Currently reading: Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 5 April

It could be a while before we finally see a new TVR, so fill the gap with a bargain Chimaera

TVR Chimaera, £13,995: For all their faults, a TVR still sets the pulse racing. Among the most plentiful is the Chimaera of 1993- 2003. 

It started life powered by a choice of 4.0 and 4.3-litre V8 Rover engines. A high-compression version of the 4.0 replaced the 4.3 in 1994. The 5.0-litre Chimaera arrived in 1995. Then, in 1996, the 4.0 HC gave way to a 4.5, producing 285bhp. With all of them, power went to the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox. 

The first major facelift was in 1996, when the Chimaera acquired a new Cerbera-like face with split intake design. Faired-in headlights and new tail-lights were adopted in 2001. 

Tvr chimaera

There are some choice Chimaeras in the classifieds but our eye was caught by a 1998/R-reg 4.5. It has done 71,000 miles and the service history goes back to 2004. (Why do people lose service histories?) It has recently had a bundle of new parts fitted, including alternator, Bilstein rear shocks and carpets. The last MOT had no advisories. 

So a good start, but before having it professionally inspected, we’d run a few checks. With the car on a ramp, examine its chassis for rusting outriggers, especially on the nearside. Check, too, that fresh Waxoyl isn’t hiding anything. 

With the car back on the floor, fire up the engine, listening for a noisy timing chain. Turning to the suspension, push down the car at each corner, watching for it bouncing. Regarding the gearbox, changes should be smooth and precise. Fortunately, the later Borg Warner gearbox is a solid affair. 

Check all the electrics work. ECU, battery and relays are all in the front passenger footwell and hellish messy to work on. Still keen? Have a go.

Audi rs3

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Audi RS3, £27,995: With 362bhp from its 2.5-litre engine, the 2015 RS3 gave the 355bhp Mercedes-AMG A45 such a fright that Mercedes quickly found another 21bhp for it. Face saved but the RS3 is still an exceptional drive and this 70,000-miler looks a fine example.

Porsche 924

Porsche 924, £5995: Car colour is a subjective thing but white suits the 924 of the 1980s, making it look clinical and efficient (read reliable and good fun). This one’s a 1985/B-reg with 115,000 miles. It’s the rare three-speed auto so chances are it was never thrashed.

Infiniti q30

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Infiniti Q30, £15,450: The Q30 is a pretty thing and this 2.0t Sport DCT with four-wheel drive takes a warmish 7.3sec to cover 0-62mph. It’s a 2016-reg car with just 27,000 miles and full main dealer service history. Then again… a 2015 Ford Focus ST-2 is the same money.

Daihatsu fourtrak

Daihatsu Fourtrak, £3495: And still old relics in good nick and with just one previous owner keep coming… This Fourtrak off-roader is a 2001 Y-reg 2.8 TDL Independent with a reasonable 96,000 miles. Unusually, it’s not bashed about and has full service history. 

Auction watch

Lamborghini Gallardo: Definition of courage: buying an elderly Gallardo E-gear at auction that hasn’t been driven for seven years and has a “graunching” sound coming from the rear. The hammer fell at £51,940, low enough for an expert buyer to know they have a good margin for repairs. 

Lamborghini gallardo 0

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The auto clutches and flywheel can let go at around 50,000 miles. Back at base, they’ll be able to hook up the gearbox to a laptop and interrogate it for updates and the like. Underneath it all, the Gallardo’s a tough old thing, so fingers crossed the bidder has bagged a bargain.

Get it while you can

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Hyundai i30 N Performance, price new - £29,495, price now - £24,995: “A fast, involving and likeable driver’s car” was our verdict on the Hyundai i30 N Performance. So, new or used? We spotted a 2019/68-reg car with 2500 miles for £24,995, representing a saving of £4500 on the £29,495 on-the-road price. But then who pays full list price these days? The fact is, without leaving your chair, you can get a spanking new N Performance for £26,662, narrowing that nearly new saving to £1667. Still, it’s enough to cover the insurance and a trip to the Nürburgring to stretch the 68-plater’s legs. Used it is.

Clash of the classifieds

Brief: Find me a seven-seat car with genuine third-row seat space for adults for £30,000.

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Land Rover Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE, £29,995: You may think this is here because of some Jaguar Land Rover fan-boying, but you’d be wrong. The Discovery 4 can genuinely house seven adults across all three rows because of its clever seat layout. And because it’s huge. The one I found is a 2015 example in top-of-the-range HSE form with just 40k miles on it. Unlike the GL, this has all the off-road gubbins so it’ll go anywhere. And when it can’t go anywhere, there’s the benefit of two years of warranty and breakdown cover included in the price, which you won’t have with Mark’s Merc. Max Adams

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Mercedes-Benz GL350 CDI AMG Sport, £29,950: Short of buying anything based on a van, which is an unholy thought, or even worse an MPV, the only chance you have of carrying seven adults in a car of conspicuous quality and premium credentials is to get yourself inside a used GL, now known as the GLS and costing a fortune. This 2014 low-mileage car with full service history packs punchy performance, decent economy, a highly luxurious interior and a smooth ride, all for buttons. Oh, and seven very usable seats… Mark Pearson

Verdict: The Disco’s two-year warranty simply reminds me what troublesome brutes they can be. Besides, the GL is sumptuous, even in its third row. The Merc it is! 

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