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I’ve seen this car around a few times and for whatever reason have passed it by. Perhaps I thought it was priced too high; perhaps other cars took precedence. Regardless, I think it deserves some attention and, at the very least, if I did indeed pass it by because of price, then that problem has been solved as it is now up for auction without reserve. The market will decide its fate. This Porsche began life as an entry-level 911T, but has since been transformed into a far more aggressive looking and driving build. The engine is now a built 3.4 liter flat-6. We don’t have much information about the engine other than those details. I’d guess it originally was an early 3.2 liter especially since it remains mated to a 915 5-speed transmission. It is now said to be making 275 hp. That’s a substantial upgrade in power and should transform the entire character of this 911. The aesthetics fit the general ethos of quite a few modified 911s, especially those which have been backdated. The interior is spartan, but purposeful, and the exterior features a widened rear along with wider, fatter, tires to help fill out those fenders. I’d imagine given the extra power, those wider tires will be much appreciated!
The W111 coupe is a hell of a design. But it’s one thing just to be a good design. Lots of cars over the years have looked great but when it comes to putting the rubber to the road, well, it’s better off sitting quietly in the Denny’s parking lot on Friday night ‘Cruise Nights’ in small town, USA. Not true of the W111 coupe, and especially not the 3.5. Launched in 1970 to wrap up production of the W111 and make way for the R107/C107, the 280SE 3.5 coupe was the 230 horsepower V8 version to the regular 280SE with the straight-6 M130. Strikingly handsome in almost any color combo, 3.5 coupe values have more than doubled in the last few years. This 1970 located in New York City checks all the boxes if you are looking for the almost perfect classic Mercedes coupe.
A W126 diesel provides all the comfort, style and luxury of the legendary S-class while giving your wallet less of a pounding at the pump. There were three diesel engines available for this platform: one five cylinder unit (a 3.0 liter offered in the 300SD between 1980 and 1985) and two six cylinder units (a 3.0 liter offered in the 300SDL between 1986 and 1987, and a 3.5 liter offered in the 350SD/SDL between 1990 and 1991). These later engines were afflicted by a number of reliability problems, quite out of character for a Mercedes diesel product. So if you really want an oil-burning W126, the safest bet is to stick with one of the earlier cars, like this one. Not only does this ’82 300SD have the more reliable five cylinder engine, it’s presented in a particularly fetching and suitably classy shade of green.
We speak a lot about the performance value to be found with the 996. That designation applies most to the 996 Turbo, surely one of the best performance values on the market, but also to the standard 996 Carrera. The GT3 and GT2 have typically been considered exceptions, but when I look around at other available options within the 911 line I’m beginning to wonder whether the 996 GT3 shouldn’t also be held in such company (the GT2 is still very expensive). Granted the price of a GT3 will come in well above most other examples of the 996, including a X50 equipped 996TT, but as a total package, and for fans of natural aspiration, the GT3 brings a lot to the table. The example here showcases some of that nice value potential: a Speed Yellow 2004 Porsche 911 GT3, located in Georgia, with 25,820 miles on it.
By the late 1990s, it was becoming increasingly difficult for tuners to compete with the stock offerings. Tightening emissions and safety regulations made getting turned up models harder to sneak past inspection, while simultaneously manufacturers were producing hotter models. The 540i is a great example, and you don’t need to look much further than the conundrum of the E34 M5 versus the various 540i Sport and especially M-Sport models. While the aluminum V8 may not have had the horsepower of the M5 model but only just, it had more usable torque and was (theoretically, at least) cheaper to run. It was so good, in fact, that supposedly when it came to the E39 model BMW was unsure if a M5 would be necessary in our market. So, it would seem to be the natural and easy choice to modify, right? Well, not so fast – because signature tuner Alpina had a problem. Its tried and true method of increasing displacement wouldn’t work on the M62 because you couldn’t bore out the special Nic/Alusil coated blocks. Game over, right? No. If you’re Alpina, you call up BMW and get them to make you a bigger motor:
