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A few weeks ago I wrote up three rare-to-see colored S8s. If the S8 wasn’t already a bit of a special item to spot, seeing them in shades outside of the normal black or bright silver is a real treat. While I know that not all enthusiasts feel that the Audis of this generation are the most reliable or fastest cars (they’re not, I agree), the combination of the 360 horsepower V8 and that silky-smooth exterior create a really desirable package. The D2 is just right; well proportioned, a perfect stance, some great and unique properties like the Aluminum Space Frame design to keep weight down, and a luxurious and well appointed interior. The result? One heck of a well rounded packaged that is very affordable. Missing from the last roundup was one color that our reader John and I had been exchanging – the 2002-only color “Espresso Brown” – while we found two examples, both advertisements had disappeared by the time of writing. Well, today one is back with some new photos:
The Volkswagen Phaeton has been, since introduction, quite an intriguing car. Generally passed off by those out of the know as a rebadged A8, every time I see one I’m blown away that Volkswagen pulled the project off. Despite what the American enthusiasts think, the exclusive executive sedan has been very popular in Europe and specifically Germany – where it’s much more in vogue to fly a little lower on the radar. Fly low the Phaeteon does; for many, at first glance it doesn’t look much different than the B5.5 Passat, and many of the styling cues were incorporated into the B6 Passat sedan. Couple that with a general resemblance to the D2 Audi A8, and not many notice this serene Volkswagen shuttling its passengers in near silence. I say near silence, since the only noise you hear inside is the slightly slower beating of your heart and heavy breaths as you soak in the luxury. They’re disturbingly quiet inside, thanks in no small part to extra thick glass and soundproofing. Every conceivable option available in the Volkswagen catalog was thrown at these cars, including the top-spec W12 motor. Shared with the Audi A8, Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur, the W12 is a monster of power – easily capable of propelling the very important people riding along with you quite close to 200 m.p.h. when deregulated. This is especially shocking given the Phaeteon’s weight – a staggering 500 lbs heavier than the Audi A8 you’d presume was the same car, the Volkswagen was simply in another weight class and quite different than the D2/3 chassis. Yet, despite the exotic Bentley stablemates that share many components and the D1 platform, today you can pick up one of these expensive cars that were a bit of a sales flop at a substantial discount:
There are times when I forget that part of the success of the 911 comes not only through it’s excellent performance but also because it has almost always provided that performance with a high level of refinement. It is a hallmark of the marque itself, as evidenced by its forays into halo-car territory with the 959, Carrera GT, and the new 918 Spyder. None of these were stripped-out racers like the F40. This digression was sparked by the car we see here, an otherwise standard 911SC that happens to be in a stunning shade that showcases the refined nature of the 911. There are 911s that are brash, like yesterday’s 930 Slantnose, and then there are 911s that appear almost serene in comparison. Of course, the performance is still there, but it’s packaged entirely differently. Here we have a (possibly) Rosewood Metallic 1982 Porsche 911SC, located in Nashville, with 65,325 miles on it. It is, in a word, beautiful.
The poster car: we all had them on our wall when growing up. Rarely subtle, these were cars that stunned you visually and were almost always very fast. At least, that was my wall. The most common poster in the ’80s was probably the Countach, which still today looks insane. The Countach, however, was insane. Porsche’s road-going version of Countach excessiveness was the 930 Slantnose, but because it was based off of the very streetable 911 it lacked much of the insanity of the Countach. The appearance of the 930 itself was hardly subtle and in the guise of the Slantnose all hints of subtlety went out the window. Unsurprisingly, given the iconic nature of the 911’s front end, not everyone is a fan of the Slantnose, but their rarity makes them quite highly prized by collectors. The example here is a Guards Red 1989 Porsche 930 Slantnose Coupe, located in California, with Tan interior and only 28,115 miles.
The current BMW market is quite interesting. The three posts I did on BMWs yesterday really drew that into sharp contrast for me; first, the E34 M5 Double Take underscored a more simple time at BMW with classic designs and classic motors. Then the “New Blue” BMW roundup outlined what’s currently available – progress happens, but it’s apparent that BMW’s current market has diverged substantially from the blueprint of the 1980s and 1990s success. But capitalizing on that 1980s legend are perhaps some undeserving cars, as the E30 M3 fail from yesterday proved. Where is an enthusiast to look, then? Well, you could argue you don’t have to look back very far to get a great, classic piece that follows in the footsteps of some of BMW’s great designs, but still with a modern twist. The Z4 M Coupe is a great example of this – a slick design, rear drive only, a 6-speed manual transmission and the last of the great normally aspirated inline-6s, the S54, hiding under the long hood:
