STOP PRESS! UK discovers the concept of time travel
Who bloody needs a time machine anyway!
My preference in cars has been bookended by two examples that seem to have just stepped out of a time capsule. One bears the three-pointed star while the other has a lion on its grille. Collectively both have done as much mileage as a roundtrip from Bicester to Goodwood.
Presenting what is most certainly the newest, freshest R107 you would ever find without travelling back in time, and a nearly brand-new Peugeot 309 GTi that's straight out of your FAST company car dreams. Which one would you like to own?
We'll start with the GTi, because why not! You might disagree but this is no second fiddle to the much-appreciated 205 GTi. Instead, the 309 GTi is a car that blended its sporting abilities with the practicality that only a proper four-door (five, actually!) cabin could have. Its 1900 cc engine was claimed to make about 130 bhp, it was mechanically and cosmetically improved over the standard car, and a sub-9-second to hit 60 mph ensured you didn't need to add taurine to your coffee to feel alive — or something like that.
The brochure wasn't going to do the heavy lifting, either, as many commented that the overall package was actually better than its aesthetically pleasing smaller sibling. Plus, can we all agree that if a special edition is what you're after, there's no alloy wheel company that got their designs as on point as Speedline. The car had covered just under 150 miles when it reached Tolman Engineering who can also help you live/realise your Group-B dreams; more on which in a future story. You can contact them using the link at the end of the article.
Speaking of contact, the other car here is essentially the epitome of social distancing, done quite perfectly for more than four decades. It was 42 years ago, to be precise, when its current and only keeper bought the R107 SL new, and has since put just 42 miles — that's a mile for every year...
The car hasn't been registered, but it's been stored in a humidity-controlled, heated garage, which means, along with absolutely no damage, it proudly shows zero rust, too, according to The SLSHOP.
It has been bought from its original owner and the SL specialist pledges to never sell it. While you won't be able to get your hands on the car, it's worth noting that this 500SL, which had all the options ticked at the time of speccing, will now be available to see at the company's HQ in a controlled display to ensure its newness doesn't go away. Ever!
Photo courtesy: Tolman Engineering and The SLSHOP
Like I said, who needs a time machine anyway.