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Month: January 2015

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1985 Volkswagen Passat Diesel Variant

Published January 23, 2015 by Carter

I make no pretensions that my 2002 Volkswagen Passat is the most special car that has ever been made; heck, it’s not even particularly special amongst Volkswagens. But to me, it’s a very nice car, very fun to drive, it looks great and it’s very capable. It gets good gas mileage and can carry a huge load of cargo and it’s a rare color combination. I try very hard to keep it in good shape; to me, it’s hard to believe that it’s already 13 years old but time seems to click quickly. My hope is that someday my rather run-of-the-mill Passat will be like this car is; a throwback, a car rarely seen, and one that makes even the modest spec seem quite special indeed:

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Subaru’d 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Weekender

Published January 23, 2015 by Nate

$_57 (1)
The Vanagon Weekender is a nice alternative to the full-on Westfalia treatment, lacking the fluid, electric, and gas inlets/outlets, but still possessing great campability with a pop-top, table, and folding rear bed. Today’s Weekender has undergone the popular Subaru flat-4 conversion, bringing a little more power and reliability compared the old VW wasserboxer. You could see the Weekender and non-turbo Subaru engine as compromises, or as very capable options that keep costs down. That’s the lens I choose to see this Vanagon through; it’s not a high-powered, fully-optioned and mega-expensive model, but it has the right bits to get the job done.

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1985 Audi Coupe GT

Published January 22, 2015 by Carter

To me, the Audi Coupe GT is probably the most unappreciated German car of the 1980s. That crown could really be shared by many Audis that suffered the stigma of poor reputation left over from the 1970s problems and the late 1980s scandals coupled with mid-80s Volkswagen-era build quality, which admittedly wasn’t the best. Although the Audi products were generally engineered to a higher standard than most of their VAG counterparts, the company connection in the public’s mind leaves a scarlet letter on the Audi nameplate. Even though compared to contemporaries the Audi Coupe GT fared well in testing, the general attitude towards the model is that it was an underpowered, overpriced and heavy Scirocco. But those that know the model share the joy of a hidden secret; a fine handling GT, a composed tourer on the highway that is equally at home being flung around twisty backroads, a trusted companion with startling longevity that never failed to bring smiles on a regular basis. If you like the Audi Coupe GT, you probably like doing things a bit differently. And to pay nearly $7,000 for a nice condition one, you’d have to really want it and nothing else – but the chance to stand apart may be worth the price of entry:

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1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16

Published January 22, 2015 by Paul

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Having looked at a Mercedes-Benz 500SLCyesterday, it got me contemplating what other homologation specials are out there carrying the Three Pointed Star. The next logical car in the company’s timeline was the 190E 2.3-16. Originally developed to go rallying, the Audi Quattro suddenly deemed the Baby Benz a bit uncompetitive, so they went racing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, or DTM series, instead. This new, fast 190 also set twelve endurance records at the Nardo testing facility in Italy, with three cars recording a combined average speed of just over 154 mph over the 50,000 km test. This example for sale in Northwest Germany has covered only 28,000 km more over its lifetime, and since it is more than 25 years old, qualifies for import to US shores.

Click for details: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.13-16 on eBay

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1977 BMW 530i

Published January 22, 2015 by Carter

If the E28 defined BMW as the defact mid-range sports sedan manufacturer, it was the E12 that established the trend. There’s a beautiful simplicity to the original Paul Bracq design; it is both stately and organic, subtle and understated but strong and elegant. The 5-series announced that you had arrived in a distinctly more sporty manner than the Audi 100 or Mercedes W123. Unfortunately, unlike the W123, it’s become exceedingly difficult to find good examples of the E12 – especially when you wind the clock back to the U.S. thermal-reactor 530i. Many suffered death by mechanical disregard or worse yet the ignominious death by tin worm. That’s why it’s especially awesome to see one pop up in fantastic shape, such as this 1977 Topaz Brown model that was spotted by our reader John via Daily Turismo.

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