Be my Valentine! The hottest cars from the present and past that we would love to drive (with or without a date!)

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Be my Valentine! The hottest cars from the present and past that we would love to drive (with or without a date!)

From the V8 Vantage Volante to the Silver Dawn Drophead and everything else in between!

Published: February 13, 2020 13:14 Imran Malik, Assistant Editor

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Auto valentines — 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante: The 1986 through 1989 Series III V8 Vantage was more of a mechanical update. 16 inch (406 mm) wheels were now fitted, as was the more powerful V8 from the limited-edition Aston Martin V8 Zagato. This car was changed somewhat for the United States market - it lacked the powerful Vantage engine but retained the Vantage name, and the look was changed with a flattened hood. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: The heartbeat of Aston Martin's sports car range just got that little bit faster with the introduction of the new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster. Joining the Vantage Coupe, which was launched in 2018, this convertible model amplifies the emotional appeal of a model renowned for delivering a compelling blend of potent performance, outstanding dynamics and everyday usability. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1984 Audi Sport quattro: The Audi Sport Quattro was a Quattro programme car developed for homologation for Group B rallying in 1984, and sold as a production car in limited numbers. It featured an all aluminium alloy 2,133 cc (130.2 cu in) (2.1 L) 20v DOHC engine slightly smaller than that of the Audi Quattro (in order to qualify for the 3-litre engine class after the scale factor applied to turbo engines). In road-going form the engine was capable of producing 225 kW (306 PS/302 bhp), with the competition cars initially producing around 331 kW (450 PS/444 bhp). Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 Audi R8 V10 RWD Spyder: The new design features perfectly highlight the dynamics of the Audi R8 V10 RWD, which is available as a Coupé and Spyder. The Singleframe is broader and flatter, and the slits below the hood are reminiscent of the brand's icon, the Audi Sport quattro. The naturally aspirated V10 inspires pure fascination, with an incomparable sound, lightning-fast response and immense torque. The 5.2 FSI delivers 397 kW (540 PS) and at 6,500 rpm, it achieves a maximum torque of 540 Nm (398.3 lb-ft) that is transferred to the rear wheels via a seven-speed S tronic and a mechanical locking differential. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1939 Bentley Corniche: The styling of the Bentley Corniche was a radical step forward from the traditional Bentleys of the 1920s and '30s, introducing 'Streamlining' to help deliver greater speed and performance, and heavily influenced post-war models from the R Type Continental right through to the current Continental GT. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible: Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe, Great Britain, the Bentley Continental GT V8 and GT V8 Convertible combine driver-focussed performance with exquisite refinement and cutting-edge technology. Both cars feature 20-inch, 10-spoke painted alloys wheels, subtle V8 badging and a sublime, handcrafted interior. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Convertible: Open-air driving has always been a part of the Chevrolet Corvette's heritage. In fact, when the Corvette debuted in 1953, it was available only as a convertible. The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray convertible builds off that heritage as the first hardtop and mid-engine convertible in Corvette history. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1953 Chevrolet Corvette C1: The Chevrolet Corvette C1 is a sporty automobile produced from 1953 through 1962. It is the first generation of Chevrolet Corvettes built and marketed by Chevrolet. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28: The origin of the Z/28 nameplate came from the RPO codes - RPO Z28 was the code for the Special Performance Package. RPO Z27 was for the Super Sport package. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody: Powered by the proven supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Hellcat V-8 engine, the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody boasts a best-in-class 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque and delivers a top speed of 196 miles per hour (mph), maintaining its reign as the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO: The GTO was based on the mid-engined, rear wheel drive 308 GTB (which has a 3.0 litre V8 engine). The "288" refers to the GTO's 2.8 litre V8 engine as it used a de-bored (by 1 mm) V8 with twin IHI turbochargers, intercoolers, and Weber-Marelli fuel injection. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1955 Ford Thunderbird: The Ford Thunderbird is a car manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company. It entered production for the 1955 model year as a two-seater sporty car; unlike the superficially similar (and slightly earlier) Chevrolet Corvette, the Thunderbird was never sold as a full-blown sports car. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2021 Jaguar F-Type Convertible: Purposeful, beautiful and timeless: the new Jaguar F-Type looks more dramatic than ever and embodies Jaguar design DNA in its purest form. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1971 Jaguar E-Type: The Jaguar E-Type (UK) or XK-E (US) is a British automobile manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring. A great success for Jaguar, over seventy thousand E-Types were sold during its lifespan. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1985 Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole: The Lamborghini Countach was a supercar produced by Lamborghini in Italy. The first prototype emerged in 1971, and production lasted until 1990. It did not pioneer but did popularise the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance cars since. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster: The open top version of the coupé, the Aventador SVJ Roadster upholds the exceptional performance, handling and aerodynamic superiority of the SVJ, with its unique roadster design granting an exclusive open air exhilaration to both driver and passenger. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 2020 McLaren GT: The new McLaren GT is a radically different kind of McLaren, a unique interpretation of a modern Grand Tourer that challenges the conventions of the category. Sleek, elegant and muscular, the superlight new GT is a compelling blend of beautiful design, high-quality innovative materials and exceptional refinement in combination with true supercar performance and the benchmark driving dynamics and engagement for which McLaren is renowned. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing: Eternal youth is a miracle bestowed on only a small number of cars, and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe is one of this elite group. The Stuttgart-based brand unveiled its new sports car in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York, and in so doing lit the fuse for an icon of the automotive world. With its flat, graceful body, the 300 SL had lost nothing of its freshness even as the millennium drew to a close and was voted "Sports car of the Century" in 1999. "Gullwing" doors provided that essential touch of inspiration, opening up towards the sky to reveal a tightly sculptured interior. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1970 Nissan 240Z: The Fairlady Z was introduced in late 1969 as a 1970 model, with the L20A 2.0 litre straight-6 SOHC engine, rear wheel drive, and a stylish coupe body. The engine, based on the Datsun 510's 4-cylinder, produced 150 hp (112 kW) and came with a 5-speed manual transmission (240Z models received the L24 2.4 litre engine and a 4-speed manual). Due to its relatively low price compared to other foreign sports cars of the time (Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, etc.), it became popular and was a major success for Nissan. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Drophead: The Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn is a car that was produced by Rolls-Royce at their Crewe works between 1949 and 1955. It was the first Rolls-Royce car to be offered with a factory built body which it shared, along with its chassis, with the Bentley Mark VI until 1952 and then the Bentley R Type until production finished in 1955. A mere 760 were produced between 1949 and 1955, with only 28 drophead bodies produced between 1950 and 1954. Image Credit: Supplied

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Auto valentines — 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Gold Special Edition: We saved the best until last! T-tops, snowflake wheels, decals, scoops and spoilers and of course a massive 6.6-litre V8, who could resist the charm of this American classic? Image Credit: Supplied

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