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Year: 2017

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1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Because I primarily write about Porsche 911s I tend to feature a lot of cars with very low mileage. As enthusiasts this understandably frustrates us and many readers. Machines are made to be used, especially such highly capable machines as the 911. The more rare the model the more likely we are to find one with few miles as owners tuck them away preserving them for years in pristine condition. Just look at the 911 Speedster.

I don’t mind seeing these cars; it’s always great to pore over the details of a like-new car that’s more than 30 years old as a way to experience something that I was too young to experience first hand at its inception. Still, cars that have been driven have stories. They have brought joy to their owners, sometimes mixed with frustration, but ultimately they have enlivened the senses and been utilized as their engineers intended. That in itself is interesting and worthwhile.

There are a lot of ways for a car to be rare, and sometimes higher mileage can itself be a rarity. Here we have something pretty rare: an Arctic Silver Metallic 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S, located in Los Angeles, with 67,044 miles on it. Granted, even this Turbo S is technically quite low in miles if we think about how many miles per year this figure represents. These things are relative. Nonetheless, this is quite a few more miles than just about every other Turbo S I’ve seen and, as the seller notes, that means you could (should!) actually drive the darn thing. Imagine that!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S on eBay

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1992 Audi V8 quattro

While visually most people would have a hard time telling a 1991 and 1992 V8 quattro apart, there were a bunch of little changes throughout the model if you were paying attention. The easiest change to spot was the BBS RG forged wheels that carried over from the 1991 model. At 15 x 7.5″ with a 35mm offset, they filled out the widened arches nicely. The more pragmatic change was in badging; after two years of no model designation (one with nearly identical looking but very different cars underneath for sale), the company finally decided other people besides the owner should know what they were driving. V8 badges were added to the grill and left rear of the trunk, and a “quattro” badge returned to the right side of the lid. Much less noticeable was a more pronounced exhaust, with twin stainless outlets now emerging straight out instead of the 1990/1 down-turned tips.

Inside there were few changes; minor gauge movement had occurred between 1990 and 1992. Connolly leather seats were now standard (as were nearly all items on the V8), and the wood trim was upgraded. The V8 came standard with the Cold Weather package, sunroof, ABS, and BOSE radio. Gone was the option to row-your-own, as the manual was removed from the U.S. market. However, a light revision to the shift points along with an integral cooler meant that the 4-speed automatic in the ’92-94 models was more robust.

But the big change was under the hood, where a new ABH 4.2 liter all-aluminum V8 met the owner. With 276 horsepower and 295 lb.ft of torque, it was the most powerful Audi you could buy in 1992, and acceleration matched the manual and turbocharged S4. All of this luxury and speed cost; the sticker price was now up to $54,000. On paper, the V8 competed well against the competition from Stuttgart and Munich.

But in the recession of the early 1990s, coupled with the legacy of Audi’s scandals and rocky introduction to the super-luxury market meant the V8 was a slow seller. Despite upgrades, the ’92-’94 sold especially slowly; in total, only 518 4.2 models were sold in the U.S. compared to nearly 3,500 3.6 models. ’92 was the best seller with about half of those – 270 – moving here. Few remain in the condition of this Cyclamen Red Mica example though!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Audi V8 quattro on eBay

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1995 BMW M3 GT

While you’re no doubt familiar with the great lament of the de-tuned E36 M3 and the inflated price of the very limited Lightweight model, Europe enjoyed a full spectrum of Motorsport performance. One of the potent additions to the lineup was that of the M3 GT. Intended to homologate racing bits and aerodynamic tweaks for the E36, 350 limited BF99 examples were produced in early 1995. The motor was turned up to 295 horsepower with hotter cams, special oil pumps and Motorsport oil pan and revised computer controls. They also had stiffened and lowered suspension, a strut brace and a 3.23 final drive. Outside new spoilers front and rear increased downforce, and like the Lightweight the GT wore the M forged double spoke staggered wheels. Harder to spot were the aluminum doors the car wore to help keep weight down. All were painted 312 British Racing Green and featured Mexico Green Nappa leather interior with Alcantara bolsters, special Motorsports badging and carbon fiber trim.

They’re a very special and rarely seen variant of the E36 M3, and increasingly in this collector market that means a higher asking price:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 GT on eBay

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