Classic cars of the future

In time-honoured Alpina tradition, it is also very, very fast. Any 0-62mph time beginning with a four is noteworthy; in an SUV it’s positively electrifying, and feels it. For some, the notion that it was once the fastest-accelerating oil-burning 4x4 (however briefly) will be sufficient to later fete it.

But for everyone else, the fact that it will also manage 41.5mpg, emit not more than 180g/km of CO2 and ride with fine, upstanding manners should mark it as one of the soft-roaders to own from the quintessential decade of the breed. 

Twisted Land Rover Defender, Matt Prior

Okay, so in 25 years’ time Classic & Sports Car magazine is not going to devote an entire cover to a modified Land Rover Defender. But the Defender will be a classic – many already are – and a modified one could play its part in a big Defender story.

One tweaked by Twisted is as good an example as any – especially if, like this model, it has a Chevrolet V8 in the front of it. 

Twisted is only likely to make 12 such Defenders a year, mostly for export, so it’ll be rare. And the 520bhp performance, chassis modifications and interior upgrades show the extreme of what it’s possible to achieve with what is, otherwise, the workhorse of our times. 

As time goes on, once production finishes in 2015, I can envisage quite a few modified Defenders, visually at least, being returned to production spec. But, in the way that well modified old Nissan Skylines and Ford Cosworths do now, many altered Defenders will carry on as they are – as living, driving examples of how we liked things at the time. 

That old Land Rovers are durable, repairable and usable only adds to their appeal. This will be a great occasional classic that you can pull out for the winter, with a mechanical spec that has a story to tell. Just don’t expect it to be worth anything like the £140,000 that it commands now.

Fiat Panda 4x4, Matt Saunders

For me, this is all about defining the ‘classic’ concept. And since I’ve never heard anyone do that very successfully, I’m going to have a crack at it myself. A ‘classic’ must be critically acclaimed – good enough to be worth investing in, spending on and keeping. It must not be a money pit. 

Doesn’t have to be cheap, though. Can be worth more than the average old shed of its type, but absolutely must hold its value. Ideally, it would appreciate a bit. Scarcity is important, but so are charm and accessibility.

So my suggestion is one of the most charming and accessible new cars that I’ve driven all year: the Fiat Panda 4x4. A banker, you might say, given how rare and sought after the original mini mud-plugger was a few years ago. Specifically, I’m recommending the 1.3 MultiJet diesel – a version that we Brits haven’t always been offered but one that suits the car down to the ground.

The Fiat Panda 4x4 has got the lot. It’s rare enough to be interesting. It has added usability and appeal way beyond the scope of most city cars. It’s simple and should be easy and cheap to maintain in advanced life. It’s tough. It’s a giggle. 

And here’s my prediction: a cared-for, average-mileage example in the right colour will never be worth less than £3000 to £4000. Buy one in five years’ time and it could be very cheap, entertaining motoring indeed.

Peugeot RCZ R, Steve Cropley

In my book, a car becomes a classic because it (a) has lots of visual impact, (b) is highly desirable at launch and afterwards, and (c) is very much ‘of its time’. All three of these apply perfectly to Peugeot’s £32,000 RCZ R, first shown at 2013's Goodwood Festival of Speed, due for launch here very soon and – I believe – heading for a great career as one of the true classics of 2013-2014. 

Sure, the RCZ has been around for a few years, but the R model is the best looking of the lot (helped by its adoption of the corporate nose) and its creators have also used all of the typical ruses of our era to make it special: fixed spoiler, extra-large-diameter black wheels, reduced ride height and special colours. The effect is impressive indeed.

Even basic RCZs are head-turners; this high-performance model’s distinguishing features will always make it stand out in a crowd, while being subtle enough to flatter those with the specialist knowledge to recognise it as the go-faster R model.