Give it a bootful
Performance cars are all well and good, what with their shouty low-slung looks, loud exhausts and general ‘look at me’ air.
But what about when you just want to get from where you are to where you need to be, as briskly and unobtrusively as possible?
And if you’re also carting a whole load of Aunt Mildred’s stuff to the auction house, well there’s only one thing for it – a rapid estate.
Few cars offer the sheer versatility and pace of a hot estate car, and you can add into the bargain that they are some of the more lust-worthy vehicles yet made.
Here’s our selection of 15 exceptionally cool, faster-than-the-average (and not forgetting rare) classic estate cars.
1. Aston Martin Lagonda V8 Estate (2000)
Ah, Switzerland. Eternally neutral, intrinsically cautious (there’s no motorsport allowed in the country) and notably straight-laced.
However, some Swiss have a wacky side. Think Sbarro, an eccentric car modifier that has come up with some exceptionally unusual designs (put it this way – the gullwing Mercedes S-Class coupé is one of the tamer ones).
But Sbarro isn’t alone. Roos Engineering built an estate version of the angular Aston Martin Lagonda. The car was based on a third-series Lagonda from 1987, and produces 309bhp from its fuel-injected V8. The roofline was extended, extra glass work added and, of course, it gained a tailgate. Wonderfully nuts.
2. Reliant Scimitar GTE (1968-’86)
Yup, having one of the most famous children in the world as one of your customers is certainly going to add a certain cachet to your brand.
But when said offspring gets pulled over for speeding in one of your cars, well that’s PR manna from heaven.
Indeed, it’s telling that the story is still common knowledge today, even though production of the car ceased decades ago.
Reliant Scimitar GTE (cont.)
The Princess Royal has owned no fewer than eight Scimitars, doubtless enticed by the power of the Ford-sourced V6 engines (initially the 3.0-litre Essex V6, and later the 2.8-litre Cologne motor).
Performance was strong, with 0-60mph in about 8 secs and a top speed around the 120mph mark, depending on the engine.
The Scimitar was even pretty practical, with reasonable cabin space and a decent boot accessed via the opening rear window.
3. BMW M5 Touring (1992-’98)
At last. With the E34 generation of the 5 Series, BMW saw fit to offer a load-carrying version of its supersaloon.
It was worth the wait. The M5 Touring had all of the good bits of the M5 saloon, so featured a 311bhp 3.6-litre straight-six engine as well as bespoke suspension, and adding the estate body merely enhanced its kudos. Later cars had an engine increased to 3.8 litres, which developed 335bhp.
What an engine that straight-six was. It sounded like a banshee as it hustled the 1.7-tonne M5 Touring past the 62mph mark in around 6 secs, which was nippy for the time. Top speed was limited to 155mph, but it could happily sit there all day.
As road tests suggested, power oversteer was only ever a twitch of the ankle away, so care had to be exercised in the wet if you were to avoid the family dog viewing oncoming life through the side window.
4. Audi RS2 Avant (1994-’95)
If you’re going to team up with someone to help you design a performance version of one of your classy-but-humdrum offerings, then Porsche is a pretty good place to start.
Audi’s first RS car was based on the 80 Avant of the time, but with a Porsche-tuned 311bhp version of the 2.2-litre five-cylinder engine up front.
Audi RS2 (cont.)
Porsche also designed the suspension and brakes, so the car handled and stopped better than any Audi 80 had any right to.
And the crowning glory for the project was the fact that it was clothed in an estate body style, giving it a practical, Q-car air.
A 0-60mph time of less than 5 secs put this model firmly in supercar territory for the period, and its pace still stacks up against the sports cars of today.
5. Mercedes-Benz 500TE AMG (1979)
Before AMG was known as a hugely successful DTM team and part of the Mercedes-AMG F1 name, it was simply a tuning house. But a tuning house with ambitions.
So, it took a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 123-series estate and stuck a 5.0-litre V8 up front, having to design and engineer its own engine mounts in order to do so.
Then of course it painted it black, added a black grille and gave it a set of black alloy wheels. Menacing.
Mercedes-Benz 500TE AMG (cont.)
Inside, the car also features swathes of b… eige. Yup. AMG must have run out of black leather at some point, so the interior of the car pictured is somewhat less intimidating than the exterior.
And it’s rare. There were only reputed to be two such conversions done, although there were also two saloons and a coupé.
6. Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon (2001-’05)
It was a bit of a ‘woah’ moment when Alfa Romeo launched the 156 in 1997, because after some years of building slightly mundane-looking cars, the company had got its mojo back.
Three years later, along came the Sportwagon, which was arguably even more attractive.
However, while these cars had plenty to please the eye, there was less for the ears and adrenalin glands to get worked up over. Until the 156 GTA came along in 2001, in saloon and estate body styles.
Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon (cont.)
Up front was a 250bhp 3.2-litre V6 that was more of a musical instrument than a power source, such was the superb soundtrack. Imagine a four-wheeled Pavarotti and you’ll be close.
Okay, the handling was a little turbulent and the ride was akin to a run down the moguls, but so what?
With so much for your eyes and ears to feast on, your backside could take a back seat.
7. BMW Z3 M Coupé (1998-2002)
Yes, yes, it has the word coupé in its name, but in reality it’s a really small three-door estate.
Indeed, if ever a car epitomised the term ‘breadvan’, then the Z3 M Coupé is that car. We’ll ignore the fact that some critics referred to it as ‘a clown’s shoe’.
When the car was new, enthusiasts didn’t really ‘get’ it, so sales were slower than hoped, which is a shame because it means there are fewer around today.
BMW Z3 M Coupé (cont.)
A shame? Oh yes, because the Z3 M Coupé provides a fun driving experience. Up front was a 3.2-litre straight-six lifted from the M3 of the era, so it produced a minimum of 316bhp (although US-spec cars had a 240bhp version).
This drove the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.
The steering was direct and the handling a hoot, although rather too many have seen the wrong side of a hedge, further reducing numbers.
8. MG ZT-T 260 V8 (2003-’05)
Talk about a car of contrasts. The Rover 75 Tourer was a real grandad car, with styling from the 1950s, chrome and velour aplenty, and lots of starring appearances in high-adrenalin TV shows such as Midsomer Murders.
But Rover also thought it could cut it as a sports estate, hence the MG ZT-T badging.
The crowning glory was this, the ZT-T 260 V8, which was akin to discovering that your grandfather could walk up to one of those fairground punchball machines and send the needle spinning right round the dial.
MG ZT-T 260 V8 (cont.)
Up front was a 4.6-litre V8 motor that was already doing splendid service in the Ford Mustang of the era.
In the MG it produced 256bhp and hustled the car to 60mph in a little over 6 secs, accompanied by a muscular soundtrack.
To give the model even more wow factor, it went on to top 225mph on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
9. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX Wagon (2005-’07)
Growing up is unavoidable and, unfortunately, it usually entails becoming ‘sensible’.
But what if there was a way to cope with the mundane side of adult life, while keeping the childish giggles along the way?
Well, Mitsubishi certainly had a decent idea of how to do it.
You see, the rally-special Lancer had been around in various forms since the middle of the 1990s, but Mitsubishi recognised that by the time the Evo IX had appeared, its customers were starting to become… mature.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX Wagon (cont.)
And they had mature needs, such as space for shopping and Labradors.
So, the company stuck the Evo IX running gear in the body of the Lancer estate model, creating a cult classic in the process. Growing old disgracefully? Yes, please.
It is just a shame it built only around 2900 examples – and sold them exclusively in Japan.
10. Bentley Val D’Isere (1989-’92)
Well, if you’re rich enough to afford a Bentley Turbo R saloon, then you’re probably rich enough to buy another and have it converted to full-on shooting-brake spec.
And that’s what the Bentley Val D’Isere was – an estate version of the 6.75-litre V8 Turbo R. So, it was immensely capable at taking a whole lot of high-end luggage from here to there in very little time.
Not only that, but the Val D’Isere was also four-wheel drive, so getting to your Swiss chalet presented few issues.
And it was a four-wheel-drive system like no other, because the front wheels were driven by motors placed in the hubs, controlled by a hydraulic pump linked to the transmission by a toothed belt. Unusual.
