I’ve made no excuses about my personal favoritism towards the Audi S8, but I think it’s reasonably justified. The E55 v 500E post from the other day reminded me why; sure, the E55 is a pretty cool car, but as one of the comments noted it looks a bit like a Kia. Park it next to a S8 and that’s brought into even starker contrast. Audi just got it right; the right amount of sport, a great engine and soundtrack, all-wheel drive and a gorgeous and luxurious interior. Today I’ve got three more rare-to-see colors; Avus Pearl, Andorra Red and Pearlesant White. Let’s look at my favorite first:
Month: September 2014
This may be my imagination, but I feel as if we aren’t seeing the 912 come up for sale quite as often these days. Granted, there were never a ton of them to begin with since they were produced for such a short period, and given their entry-level status many of them were probably driven for a while and then removed from the population. An excellent 912 is a very rare thing, but even driver-quality examples have become somewhat hard to come by. So I was pleased to come across this example from the last year of long-hood 912 production: a 1969 Porsche 912, located in southeast Virginia, with a reported 33,320 miles on it. As with many Porsches from this period it would be nice to have that verified, rather than discovering the odometer has rolled over. The last year for these 912s coincided with the first year Porsche extended the wheelbase of their rear-engined cars, which should make this model an excellent handling machine given the better balance of the 912’s lighter 4-cylinder engine. By modern standards, few Porsches from the ’60s will stun you with their performance, but all remain a pleasure to drive and a long-hood 912 comes at a fraction of the cost of a similar year 911. We’re certainly dealing with differing levels of investment potential between the two, but for driver-quality examples a 912 can make for a very good choice.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1969 Porsche 912 on eBay
Comments closedThe Netherlands, for some reason, seems to be a breeding ground when it comes to great examples of classics that we love. Case in point this low-mileage BMW 2002tii that was sourced from Portugal. This one is a later model with the square taillights and has a few tasty add ons such as the Minilite style wheels and rally lamps. The vintage white on black Portuguese license plates finish off the decidedly period look. give it a decidedly period look.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 BMW 2002tii at Veni Vidi Vici
Comments closedAnother week, another roundup of some cool wheels! I found a set of Style 3 BMW wheels reasonably priced – they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think they look pretty neat on some of the earlier cars and certainly are a bit different. I also found a set of Enkei 92s in rare 4×108 application. I’d guess they were originally Mustang wheels by the offset, but if you roll your fenders you may get them to work on a B2 Audi – but I bet they’d be perfectly suited to a B3 Coupe Quattro. I also ran across a set of 4×100 Epislon wheels that are crazy widths and and even crazier price. Finally, a set of my favorite M-System wheels that need a little love and a fantastically awesome and rare set of centerlock Gotti wheels that are priced right for some garage art if you don’t have another use for them. Magnesium hose reel, anyone?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: BMW Style 3 15×7 5×120 Wheels on eBay
Comments closedWhen opportunity knocks, sometimes you should answer the door; this may be one of those cases, especially if you’re a fan of fast Audi wagons. The Audi S6 Avant has been a cult classic since new; near bullet-proof engines capable of monster power, all-wheel drive in a slick package, a manual gearbox and room to carry enough to satisfy even Hannibal’s trips to Italy, the S6 is a unique package that relied underscored Audi’s mission in the 1980s and 1990s – they were different than everyone else, but in a very good way. Sure, if you want pure driving bliss on switchbacks or near-silent Autobahn cruising, BMW and Mercedes were better options in those specific cases – but as an all around package, the S6 Avant had no peers in the marketplace. That didn’t translate into overwhelming sales – but the exclusivity has if anything bolstered the legend of the Avants and artificially increased demand. How much has demand increased? Take a look at the bidding on this S6 Avant – at time of writing with 4 days left and the reserve still on, it’s $8,100. That may not sound particularly shocking until you find out that the motor is blown: