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Month: September 2014

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1998 Volkswagen GTi VR6

Published September 2, 2014 by Carter

For most enthusiasts, last week’s 1997 BMW 318ti M-Sport represented too little car for too much money; sure, the M-Sport looked great, but as pointed out by one of our readers the performance didn’t necessarily live up to the badges. The M-Sport was fast in appearance and carried a hefty price tag to go along with it. A fully optioned 318ti M-Sport in a special color would set you back around $25,000 – a steep asking price considering the M42 engine with only around 140 horsepower motivating it. So the 318ti M-Sport was a bit of a sheep in wolf’s clothes; a good car, but with the promise of more performance than it could deliver.

On the other end of the spectrum was the original giant-slayer hot hatch, the GTi. While not all versions enjoyed great performance, if you opted for the VR6 variant you got a handsome, well built and good handling package capable of out-drag racing, out-turning and out-carrying the 318ti. Best of all, it was about $5,000 cheaper than the BMW. Outwardly, aside from the wild-colored Jazz Blue or Ginster Yellow examples, to many the GTi VR6 was virtually indistinguishable from the standard Golf – for many, part of its huge appeal. It was, simply put, the wolf in sheep’s clothing:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Volkswagen GTi VR6 on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1974 BMW 2002Ti

Published September 2, 2014 by Carter

There are some pretty distinct tuning periods, such that you can generally peg the time frame that a car was modified if it was “cutting edge”. For example, when I saw this 2002Ti pop up on eBay, I immediately thought it was a late 80s/early 90s modification. Most of that, to be fair, came from the dated wheels, but the boxy styling, attempt to update the grill and paint scheme just said to me that M.C. Hammer may have been playing in the background when this car was revised. And like early modified cars and even more recent examples, dated mods sometimes make a bit of a mess – and this car certainly looks dated to me. Despite that I think there’s still a lot to like here; the base is a clean 2002Ti, the box-flares aren’t horrible and inside there are some great Recaros and a Zender wheel. What would you do with the rest?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1974 BMW 2002Ti on eBay

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1967 Porsche 911S Soft-window Targa

Published September 1, 2014 by Rob

Last week we featured a 912 Soft-window Targa that sat on the value-end of the scale for these peculiar models, even if that particular example was priced a bit high. Now we are going to move almost entirely to the other end of the spectrum. The Soft-window Targa was not only made for the 912, but also was available on the 911, including the top-of-the-range and highly sought after 911S. In this case we’re just stacking rarity on rarity with a rare color of a rare variant of a rare model. It should come as no surprise then that this car is priced at nearly $200K, 5 times the high price for last week’s 912. But this post isn’t about finding an interesting value, but rather about coming across one of the most interesting 911s made in the late ’60s. Here we have a Gulf Blue 1967 Porsche 911S Soft-window Targa that comes in at just under 125K miles and also sports an interesting classic rally pedigree.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1967 Porsche 911S Soft-window Targa on eBay

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Green with Envy: 1969 NSU RO80

Published September 1, 2014 by Carter

You’d be forgiven for looking at the stats of the mid-1960s designed NSU Ro80 and thinking it was a much newer car. At the very least, it seemed quite futuristic compared to what was coming not only out of Detroit, but out of the rest of the world at the time. Aerodynamics were key to its slippery shape, unlike the rest of the world that relied on “jet” styling accents and fins to look fast. A tall, airy greenhouse provided excellent visibility for its passengers and driver. Underneath, power steering, 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel disc inboard brakes and a semi-automatic gearbox with vacuum assisted clutch were the highlights – items that in some cases wouldn’t be found on mainstream cars until very recently. Then there was the engine; at only 1 liter, it didn’t sound like much to write about – but it was a twin-rotor Wankel engine with over 100 horsepower. Indeed, the power output wasn’t much less than most inline-6s of the day with 2 1/2 times the displacement. Couple that into a reasonably lightweight sedan and the performance of the NSU was certainly above average.

Looking at the NSU today, it’s easy to see design elements that were incorporated into later designs, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. NSU’s parent Audi developed the exterior design elements further a decade and a half later into the Audi 100, most notably. Squint, and you can see it. But when I look, I also see elements from BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Lancia, Fiat, and even Toyota, Mazda and Nissan – this was truly an influential design. For the most part, it was also a fringe automobile though, so not many people knew them or about the advanced platform that had been developed. They were also a bit too far ahead of the curve, suffering rotor-tip seal problems that wouldn’t really be solved for another decade by Mazda. On top of that, they were quite expensive at the time – meaning that for well-heeled buyers, the unreliability was even more unacceptable than normal. More recently in the past decade, the avant-garde Ro80 has finally been recognized by the world as a truly special page in history and a turning point in automotive design. That’s why it’s so special to see them pop up for sale, especially in America where they’ve always been rare:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1969 NSU RO80 on eBay

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Motorsports Monday: 1990 Porsche 944S2 Firehawk – REVISIT

Published September 1, 2014 by Carter

The 1990 Porsche 944S2 Firehawk series car that I wrote up back in early August is back on eBay, having failed to sell its first time around. The price has been lowered $2,000 this time, but it remains pricey by 944S2 and track car standards at $23,100. That amount does buy you a solid race car platform with an interesting history with the look of a Turbo Cup car, but I’d guess it’s still a bit too expensive for most people’s blood. If it could be had in the mid to high teens I’d think there would be more interested parties.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Porsche 944S2 Firehawk on eBay

The below post originally appeared on our site August 4, 2014:

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