Here are six cool, used Japanese performance coupes we found in the classifieds
Where better to start than with a 500bhp(+) Integra Type R? That's more than double what it had from the factory, and comes largely thanks to a new precision turbo. Throw a five-speed manual gearbox with longer ratios into the mix, along with an aftermarket limited-slip diff, and it's quite the showing for £14.5k. Advertisement - Page continues below
This Silvia may have a 100bhp deficit to the Integra, but it's even wilder. The 2.0-litre four-pot has been boosted with a new stainless steel manifold, different injectors and a HKS intercooler. Thanks to a revised suspension setup and a welded differential, it's a sideways hooligan too - as evidenced by the pictures. You might like
If you're after something a little less frantic, here's a fourth-gen Supra for you to mull over. It's the non-turbo nat-asp model, so no 2JZ here. But it's received a few tasteful changes, including a sports cat back exhaust, new coilovers and braided brake lines, among others. It's one of the cheapest A80s on sale right now, yours for just £21,595. Advertisement - Page continues below
The Mitsubishi 3000GT is an awful car. It's heavy, it's unnecessarily complicated, and it doesn't have much pedigree. But that's precisely why it's one of our guilty pleasures. Here's a low-mileage example that's ready to go, or, if you've a little time on your hands, this big-winged, yellow-bodied project could be a fun punt.
Anyone for a brown R33 GTST for 13 large? It's got positively offset BBS wheels, an in-yer-face wing and a Blackwall Tunnel-sized exhaust that supposedly spits flames. The RB25 six-pot's good for around 260bhp, and the seller has carried out a manual gearbox conversion. Should turn a few heads on the high street.
Wildcard: Mazda RX-7 (FD3S)
A two-decade-old, rotary-powered screamer from one of Japan's golden eras. The turbo pressure has been cranked up slightly to run on a 'safe' limit of 0.7 bars, at which point this RX-7 will send all of 390bhp to the rear wheels. Looks jolly good, now it's just a question of bringing that £28k asking price down. See more on Used cars
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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable' mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton lamented an 'unacceptable' error in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday as Lando Norris turned the tables on teammate Oscar Piastri to take pole position. Norris, who trails Piastri by nine points in the world championship, was a step behind the Australian in sprint qualifying on Friday but turned his fortunes around, setting a time which edged out his teammate by 0.085 seconds. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came home a surprise third in qualifying ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who won the sprint race earlier on Saturday. But as for Leclerc's teammate Hamilton, a day on from qualifying third-last for the sprint race, it was another disastrous session for the Ferrari driver. The seven-time world champion arrived here at Spa upbeat, with a new rear suspension upgrade on the under-par SF-25 car, as he looked to claim his first podium of the season. But after a spin at the final chicane put him P18 and rendered his sprint race irrelevant – though the spin was put down to a mechanical error – Hamilton himself this time made a costly error at the top of the famous Eau Rouge corner. The Briton looked to have saved himself with a time quick enough for the top-15, before communication came from the FIA stewards that Hamilton had exceeded track limits at the top of Eau Rouge corner, marginally placing all four wheels outside the white lines. As a result, his lap was deleted and, staggeringly, the 40-year-old was knocked out in Q1 again. He will start Sunday's grand prix in 16th place. 'Not great, from my side I made a mistake,' a despondent Hamilton said in the media pen afterwards. 'We have to look internally. I have to apologise to my team, it's unacceptable to be out in both Q1s, a very poor performance from myself. 'I don't think there's much we can do. Everyone is trying to do the best we can, we've had upgrades, but I think that's it for the rest of the year.' Just after the halfway mark of the season, and trailing championship leader Piastri by a mammoth 138 points, Hamilton then effectively wrote off the rest of the campaign as the majority of teams shift their focus to new engine and chassis regulations next year. TOP-10 - BELGIAN GP QUALIFYING 'I think the focus back at the factory is to focus on next year's car,' he said. 'This season has been a tricky one.' A wet race on Sunday – with rain probability currently standing at 60% - is Hamilton's only saving grace. The seven-time world champion finished fourth in the wet-dry drama of Silverstone three weeks ago and won an entertaining race last year at Spa. However, despite all the clamour and hype surrounding his move to Ferrari, it seems the Scuderia's final set of upgrades this season have not provided the silver bullet many hoped would propel Hamilton back into contention at the top. Instead, it continues to be the team Hamilton made his F1 debut for, McLaren, who set the pace out in front. Norris, who is half Belgian, is on a run of two consecutive victories and impressively kept his cool in the heat of battle on Saturday afternoon. While Norris, second time around, did not go faster than his first lap in Q3, Piastri could not claw back the deficit enough and, to the delight of Norris's Belgian mother Cisca in the garage, could only manage second place. The Australian would later reveal an error into turn 14, in his view, cost him pole. 'It was a decent lap,' Norris said, before a pointed statement to the doubters. 'Everyone was pretty worried after yesterday, but I was confident going into today. 'It was nothing to worry about, people like to make a lot of things up. The car is flying a lot.' Piastri, however, will be looking to follow Verstappen's blueprint from earlier on Saturday to steal a march on his teammate at the start tomorrow. The short run down to turn one at Spa favours second place – on the inside line – and the lengthy run up the hill to the Kemmel Straight also provides another opening for cars behind with a healthy slipstream. That being said, wet conditions would likely shake up the status quo. Hamilton will need some favours from above if he is to salvage anything from what, he admitted himself, has been a 'weekend to forget' thus far.
BBC News
18 minutes ago
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Sunderland Nissan supplier exploring wind turbine plan
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Telegraph
18 minutes ago
- Telegraph
UK's rarest cars: 1968 Hillman Minx Estate, one of only a handful left
A beige Hillman Minx Estate is probably far more representative of British motoring in 1968 than a voguish Jaguar E-Type or a Mini Moke. This example, on sale with the Percival Motor Company for £9,995, is the type of smart (but never flamboyant) car that was less King's Road and more Terry Scott in Carry On Camping. Today, their survival rate is minimal – registration records before 1972 are notoriously unreliable, one of several reasons why the resource How Many Left does not have a listing for the number remaining in use. As with so much of the British motor industry of that era, the narrative of the Rootes Group's Arrow-series cars is not straightforward. Rootes unveiled the 1,725cc Hillman Hunter to replace the Super Minx, accompanied by the more opulent Singer New Vogue, at the 1966 London Motor Show. The year after saw the Sunbeam Rapier fastback coupé and the Humber Sceptre for the managerial classes. For those at the foot of the corporate ladder, there were the 1.5-litre New Minx and the slightly more luxurious Singer Gazelle. The Minx-based 'Hillman Estate Car' followed in spring 1967; dealers could highlight its MacPherson strut front suspension and all-synchromesh gearbox. 'Today the estate car is sophisticated,' proclaimed Rootes, as the Estate came with self-adjusting front disc brakes, 'curved side windows' and 'controlled fresh air ventilation'. However, prospective Hillman customers should not be 'fooled by the long lines' as it could provide 62 cubic feet of load bay space (about 1,760 litres) with the back seats folded. For comparison, that's more than the current Toyota Corolla Estate. Autocar approved how 'the back seat comfort has not been reduced in the interests of greater load space'. Meanwhile, this newspaper appreciated the 'front bucket seats', 'door-operated courtesy lights' and 'passenger vanity mirror'. The Hillman Estate originally cost £860, while the £911 Vauxhall Victor 101 De Luxe Estate was pleasantly furnished but still had a dated three-speed steering column-mounted gearchange. From BMC, the Austin A60 Cambridge Countryman and the nearly identical Morris Oxford Series VI Traveller were £878 and £887 respectively. However, their appeal was to Britons who thought Mrs Dale's Diary was radical programming, whereas the Hillman looked far more contemporary. Other options included the Toyota Corona 1500 at £872, but few prospective Hillman buyers were likely to have considered owning a 'foreign car'. The same applied to the £868 Renault 16 DL, which was also front-wheel drive, a space-saving layout some Britons still regarded with suspicion. For the buyer who wanted a UK-built, medium-sized estate car, there was only one alternative to the Hillman: the Ford Cortina Mk2 Estate, in 1500 De Luxe form, for £853. The Cortina Mk2 debuted at the same motor show as the Hunter, with Ford introducing the Estate version in 1967. The Hillman arguably suffered from a less cohesive line-up than the Cortina, with Rootes selling the Arrow range under four badges. One of the Hillman Estate's advantages was its pleasantly restrained appearance. The Telegraph 's motoring correspondent thought it 'one of the most elegant-looking dual-purpose cars I have seen'. In 1968, the Estate gained Minx badging and the option of the 1,725cc engine. That year, Andrew Cowan's Hillman Hunter won the London to Sydney Endurance Rally, although the average Minx Estate owner was probably more concerned with parking spaces at Victor Value supermarket. This example left the premises of dealer Armstrong and Fleming Ltd of Penrith on 13 March 1968, shortly after United States giant Chrysler acquired a majority share in the Rootes Group. In 1970, the Minx badge was no more after nearly four decades, while Rootes had become Chrysler UK. The Hillman badge lasted until 1976, while sales of the now-archaic-looking Hunter wearing a Chrysler badge ended in 1979. The Arrow design continued in Iran as the Paykan, where the last saloon left the factory as recently as 2005. From a 2025 perspective, the Minx name seems as remote as steam locomotives or telephone operators instructing callers to 'press button A'. But the Arrow represented a genuine attempt at transport for the late 1960s. It was a car that looked completely at home outside the office and encouraged the owner to don their finest leisurewear on their day off. And the 'two recessed ashtrays' demonstrate how the Minx was 'designed for your comfort all the way'.