11. Nissan Stagea 260 RS Autech (1996-2001)
Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing (well perhaps sporting some Nike Air Maxes as well).
The Nissan Stagea is on the surface an unassuming executive-style estate car, with plenty of space inside for people and a whole load of room behind for the stuff they’ve brought along.
It’s all accessed through a practical vertical tailgate, too.
But if you ever end up next to one at the lights, don’t take it on, because you’ll likely come a cropper.
Nissan Stagea 260 RS Autech (cont.)
Why? Well, Japanese tuning house Autech saw fit to shoehorn the twin-turbocharged 2.6-litre ‘six’ from the R33 GT-R under the bonnet.
It’s four-wheel drive, too.
Conservative power estimates suggest 276bhp, but the reality is quite likely significantly north of that. You have been warned.
12. Subaru Impreza Turbo 5dr (1992-2000)
Subaru had a lot to thank Colin McRae for. His exploits before, during and after his 1995 world championship win earned both himself and the brand legions of fans, captivated by the whole ‘if in doubt, flat out’ approach.
However, not everyone could accommodate a smallish four-door saloon in their lives, so Subaru also offered a five-door version.
This afforded all the performance of the notchback Impreza Turbo, but with space for the stuff that families with offspring need to carry around.
Subaru Impreza Turbo 5dr (cont.)
Nevertheless, performance was undiminished, with 0-60mph in around 6 secs, plus four-wheel-drive traction that felt like a revelation.
And, of course, everything was accompanied by the flat-four bark that had been heard bouncing off the scenery around the world championship’s rally stages.
13. Lynx Eventer (1988-’96)
When the Jaguar XJ-S came out in 1975, it’s fair to say that opinions were divided about the styling.
Fans of the old E-type (admittedly a tough gig to follow) found it too brash and Americanised, with the car’s ‘flying buttresses’ from the rear window coming in for particular criticism.
Well, British coachbuilder Lynx saw a way around that, by getting rid of them altogether, lengthening the roof and creating a three-door estate version of the coupé.
Lynx Eventer (cont.)
In the process Lynx added a rear seat and gave the car weekend-away practicality. And style. Oh yes, lots of that.
And what was up front? Jaguar’s 5.3-litre V12 engine, of course – a paragon of performance and civility.
If ever a car has summed up the Jaguar brand’s marketing slogan of ‘Grace, Space and Pace’, the Eventer surely is that car. And technically it isn’t even a Jaguar.
14. Lancia Beta HPE (1975-’84)
High-Performance Estate. That’s what the HPE in the car’s name stands for, although ‘high performance’ is perhaps slightly debatable.
Nevertheless, the Lancia Beta HPE was a bit of a stunner.
It was based on the long-wheelbase chassis that underpinned the corrosion-prone Beta Berlina, but the HPE resisted the iron rot much better.
Lancia Beta HPE (cont.)
Under the bonnet were 1.6- or 1.8-litre engines, which sounded great but were definitely tepid in the way they performed.
However, later in life the car was fitted with a fuel-injected 2.0-litre motor, which spiced things up a bit, and in the HPE’s final year Lancia fitted it with a supercharger and called it Volumex.
Finally, the 133bhp HPE had the pace to back up the name.
15. Volvo 850 T5-R (1995-’96)
The year was 1995, and Volvo was seemingly happy with its lot, producing practical cars with straight edges and corners you could cut yourself on.
Indeed, the average Volvo estate car was seen as a mobile warehouse, so large and practical was the boot.
And, of course, Volvo gave the world the three-point seatbelt, so its reputation as a safety pioneer was assured.
But in fact Volvo wasn’t happy. It saw all the young people flocking to fast estates made by rivals, so wanted to get in on the action.
Volvo 850 T-5R (cont.)
Step forward the 850 T-5R, which was equally capable of transporting grandfather clocks, but has 243bhp from its 2.5-litre turbocharged motor.
Indeed, all those antiques were liable to end up stacked against the inside of the tailgate when you put your foot down, so care had to be taken.
The T-5R lasted a year, and was replaced by the 250bhp 850R.
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