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Month: November 2014

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1978 Porsche 911SC Targa

We will conclude what has become Targa month with an example that reaches back to the beginning of the 911SC model run and a car that reaches back to my own personal history with the 911. Here we have a Black on Black 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa, located in Pennsylvania, with 50,833 miles on it. My dad owned a 911 quite similar to this, differing only in that it was from 1979, and in many ways the aspects of the 911 Targa that appeal to me surely stem from many of those early experiences. I have begun to really enjoy the Targa in lighter shades as I’ve seen more of them, but a basic black on black model still ticks all the right boxes and, frankly, looks really nice. The 911SC wasn’t the first Targa produced, as they had been made available beginning in 1967, but during these early years of 911SC production the Targa was the only open-top option available. They were perhaps a peculiar design, but spoke to Porsche’s desire to meld performance with a driving experience that was both less confined while also meeting basic safety standards for roll-over protection.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa on eBay

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Double Take: 2001 BMW 325i Touring vs. 2000 BMW 528i Touring

I’d like to consider myself a practical person. This could partly be the reasoning behind my aversion to the SUV. Sure, these vehicles can go anywhere, but how much of the time do you really need a car like that? Then we have the crossover. Don’t want the whole hog when it comes to four-wheel drive capability? Cool. We’ll slap some plastic fender flares in a contrasting color on an otherwise decent looking estate vehicle, jack it up a bit, add all-wheel drive and call it a day. A car like this might be a bit more fuel efficient and realistic for everyday use than a purpose built truck, but let’s face it, wouldn’t a regular estate vehicle suffice for most? Looking over this low mileage 2001 BMW 325i Touring for sale in Florida brings that question to the forefront.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 BMW 325i Touring on eBay

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1983 BMW 320i

$_57 (1)

The E21 is an underappreciated gem in the classic BMW market. While many of the prime examples we’ve seen for sale have been low-mileage survivors, they have also been demanding prices in the mid-teens, which is several orders of magnitude higher than what standard, stock examples cost. Today’s is a fun compromise, combining dramatically modified looks with some careful mechanical attention and all coming together for a fairly reasonable price. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I like the cream exterior on shiny BBS deep-dishes. It’s a little too low, but that’s clearly the look the seller was going for. The big selling point for me is that the current owner bought good parts and has everything in working order – no mean feat for a 1983 BMW. With a slightly readjusted ride height, the silliness would disappear and this would just become one of the cleanest E21s out there.

Click for details: 1983 BMW 320i on eBay

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Double Take: Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

It is always interesting to take a look at the first version of a particular 911 model, whether to understand how a particular variant took shape or, for those on the investment side, to consider which might be the next model to take off on the market. Here we have the 993 Carrera 4S, the first version of the model produced for the 911 line and the only model produced with an air-cooled engine. It would be difficult for these models to show significant appreciation in the short term for the simple fact that they are already fairly expensive. Long term, however, this is the sort of variant that we could see do very well for buyers that are patient. There are a lot of similarities between the two cars featured here and both share one trait that I particularly like: each is fairly low mileage, but neither is ridiculously so. Meaning, each could still be driven and enjoyed to a reasonable degree each year without concern for killing the premium that comes with any low-mileage vehicle. We will start with a C4S from the first year of their production: a 1996 Speed Yellow C4S, located in Connecticut, with 33,800 miles on it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1995 Ruf BTR

From a poorly represented backyard creation of a tuned E28 BMW we’re heading for probably the most respected and coveted tuner in the world. Ruf cars are legendary and have been since new – grabbing headlines and turning heads wherever they go. By the 1990s, though, Ruf had some serious competition from within Porsche itself. Porsche not only had the monstrous 400 horsepower, all-wheel drive spiritual successor to the 959 in the Turbo, but it also had a stripped and widened GT2 model homologated for racing. Adding power was good, but Ruf really needed to set itself apart. The result was the wild CTR, probably the most famous of which I wrote up about a year ago. But behind the big splashing headlines of the power figures of the CTR was the successor to the Yellowbird – the BTR:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Ruf BTR on eBay

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