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Sporty Vauxhalls set to surprise As part of our commitment to our readers, The Car Enthusiast attended an Internet media driving day organised by Vauxhall. There will be a full report on that next week. One of the biggest surprises were the sporting dynamics of the new SRi line-up. The Corsa range is now topped by a 1.8-litre SRi version, with 125ps for only £12,995 on the road in the UK. It is a very impressive little car, if not quite a rival for the Renault Sport Clio. Then again, free insurance is a very juicy carrot! Next up is the deceptive Astra SRi 2.2. Fast, effective, forgiving, only £14,295 on the road. The Vectra range is in its twilight years, but is refreshed with the same 2.2-litre engine to give us the SRi 150. Potentially a waste of time considering the imminent arrival of its replacement, but still a pleasing car. |
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Sexy new Sports Coupé good value for money. BMW's collars must be sweating at the prospect of such a substantial rival for their 3-series Compact. Mercedes have done the unspeakable - made the C-class Sports Coupé good value for money. £20,290 of your hard-earned car-loan will buy you a gleaming C180 Sports Coupé with a respectable 2.0-litre four cylinder engine under the bonnet. Not at all bad for a high-quality, stylish coupé such as this. Prices currently are posted to rise to £23,250 for the C230 Compressor model. That will of course be surpassed by an AMG special - can't wait. |
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The A-class moves away from its original concept. Is this an admit of defeat? Was the original A-class design misjudged - too small for the world? No, not at all. This is niche marketing at its best. Who needs a new model to bridge gaps when you can add a few (seven) inches and hey presto, a new car - the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz A-class. Those extra inches cost £900 on top of the standard price range. The A-class has been facelifted slightly for 2001 also - not that you'd notice. Standard car prices start at £13,025 for the A140 Classic. |
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A farewell to the SL - finally! Mercedes have opened the order books for the keenly awaited new SLR McLaren supercar, and the not so keenly awaited whale they call the Maybach. Is it a coincidence then, that the aging SL (now stangely called the SL-class) is now available as three special edition models - designo Alanite, Almandine and Silver Arrow. Only 100 Silver Arrows will make it the UK. The other model is exclusive to the UK, and there will be only 50 of each to go around, with the full range of engines. The Silver Arrow costs £68,940 - a little too much for a little too large a car. Bring on the SLR. |