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Last week’s E34 M5 Double Take left many feeling a little cold; sure, they were both neat cars, but the general consensus was that both were probably at least a bit (or a lot) overpriced. While finding another good M5 in the marketplace can be difficult, if you’re willing to forgo the M badge – or at least part of it – there are great options in the E34 market. One of the neatest is arguably the Canadian market M540i. Only 32 of these special 5 series were produced, all with a 6-speed manual 540i basis. But the special M5 details that were added created a defacto M car that is very special indeed. The M Adaptive suspension was fit, along with the floating M5 brake system featuring 13.6″ front brakes hidden not well under the equally massive 18″ M Parallel wheels. Outside there was M tech pieces front, sides and rear, matched inside by the M cloth. So exclusive were these M540is that there were only two options offered; a CD changer and ASC traction control.
It really doesn’t get much more flashy (at least among Porsches) than a Speed Yellow GT2. Beginning with the 993 Porsche began to civilize the diabolical behaviors of its 911 Turbo. By adding all-wheel drive and twin-turbocharging the Turbo retained its prodigious performance, but it now came in a more user friendly form. For the vast majority of drivers it was now faster as well since its limits could be approached more readily. Let’s be clear though, even with these added dynamic improvements the Turbo was still a very powerful machine with a rearward weight balance. After the introduction of all wheel-drive it didn’t take long for Porsche to return to its Turbo roots with a rear-drive model, the GT2. Naturally, Porsche was not only interested in running an all-wheel drive 911 in its motorsports competition and the GT2 satisfied the necessary homologation requirements for a rear-drive racer. But these are not just a rear-drive version of the Turbo. The GT2 is lighter, more powerful, and fitted with suspension and braking upgrades to suit these changes. Since its inception, the GT2 has been the ultimate 911 only recently surpassed by the GT2 RS, which in traditional RS fashion increased the weight savings and power level to produce a truly special machine. For our perusal here, we have a Speed Yellow 2008 Porsche 911 GT2, located in New York, with Black interior and 14,063 miles on it.
Today’s 10K Friday is something a bit unique; instead of a normal comparison between similarly valued cars, I’m going to chart the development of the venerable Audi inline-5. While, due to a dearth of examples, we won’t go back to the very early days of the I5 in the U.S., I’ve rounded up some of the more notable configurations that the engine appeared in the U.S.. Since, save some exceptions like the legendary Quattro and RS2, nearly every used Audi with this motor fits the under $10,000 limit (or comes close to it), that gives us the opportunity to see Audi’s continual technical changes to the inline-5. Though not as memorable as BMW’s inline-6 or Porsche’s flat-6, this motor was extremely important to the company nonetheless and was a character-defining attribute of Audis for nearly 20 years. So, let’s see how they kept it relevant from the 1970s into the 1990s:
It might not be Motorsports Monday, but with the weekend just around the corner, it’s a great time to contemplate a track day car. This 1995 BMW M3 comes to us by way of our friends at Euro Werkz and represents the first year for the E36 M3 in the US market. This example has been worked over, with additions such as an adjustable suspension, floating brake rotors and four point roll bar. While it’s done up decidedly for competition, this M3 is also street legal. In addition, a Chevrolet pickup with trailer comes as a part of the package, in case you don’t want to drive the M3 to the track.
For my second Carrera, we have this Guards Red over Black 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, located in Atlanta, with 75,488 miles on it. Unlike the Venetian Blue Targa, this Guards Red coupe is a much more common example and sits with a few more miles, though still with quite reasonable mileage for its age. It looks in very good shape though, with few apparent cosmetic defects. It should also be had at a much lower price making it a nice option for those looking for a driver-quality Carrera that also has good upside.
