Like anyone, I love rare and interesting colors. So when I saw this 1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL in the great China Blue, I just had to…
3 CommentsMonth: September 2017
The end of Summer has many traditions; the days wane as children head back to school. Temperatures fall as families head towards apple orchards and plan for haunted hay rides. Pumpkin spice is everywhere. But there’s one tradition I’ve particularly enjoyed for the last few years; the live stream from West Sussex, England of the Goodwood Revival.
For me, a lover of vintage cars and especially vintage race cars, it’s a special treat. Both of the events put on by Lord March are impressive in their own right, and if you want to see a little bit of everything the season opener Festival of Speed is probably the venue you should consider. But if you want to see cars and motorcycles from periods you weren’t even alive for race flat-out, the Revival is the one to tune in to. Heavily modified Jaguars, Ferraris, Aston-Martins, and just about everything in between head to the track as combinations of professional and amateur drivers (at least, those with quite deep pockets) take their prized possessions to the limit and sometimes beyond. You might be lucky enough once in your life to witness an original GT40 in person; head to the Revival, and you’ll run across a dozen or so of the model, many of which are driven nearly as quickly as they were originally. This is coupled with period livery and dress on one of the fastest circuits in England, filmed with some of the best cameras out there. The result, as a car lover, is one of the most evocative spectacles conceivable.
Each time I witness a Goodwood event, my love of these race-prepared vintage cars is re-inspired. And though this particular BMW 2002 is just a few years too new to be eligible for competition at the Goodwood circuit, it caught my attention because of the claimed IMSA link. This chassis, while not an original BMW factory racer, was originally constructed and raced in the IMSA RS series in the early 1970s, making it the perfect candidate for vintage racing today:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1968 BMW 2002 on eBay
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This 1976 Porsche 930 strikes me as nearly the antithesis to the Riviera Blue GT4 I featured over the weekend. Whereas the GT4 showcases a wealth of modern technology wrapped in a vibrant hue bringing excitement and vitality to your drive, this 930 brings with it darkness and all of the potentially tricky dynamics of an early 911 Turbo. If you are a fan of the aggressive black visage that certain cars are capable of possessing, then this 930 should suit you in spades. It’s likely fast, loud, and raucous in ways that only older cars can be and certainly will lack the scalpel like precision of an instrument like the GT4. And while the GT4 will turn a lot of heads because of its grace and beauty, this 930 should do the same through the sheer force of its presence. You shan’t look away, for fear of being bitten.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera on eBay
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Let’s get the not-so-subtle elephant in the room out of the way – this car isn’t, and probably never will be, a collector example of a 944 Turbo. Heck, perhaps the 944 Turbo will never be appreciated on a more grand scale, either, though I personally find that one pretty baffling.
Okay, can we move on?
Let’s say that instead of just hoping that some day your car will be worth a mint, or indeed even caring what other people think about your vehicular choices, you just want have a car which looks good and is enjoyable to drive. Let’s not forget, this advice is coming from someone with somewhat polarizing vehicle choices…so, take the advice with a grain of salt, but I’m going to persist in my argument that the 944 Turbo is the car for you. A true David of the 1980s, the 944 Turbo was the understated and unassuming Goliath slayer, turned down by the factory so as not to have its performance overshadow the 911 range. Being faster than a 911 is pretty much verboten in Germany and especially in Stuttgart, but nearly everyone that experienced a 944 Turbo in the 1980s came away with the impression that in every statistical (and in some non-statistical ways) it was a better car than the Carrera.
But, as one of our astute readership noted, certain cars – the Audi Quattro, the BMW M3 and M5, and of course the 911 range – were the cars of certain groups of individuals dreams. The 944 Turbo really wasn’t. There weren’t many people that hung 944 Turbo posters on their walls, because there was always something from Porsche that was a little bit more special – the 928 was more futuristic, the 911 was more comforting as a predictable classic and “Turbo” was synonymous with only one Porsche in history.
That model wasn’t the 944, nor was it the 924. And though both of those respective cars outperformed their brethren in period and were very impressive outside of the Zuffenhausen lineup, the market of today in many ways continues to mimic the original sales trends. The 944 Turbo outsold the Quattro, outsold the M3 – neither, it should be noted, limited production cars. But today, probably in part because of its success, the 944 Turbo just doesn’t get the wows, the attention, or the press of its contemporaries. Of course, there’s one more thing it doesn’t get as a result – their price:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo on eBay
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Do you want to turn some heads? And I mean really turn heads? Not just, “oh there’s a cool car” and then move on, but the stop and stare sort of attention. Yes? Good, keep reading. Here we have a paint-to-sample Riviera Blue 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4. Porsche has long been known for its pastels and Riviera Blue follows in that tradition. It’s not the only bright vibrant blue Porsche has offered, but it has quickly become one of the most iconic. First debuted on the 993 I’ve always thought that was the model it looked best on. Later 911s wearing the color have looked good, but never as good as the 993. This Cayman GT4 might just top it. I’ve loved the GT4 since I first saw one and this one is just stunning! Like it or not – and I can’t imagine someone buying Riviera Blue and hating attention – everyone is going to take notice.
At $125K, the price of all of this wonderfulness is very high. You can easily find a GT4 for $15K, even $20K, less than this one. It is practically new and looks flawless so you’re getting the right sort of car for your money. It’s just a lot of money.