Whether you’re looking at cars as an investment or for personal enjoyment, anyone would agree that design matters. And when it comes to judging what will become cherished classics a few years from now, world-renowned car designer Frank Stephenson is precisely the kind of person whose advice you’d sit up and listen to.
His list of eight affordable future classics could paint a picture of what a classic car show will look like in a couple of decades.
Stephenson starts with two two-door sports cars: the BMW Z4 Coupe and the Honda S2000. The Z4 was introduced in 2006 as the new and improved version of the already iconic Z3 coupe. Just like its predecessor, the Z4 carried forward the ‘clown shoe’ design and housed a throaty 3.0-liter engine.
Also: Frank Stephenson Picks His 3 Favorite BMW Designs, What Are Yours?
The S2000, on the other hand, is one of the most fun and exciting cars produced by Honda to date. Not only does it feature an exceptional roadster design, but it also has a high-revving 2.0-liter VTEC engine that supplies power to the rear wheels. Prices of S2000s have been on the rise, so much so that one example with 50 miles on the clock sold for nearly $50k in April. Thus, if you find one in decent condition, you might want to snap it up quickly.
Good looks trump all else — this is a design-based list, after all. So, it’s no surprise that the Alfa Romeo Brera makes the cut, despite not boasting any impressive numbers in terms of speed or power. Also on the list is a car that’s all about the aesthetic: the Citroën C6. Meanwhile, Honda makes a second appearance courtesy of the CR-Z, taking hybrid technology and coupling it with an aggressive coupe design reminiscent of the original CR-X.
Slightly more modern cars that are included are Vauxhall’s 280 hp Astra GTC VXR (aka Opel Astra OPC) and the Porsche 997, the penultimate generation of the 911 with a naturally aspirated engine, making it sure to be popular among Porsche purists.