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How about we turn our attention to one of Porsche’s prettiest 911 designs? The 993 Carrera S. I suppose from a purely aesthetic point of view I can’t really say it’s any prettier than the Carrera 4S I featured last week, but there’s something about the knowledge that its power only goes to the rear wheels that seems to elevate it even on appearance. Like the C4S these also are very desirable models – probably even more so – and even if this one doesn’t have the crazy low miles of that Speed Yellow C4S there is a lot here to tilt this 911 strongly toward to the collector market.
So what do we have? A Guards Red 1997 Porsche 911 Carrera S, located in Connecticut, with Grey leather interior and just 28,912 miles on it. As most will notice immediately it’s not entirely original. The Speedline wheels have been added, along with a radio, and the Turbo tail. While it isn’t specifically stated to be the case, it doesn’t sound like any of the original parts come with the car. That’s too bad, but this otherwise remains a very attractive 993 that should have great appeal.
Last week I checked out a 1999 Mercedes-Benz S500 Grand Edition and explained that I think it is one of the few ”special edition” Mercedes that actually has some kind of impact on the value of the car. Today, we have of those ”special edition” Mercedes that really doesn’t move the needle with people and even more so, some think what was done to it makes it undesirable.
This is a 1997 SL320 40th Anniversary Edition. I’ve covered these before, but the short of it is Mercedes made 250 SL320s painted in Quartz Blue Metallic with matching wood trim called ”Royal Maple” which is far from a color that comes to mind when you think wood. Some like the uniqueness of it, some say it’s garish and doesn’t make any sense. Either way, this example up for sale in Georgia is probably one of the lowest mile examples I’ve seen with just over 21,000, but does that mean the price tag has to match?
I’ll admit this post is kind of silly. The universe of interested buyers for this 911 is going to be vanishingly small. It’s very high priced and has so few miles you pretty much can’t allow it to leave the garage. Yet here I am writing it up. It’s been for sale for a little while. I’m not sure if it’s been continuously for sale, but I first came across it two years ago and I feel like I see it now and then. I suppose the problem is that every time I do come across it I’m attracted. I was on the hunt for 993s to feature after coming across a Turbo that immediately reminded me why these 911s are so beautiful and captivating. During that hunt this one popped up again so I went with it.
This is a Speed Yellow 1997 Porsche Carrera 4S, located in New York, with a ridiculously low 1,096 miles on it. It’s also well optioned with hard-back sport seats and factory Aerokit. It is nothing other than stunning.
I’m going to move from yesterday’s Cassis Red Carrera, a 911 that I think we can all appreciate and which sits in a somewhat reasonable spot in the market for those currently looking for a classic 911, to this Forest Green Metallic 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S. With a price tag above $400K this 911 is one that I think most of us will be able to do little more than admire from a distance. It’s a heck of a car to admire though: 424 hp delivered through a 6-speed manual transmission to all four wheels. Yellow brake calipers, quad exhaust, carbon fiber peppered throughout the interior, and a redesigned rear wing. Your friends definitely would take notice.
Continuing on the theme of adding diverse tones to your life, BMW’s M3 has been traditionally one of the most colorful pallets in the Bavarian lineup. We saw the late shade of Fern Green on the late-model Convertible the other day. But fans of the E36 lust much more after the favorite “M3/4/5” model – the limited 1997-1998 3.2 sedan in manual form. It offered practicality and reportedly slightly lighter weight than the Coupe. And just like the Coupe and Convertible, it was available in all sorts of eye-catching shades. Today I have two of the most conspicuous: Techno Violet Metallic and the very limited Byzanz Metallic. Which is your favorite?
