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6 of the Most Unpredictable Family Sleepers
By Marco Mancino / Photo credits go to their respective owners
Performance and practicality. Two apparently poles apart aspects, which over the years have increasingly taken the form of the ultimate excuse to allow driving enthusiasts to justify their new purchase to their wives. We go to extremes, but reality is not far off either, given that looking on a wider perspective, who would ever need a family vehicle with hundreds of horses, when they could have opted for a traditional sports car and a quieter everyday car as well? Fortunately, someone had the brilliant idea of putting so much power in a single container that could be used 365 days a year, without for this reason distorting its qualities in terms of comfort and practicality of a model that at least at the very beginning was designed for a more civil use.
By right, as soon as the much-loved performance wagons are mentioned, we all start seeing the various Audi RS, AMG Mercedes and the immortal BMW M5 Touring, the E61 powered by the monstrous V10. But without the need to sell a kidney in order to buy a brand new model or even looking at their still exciting previous generations, we have found 6 among the less obvious performance-minded wagons that not only deserve a place in the memory album, but all the attention of the case, if you intend to put an unusual and exciting alternative in the garage, even after several years since they left the market.
BMW M5 TOURING E34 (1992-1996)
This is the mother of all high-performance wagons. The result of a project carefully carried by BMW to satisfy the increasingly consistent requests from its customers, the M5 Touring E34 was the first of its kind. By virtue of a project of this sort, BMW decided that the only solution to create something destined to leave an imprint was to build it by hand and so the empty shell was assembled with parts created ad hoc by the BMW M department, where they obviously maintained the lines shared with the 5 Series sedan and touring, but where the practicality of a five-door body with a large tailgate would have represented the shell of a 340 horsepower sports car. Aesthetic changes were however subtle and did not make the M5 lose its skill useful to accompany the lucky owner even for the most traditional of the commutes. In this case, we have a small spoiler lip on top of the tailgate and more pronounced profiles on the sides, but front and back as well. As for the passenger compartment, we find the utmost attention to detail, with a nod to the performance side with a three-spoke sports steering wheel and a speedometer with full scale that marks 300 kph. The 3.8-liter 6-cylinder unloaded its power on the rear axle using a 6-speed manual gearbox and 340 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque were only part of the exclusive package guaranteed by a car hand-built in just 891 units.
MERCEDES-BENZ AMG E36 (1994-1995)
Believe it or not, until 2005 AMG was an entity on its own mainly known thanks to the incredible 1986 AMG Hammer, a Mercedes W124 E-Class boasting a 5.6-liter V8 with 360 horsepower. This had attracted the eyes of numerous Mercedes customers, who in turn could choose for a custom configuration that allowed maximum freedom between wheels, aesthetic kits, engine tuning and interiors. Called AMG E36, the vitaminized variant of a quiet E-Class Wagon embraced the AMG muscular treatment and featured an in-line 6-cylinder engine that was increased from 3.2 to 3.6-liters with an exceptional increase in power that reached 272 hp (+52 since the 320 TE had 220) managed by an automatic transmission. 7 seconds to shoot from 0 to 100 kph and 7 seats on board, with the two obtained in the luggage compartment ready to ensure the supremacy of the fastest “minibus” in the world to one of the rarest performance wagons you can find on the road.
AUDI RS2 AVANT (1994-1996)
It was the early 90s and Audi was carrying on the P1 project, what would later become RS2 and completed with Porsche. It is basically an 80 Avant that borrows small but important details from the Porsche catalog, such as rear-view mirrors, the lower optics groups sunk in the front bumper, 17-inch Carrera Cup wheels and brake calipers. But what differentiates an RS2 Avant from a simple 80 Avant lies under the bonnet, a 2,2cc turbocharged 5-cylinder, capable of delivering 316 horses and 410 Nm of torque, of course on both axles, driven by the now iconic four-wheel drive Quattro system through a 6-speed manual transmission. The Audi engine was heavily revised by Porsche, with the replacement of the KKK turbo with a larger one, the use of a Bosch electronic control unit and other interventions that were able to radically transform the essence of the heart and soul of this piece of kit, turning it from a quiet family car to a furious machine hungry for tarmac.
VOLVO 850 ESTATE R (1994-1996)
Introduced in 1994, coinciding with Volvo’s comeback to the racing world, the 850 shook the whole panorama because it represented the first wagon lining up on the starting grid of the BTTC (British Touring Car Championship). It was the result of a great commitment by the Swedish company, in collaboration with the famous TWR team, but the road counterpart, which was produced in just under 7,000 units, was certainly no less stunning. Powered by a turbo-powered 5-cylinder engine, the 850 T5-R saw its 2.3-liter peak to a power output of 240 horsepower and 330 Nm of torque, grounded only on front-wheels. Aesthetically made more aggressive thanks to numerous aerodynamic appendages, dedicated 17-inch wheels, squared exhaust and the particular and preferred Cream Yellow color, the 850 T5-R is today appreciated by enthusiasts as the authentic standard-bearer of an entire segment, especially considering the exceptional performance figures for the era: 0-100 kph in 7 seconds flat and a top speed of 245 per hour.
SUBARU IMPREZA WAGON GT 2.0 (1998-2000)
In 1998 the Impreza was already an undisputed legend and indeed it was in the midst of a wonderful story that would have consecrated Subaru as one of the most interesting manufacturers ever. At the basis of the brand principles there were safety and performance, two characteristics that ensured the excellent results earned in the world of rallying, one of the focuses of the brand when the Impreza itself set the goal of replacing the old Leone model. Based on the first generation and starting from 1998 up to the new millennium, the Impreza – at the time also available as a Wagon – granted the possibility of having the 2-liter, 218 horsepower 4-cylinder boxer engine also for the so-called family version. Similarly, the aesthetics of the GT version ensured more pronounced bumpers, air intakes, rear spoiler and an impressive attitude for the performance guaranteed by its permanent all-wheel drive system. With an overall weight that did not exceed 1,300 kg, the Impreza Wagon needed just 6.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph, with a top speed of 230 per hour, without forgetting the excitement as the turbo comes in, which after an inevitable but slight lag, kicks in the back pushing the driver, passengers and luggage, who would enjoy science fiction cornering speeds.
SAAB 9-3 AERO XWD SPORTCOMBI (2004-2008)
Two years after the arrival of the new 9-3 sedan, Saab introduces the wagon and, despite what was expected given the collaboration with Opel/Vauxhall, it did not share any panel with its cousin, the Vectra. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that production costs climbed high, we happily got the chance to welcome an almost concept car look guaranteed by the Swedish brand to outline a personality that had nothing to do with its boring rivals. But the 9-3 that interests us is even more special, in fact the Aero XWD SportCombi deserves to be remembered not only among the great Saabs (did someone say 900 Turbo?), but because it represents one of the most effective family cars produced until 2008. All of this thanks to the perfect combination of the space offered by a 4.6-meter wagon, which used a powerful 2.8-liter V6 capable of delivering 280 horsepower and really exploiting them thanks to all-wheel drive. Available with both manual and automatic gearboxes – both 6-speed – this 9-3 also brought 400 Nm of torque into play, which combined with a weight of around 1,500 kg assured performance worthy of a proper sports car. Some numbers? 6.5 seconds for the 0-100 and 250 per hour of top speed.
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