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Month: November 2015

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2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet

I’ve been on a little bit of a convertible kick this week – probably just wistfully imagining summer weather before winter fully arrives. Why not continue the trend with this Black on Black 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, located in Florida, with 52,526 miles on it and the very desirable 6-speed manual transmission. The 997 sits in a really nice spot on the market these days, especially when considering these earlier examples. Porsche listened to many of the complaints regarding the 996’s design, particularly with regard to the headlights, and with the 997 we have a shape that is unmistakably a 911 when viewed from any angle. Admittedly, the 997 is not as curvy and sexy as the 993; on the 997 the lines have been smoothed and refined, but even if it doesn’t have the pure beauty of the 993 we’re a long way from the classic design. That’s not a knock on the classic design, but next to these modern 911s it is clear from which era each came. Add to the refined shape a 3.8 liter flat-six delivering 355 hp through a 6-speed transmission and you get a potent mix of performance and allure, but all for a price that is much lower. I would suspect given its asking price that this Carrera S would likely sell for less than the ’87 Carrera Cabriolet I featured on Monday. There are very good reasons for those price differences, but if you’re looking to drive the darn thing then the bang for your buck here is undeniable.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet on eBay

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1991 Audi 200 20V quattro

As fans of the V8 quattro 5-speed wait patiently for years at times to see good examples, it’s still possible to find most of the formula with a bit of added kick in the 1991-only 200 20V. In Europe, the 20V motor wasn’t nearly as much of a revelation in performance over the already more-stout 200 horsepower 10V mill, but in the U.S. it was a 52 horsepower boost over the single cam motor from 1990. The change was met with flared fenders front and rear and a disappearance of badges which had started with the V8 quattro. Granted, the V8’s flare and bumper treatment was a bit more elegant than the unusually patched together flares on the 200, but they both wore the same 15×7.5″ BBS RG forged alloy wheels. The effect gave the 200 a lighter presence, and indeed it was several hundred pounds less than the eight cylinder model. Coupled with not much less power, the turbocharged inline-5 gave the best performance in the Audi lineup and was matched with only a manual. Though the Avant form of these cars is often more highly sought, the sedans offer a tremendous amount of appeal of their own:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Audi 200 20V quattro on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1994 Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe

Almost exactly a month ago, I took a look at “The One” – the single yellow Alpina B12 5.7 produced. With little information and a staggering price, it was hard to conceptualize how it would reasonably trade hands. But if that was the package you exactly desired, that was about as good as it got. Alpina produced only 57 of the 5.7 Coupes, after all. About half of those produced were opted with an early form of semi-automatic transmission. Dubbed the “Shift-Tronic”, Alpina offered this electronically controlled clutch as an option only of the 5.7 models, and a reported 32 were so equipped. Though not so wildly optioned with color, today’s 5.7 is claimed to be number 30 of the run:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1994 Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe on Classic Driver

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2008 Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder

We know that Porsche likes to remember its successes. And, of course, the best (and generally most lucrative) way for a marque to showcase that remembrance is with a special edition model. Typically, Porsche produces these special editions for the 911, but there have been a few for the Boxster as well and we saw quite a few of them as the 987 model run neared its end. Of the various special editions of the Boxster released at this time the Boxster RS60 Spyder was the one that Porsche used as a commemoration. In this case it was to commemorate their victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1960. The winning car that day was the Porsche 718 RS Spyder. The 718 was an important racer for Porsche capable of competing with the more powerful Ferraris in the Targa Florio and further establishing Porsche’s name among racing’s elite. For its commemorative model, production was capped at – you guessed it – 1960 units and like many of Porsche’s special editions the “specialness” primarily came in the guise of a unique GT Silver Metallic exterior over a Carrera Red interior that was intended to match the look of the 718 RS Spyder itself. These cars did receive a bump in power thanks to a new exhaust – bringing power up to 303 hp, 8 more than the standard 295 hp of the Boxster S – but overall there were no significant alterations to power or weight. For fans of Porsche’s racing history the RS60 Spyder provides another opportunity to experience that connection, even if only in its most basic sense.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: BMW 3002tii

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Part of the allure of vehicle tuning is to create something that a particular manufacturer may have glossed over. Whether it was a particular body style that wasn’t offered with a certain type of engine, or perhaps a special livery never attempted, there a number of ways towards making that bespoke machine of your dreams. This 2002 you are seeing here has been breathed on heavily. It pays homage to the 2002 turbo, but has been beefed up with a 3.0 liter, twin-turbo inline-6 mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. We’ve seen a few inline-6 swaps into 2002s before, but nothing quite as bonkers as this machine. Thanks to our friends at Classic Car Club Manhattan for the tip!

Click for details: 1972 BMW 3002tii at Auto Kennel

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