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There’s been an avid ongoing discussion of E28 values in the 1988 535i Dinan 3.9 post from Tuesday; partially, it centered around the comparison of that car to M5 values. And, like all other M products, values – or at least, perceived values – of M5s are all over the map. We’ve seen asking prices from $10,000 right through $100,000 on E28s, and much of the same carries over to the E28’s replacement, the E34. For most fans, the second generation M5 wasn’t quite the definitive super sedan that the original was, nor is it as desirable as the 400 horsepower V8 model that followed. But that doesn’t stop some from asking high prices for the their examples, and today we’ve got two to that are very similar with different asking prices to consider; which is on target?
Well, from zero to two in a week, here’s the second non-S, non race car 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo I’ve written up. Like the last one, this one appears quite pristine and mostly stock. It’s in a pleasing color combination, and even has low miles. Really, really low miles. At a shown 9,223 miles covered, it’s also one of the lowest mileage 944 Turbo I’ve seen since new – but amazingly, not as low as the 5,000 Mile 1987 Paul wrote about in February. That car sold for $30,000; is this car the match for that example, and will it make it to that price?
In 1999, if you wanted a small German performance car capable of carrying several adults, you had a few options. First, you could select the BMW M3 – the benchmark for performance in the category, the E36 was nearing the end of it’s life cycle and the sedan had been dropped for the last model year. There was no M3 Touring model available, so if you wanted a wagon you needed to move over to the folks from Ingolstadt; Audi’s second generation S4. While unlike the M3 you couldn’t opt for a convertible, importantly if you wanted to carry your 2.2 children and dog in style they had the Avant available. While BMW’s neutered U.S. spec M3 made it by with only 240 horsepower, Audi’s twin turbocharged V6 offered less displacement but waves of torque and 250 horsepower. Those were the days when a 10 horsepower jump over your competition was a pretty big deal. So, you can imagine the shock when Mercedes-Benz introduced it’s new take on the small executive performance market with the introduction of the V8-engined C43 AMG. While the C36’s inline-6 had a 26 horsepower advantage over its nearest rival, the C43 broke through the 300 horsepower mark with the M113, with 306 horsepower, but staggeringly also 302 lb.ft of torque. That’s a lot, even by today’s standard, and it was not only available in sedan form, but also in Touring form. Though the Tourings never made it to these shores, one has popped up on eBay and is for sale in the Great White North:
There is a 964 I frequently see around my neighborhood and each time I come across it I come to appreciate the design more and more. They are rarely seen cars around these parts so this is one of the few I have the opportunity to see on the road. The 964 has a presence about it that I do not feel from other 911s. The classic 911 that preceded it, and I should be clear that I love the classic 911, shows its age to a certain degree and its slightly less muscular form doesn’t captivate the senses quite as well. On the other side, the 993 almost is too elegant. When you see one it looks expensive even today. There was a point where I considered the 964 to be neither here nor there; it had moved on from the classic design, but it had not yet taken on the sleek and curvy nature of the 993. I still see the 964 as existing in that intermediate space, but I have now begun to appreciate the way in which it strikes a balance between the earlier and later designs. What once I saw as flaws, now appear as significant features. The 964 we see here, a Grey 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe located in Florida with 86,500 miles on it, reflects that sense of presence very well.
Since its debut the Golf R has been a car I’ve had an awareness of and thought was pretty interesting, but I did not really give it too much more thought than that. Basically, they were too expensive. But that all changed after I featured one back in May and now as I come across them on the second-hand market they draw my attention much more fervently and I even wonder whether, when the time comes, this may be the car to look for when replacing my wife’s car. At nearly $40K when new the Golf R can be a tough sell. Even though you get 256 hp and all-wheel drive there are a lot of options at $40k and just about any hatchback, especially if it’s the 2-door model, is going to be looked at with a wayward eye. The entire equation changes once these hit the second-hand market as depreciation does a number on them quite quickly and with $10K lopped off the sticker price the Golf R becomes a significantly more attractive option. Here we have a 4-door model, a Black on Black 2012 Volkswagen Golf R, located in Pennsylvania, with 6-speed manual transmission and 10,200 miles on it.
