Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Following yesterday’s feature let’s continue with the 911SC, though rather than a special edition trying to draw the eyes of the collector market let’s look at one that should be squarely positioned in the sites of those seeking a driver-quality air-cooled 911. The 911SC is still one of the better values for classic 911s and the one we see here looks fantastic: a Wine Red Metallic 1982 Porsche 911SC Coupe, located in California, with around 142K miles on it.
Although Audi had launched the idea of the super wagon with the RS2, by the late 1990s they didn’t have anything near as impressive. Sure, the S4 Avant was quick, but with 250 horsepower it was substantially less powerful than the 315 horsepower RS2 and the 322 horsepower S6 Plus. Something needed to be done to live up to the reputation of quattro GmbH, and that something involved Cosworth. Taking the basic twin turbocharged V6 from the B5 S4, Cosworth Technologies thoroughly rebuilt the motor. Now dubbed the ASJ (later AZR), the power went up 50% to 375 horsepower with an equally impressive 325 lb.ft of torque. To match the performance of the motor, quattro GmbH introduced new bodywork that channeled some of the trends set by the RS2; larger vents on the front bumper, wider sills, and larger brakes and wheels. The result was a package that lived up to the “RS” moniker with sub 5-second 0-60 runs, a 160 m.p.h. top speed, but also the brakes and grip to compete with contemporary sports cars. It may not have had the mystique of the RS2 without the name Porsche, but it was a package that was just as desirable then as it is today:
Anyone looking for a brand new 15 year old car? Here’s your chance to buy what must be the lowest mileage R129 generation SL600 in the country. With 172 original miles, this car is probably as close to new as you can find. The R129 began production in 1989 as a 1990 model, and lasted until 2002; a pretty typical production life for an SL. To celebrate the final year of production, and to pay homage to the brand’s racing heritage, Mercedes released the Silver Arrow spec SL. Available as an SL500 and an SL600, 1,500 cars were produced in total, only 100 of which were 600’s.
While this car isn’t a Silver Arrow, it is a second-to-last model year R129, and is fitted in a very desirable color combo of black on light grey. I spoke with a salesman at Mercedes of Cherry Hill who informed me that the car was purchased new there, and the owner stored the car with the hopes of it climbing in value and turning a profit down the road. Needless to say, that dude bought the wrong car. He probably paid in the vicinity of $140,000 for it, and I don’t even want to know what he sold it back to the dealer for. The good news is that we have the opportunity to buy the car, in virtually new condition, for around $90K off the original price.
Porsche has a way of pushing the boundaries of taste when it comes to their special edition models. In some ways, I can understand this. For the most part, many of Porsche’s special edition or commemorative edition models are distinguished solely by their cosmetic differences – typically in the guise of special exterior colors and unique interior combinations – relative to standard 911s. But in many cases the interior choices seem very much outside the norm, or at least of limited desirability. Boundaries do need to be pushed in order to stand out, but for a marque with such a long and storied history I half expect something a little more classic. I’m not sure there is any better example than the 911SC Weissach Edition. These models were produced in limited numbers (408 in total) to celebrate Porsche’s Motorsports team fittingly located in Weissach, Germany. Exterior color choices were both excellent and eye-catching: Platinum Metallic or Black Metallic with each sporting Platinum Metallic painted Fuchs wheels. The interior was equally eye-catching: Doric Grey with Burgundy carpeting. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the Weissach Edition interior, after all I love a bright red interior, but I do think it might take some getting used to. Either way, it is a unique looking 911 and like any special edition there aren’t many of them around. The one seen here is said to be a Platinum Metallic example and sits with 139K miles on it.
For someone who claims to “not get” fast convertibles, I’ve sure managed to post quite a few recently. This one particularly caught my eye first because of the color combination. Imola Red was on the short list of acceptable E46 M3 colors in my search, particularly so when equipped with Imola on the inside. Now, truth told the convertible configuration of this car would probably have turned me off from actually signing on the dotted line, but this car has a lot going for it including $28,000 worth of Dinan modifications. Let’s take a look:
