car-cafe-ten-cars-that-caught-our-eye

10th Apr 2019

Car Café meets have always been popular, and the first event of the year is always a busy one. However, the first 2019 meet at Nottingham was on a whole new level. The sheer amount of cars that turned up was incredible and the event is still growing in popularity. With so many cars on show, we have selected some of our 'favourites' from the morning below.

BMW 2002 Turbo

The beauty of Car Café is that you never know what you are going to see. Amongst an array of the latest supercars and sports cars, this gorgeous 1975 BMW 2002 Turbo looked extra special, and is also incredibly rare with only 13 registered in the UK, according to howmanyleft.co.uk. Credit to the owner, as it was in fantastic condition considering the car was over forty years old. When was the last time you saw one of the road? With only 13 on UK roads, it's far more exclusive than many of the supercar elite.

Aston Martin Vantage GT8

Some cars sound good, other cars sound epic. The Aston Martin GT8 is the latter. Finished in a bright yellow paintwork, you couldn't really miss this particular car, whilst its exhaust note ensures you'll definitely hear it too! It was by far one of the most photographed cars, which is understandably unsurprising. This generation of Vantage was around for over a decade, but the GT8 and GT12 versions continue to be highly sought-after.

Austin Morris Mini 1275 GT

Supercars are cool. But immaculate classics that have been lovingly restored are equally as also awesome to see at a petrolhead meet like Car Café. This particular Mini 1275 GT had undergone extensive restoration and looked superb. The owner has a collection of classic Minis, proving this little car really does get under your skin. At just shy of its fortieth birthday, the classic 1275 GT combination of black and gold looked timeless.

Nissan Skyline R34

Car Café has a habit of attracting rare Nissan Skylines, particularly the GT-R variants. And you don't see many R34 GT-Rs in red that's for sure. Parked next to a current 'R35' Nissan GT-R you can see the bloodline, if not evident at first glance. The most noticeable styling similarity is the iconic rear lights which are what most cars will inevitably see; especially as many GT-R models are highly tuned. A Japanese legend, and a car that was made iconic in many ways thanks to the PlayStation game, Gran Turismo, we love seeing these icons at the Car Café meets.

BMW M850i

Car Café welcomes many incredible BMW M cars. Yet the M Performance range offers similarities which make these cars also incredible performance cars, and a performance bargain in some aspects. The M850i may not be an 'M8' but with 62mph possible in just 3.7 seconds, it's actually faster than most of the current M range. Looks great too, but then again it is an 8 Series, which acts as a flagship for the coupe BMW range. Finish in black, it blends sinister and elegance in perfect contrast.

VW Golf GTI Clubsport

The birth of the 'hot hatch' was all thanks to the iconic Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI in the mid seventies. Since then we have been treated to seven generations of this hot hatch legend, some better than others. The Clubsport S version of the current seventh generation was pretty hardcore with some nice upgrades, including removal of the rear seats to save weight. The Clubsport version kept the rear seats and was more suitable for daily use. This particular version was absolutely immaculate, and it had the all-important Recaro wingback seats. A car that can do it all. Looks great in red too.

Ford Mustang - Classic

Since Ford decided to make a right-hand drive Mustang available in the UK, it has been really popular with those wanting a muscle car fix. There were quite a few examples on display at Car Café all individually styled to the owner's tastes. But it was the classic era of Mustang which caught our eye, especially this glorious '66 'Stang' that looked every bit as sharp, despite being over forty years old. It was one of several classic Mustangs on display too.

Dodge Challenger Hellcat

There is something ultra-cool about American muscle cars, especially when you can't get them in UK - well apart from the Ford Mustang we mentioned previous. But those with the name 'Hellcat' are always going to attract attention. A 6.2-litre V8 lives under the bonnet, along with matt black paint, this imported Dodge Challenger is the epitome of evil. But in a good way of course. Watch out Mustang!

Lamborghini Aventador SV

A bright green Lamborghini Aventador SV is always going to attract attention. It really is a stunning car and was by far one of the most popular cars at the meet, with even some lucky youngsters getting to sit in the drivers seat. With 690hp produced from its evocative V12 engine, when it comes to supercars, Lamborghini know how to build a show stopper.

Porsche 911 (997) GT3 RS

The 997 generation of Porsche 911 came in some rather bold paint colours, as is the case with many generations of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. You could have had black with orange detailing, silver with orange detailing, orange with black detailing or a viper green example, with black detailing. The latter is arguably the best colour and looked great on display at Car Café. It seems bright green supercars are always a good idea, and that's fine by us.