breaking Australian M3 is the first BMW salt-flat racer we’ve ever encountered. Words: Chris Nicholls. Photography: Chris Nicholls and Ben Read.

Flying Colours. We love the BMW i8 and AC Schnitzer’s carbon-clad version is even better than the standard machine. AC Schnitzer ACS8 Stunning carbon-clad Geneva show star driven. Flying Colours. AC Schnitzer’s i8-based ACS8 was one of the stars of the Geneva show and with its eye-popping wrap and sexy carbon additions it’s a winner on the road, too. Words: Bob Harper. Photography: Dave Smith.

Modern family. The traditional model of kids crammed into litter-strewn Volvo estates has been comprehensively blown out of the water. Welcome to the 2017 family ride, Vegas-style. Words: Daniel Bevis. Photos: Steve Hall.

Cultural determinism. If you spend your life surrounded by hot BMWs, there’s only one way your dream garage is going to evolve. But that’s fine, isn’t it? Words: Daniel Bevis. Photos: Sebas Mol.

Clean cut cab Gorgeous air-ride E30 Cab. Clean enough to eat your dinner off, this stunningly simple E30 Cab is all about appreciating the purity of the classic 3 Series as BMW intended, with a little twist, of course. Words: Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Sunny Ryait.

American Express. With more than double its factory power, this supercharged E36 M3 is a whole different animal to the machine it once was. Words: Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Jimmy LoBiondo.

Stand out, fit (Ment) in. Blending eye-catching looks with impressive performance upgrades, this E30 Touring is really something special. Passion Wagon BMW E30 325i Touring from Oz on ITBs. Words and photos: Chris Nicholls.

Fast, furious and fully focused 470HP BMW E82 135i. Blue Steel Track-focussed 135i E82. From the chilly wilds of Canada comes this searing vision blue; a track-honed, maximum-attack 135i built for driver thrills, staring you down with its steely gaze… Words: Daniel Bevis. Photos: Matt Beren.

Seriously powerful Sakhir stunner. Orange Rush. Finished in dazzling Sakhir orange, clad in carbon and boasting 575hp, this fabulous F80 M3 is a four-door thrill. Words: Elizabeth de Latour. Photos: Lee Cant.

Life Cycle Bought new in Australia as an alternative to a plane, this expat has since won races, traversed America and become the world’s fastest road Jaguar E-type. Life Cycle Drag racer, daily driver and speed record challenger The life story of a Jaguar E-type.  Bought as an alternative to a plane, this must be the world’s  hardest-working E-type, with 55 years of extreme competition, hard road use and a world land speed record behind it. Words Sam Dawson. Photography Klaus Kletschkus.

Epic Restoration Obsessive quests for perfection ‘He wanted it restored to exactly how it was in 1969’ This former GKN Transmissions Jensen FF test car sat sad and rusty outside a workshop until Paul Hembery commissioned Rejen to tackle its exacting restoration. Words Russ Smith. Photography James Pardon. 4-year Jensen FF restoration Four-wheel-drive development car saved ’It was a rare chance to restore an important part of our motoring history’. The boss of Pirelli Motorsport sent his Jensen FF for a restoration so exacting it took four years to complete. We find out why.