Avus Blue Archives | German Cars For Sale Blog

1995 BMW M3

1995 BMW M3

Published September 10, 2018 by Carter

Update 9/13/18: This M3 sold for $19,201

While it was the E30 M3 that I lusted over as a young teen, I came of driving age with the introduction of the second generation E36. I still remember sitting in one just like today’s; a 1995 Avus Blue with gray manual Vaders. At nearly $40,000, it was about as far away from me as the moon landing, but it was my dream car. I didn’t really care that the engine wasn’t the special individual throttle body motor Europe got, or that the headlights weren’t as nice. I cared that it was in the U.S., it was a great color, and because they were being sold that meant that I might be able to get one some day.

Fast forward to today, and if I’m completely honest Avus Blue isn’t my favorite color from the early M3 lineup anymore. Given the option, I’d take either a Dakar Yellow or Daytona Violet example. But all three are fairly rare to see among the first 10,000-odd 3.0 M3s brought in before the light revision to the 3.2, when the color pallet changed. Few appear in the low-mileage, completely original condition of this particular Avus Blue and for me it’s a reminder of everything I loved the first time I saw it:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 on eBay

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1994 BMW 840Ci

1994 BMW 840Ci

Published October 15, 2016 by Craig

The E31 8-series (1989-1999) was available inÂ 840Ci, 850Ci and 850CSi guises. The 840 came with aÂ 4.0 liter V8 (later upgraded to 4.4 liters), while the 850 was powered by aÂ 5.0 liter V12 motor. This engine was bored outÂ toÂ 5.6 liters for the range-toppingÂ CSi version. (The cousin of an abandoned project to build anÂ M8,Â the CSi also came with aÂ 6-speed manual gearbox, stiffer steering and suspension, and a model-specificÂ bodykit.) Low slung and sleek, with pop up headlights, no B-pillars and a wedge-shaped profile, the 8-seriesÂ was undeniably gorgeous. It was also incredibly expensive, both to buy and to repair, and a little underwhelming, particularly in entry level form, where the car’sÂ performance never really matched the highlyÂ exotic exterior. That last criticism now seems a little unfair,Â since these carsÂ wereÂ sold asÂ grand tourers, not out-and-out sports cars. Still, the 8-series hasÂ remained somewhat under appreciated. AsÂ a result, entry level models can be found for a fraction of their original cost. This car is indeedÂ a base modelÂ 840Ci, but it’s definitelyÂ not cheap. That’s because it carries a number ofÂ desirable features and upgrades, including some more usually found on the CSi model.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1994 BMW 840Ci on Bimmerforums

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Motorsport Mondays: Budget Racers – BMW M3 and Porsche 944

Published May 5, 2014 by Carter

Okay, so most people don’t seem to get into the race cars I’ve been posting. That’s okay; I get that owning a race car is a bit of a luxury and doesn’t make sense for 99.9% of the population; they’re compromised vehicles that are expensive to maintain and generally spend a tremendous amount of time doing exactly nothing. Think of it then as a 401K, then; but instead of a crazy year end bonus to some CEO you’ll never meet, you get to once in a while take it out to the track. What better way to achieve this than with an affordable track/race car?

Many times when instructing students at the track, I’m asked what they should do to the car; often times the answer is that it’s better to look at a track car if you’re serious about going to the track. Two of the best and most affordable options are the Porsche 944 and BMW M3; sporting offerings in their original configuration from two sporting manufacturers, they offered near perfect balance, good aftermarket parts availability, plenty of competition if you want to go racing at the next level and – best of all – you can do it all on a budget. Let’s start with the M3: