Here we have a car engaged in a little bit of an identity crisis. I find it a little perplexing, but let me get to that later because beyond that disjunction it’s actually a rather interesting 911 Turbo. This is an Orient Red Metallic 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe with 53,795 miles on it. It’s fitted with the Turbo Aerokit along with a pronounced front lip spoiler, factory options that are kind of divisive in their appeal, but nonetheless are fairly rare. The interior also has a wide array of maple wood accents and leather fittings. Those options bring with them a level of elegance that seems somewhat at odds with the exterior options. It’s all very much racer on the outside and grand tourer on the inside. But which does it want to be?
Month: February 2018
The M5 might not have been the original super sedan. It wasn’t even the first hot 5-series. But just like the GTI is synonymous with the hot-hatch segment, the M5 became the standard by which all other super-sedans were judged the moment it rolled onto the scene in 1985. Power seemed other-worldly; 280 plus horsepower from the race-derived M88/3 hunkered down with beefy suspension upgrades and huge (for the time) alloy wheels linked with a limited-slip differential. At a time when “fast” cars had 180 horsepower, BMW’s first M-offering in the sedan range might as well have been a space ship.
BMW promised limited production for the U.S. market, too – and, indeed, only 1,200 were produced for the U.S. with the slightly de-tuned S38. Unfortunately, that was 700 more than BMW had promised to make, and that led to a lawsuit. It also wasn’t very long before the M5’s power reign was eclipsed; first by its replacement E34 model, then by the whole range of new V8 models emerging on the market, from the 1992 Audi V8 quattro to the 500E. Values quickly fell as these old-looking (even when new) boxy rockets fell out of favor, and they remained there for quite some time.
But recently there’s grown a much greater appreciation for all things 80s M, and though the E30 has grabbed the headlines as the market star, outside of the M1 it is the E28 M5 that was brought here in fewest numbers. Even fewer have survived, and finding clean, lower mile examples can be tough. It can also be very, very expensive – Enthusiast Auto Group currently has four great ones on offer, but the lack of listed prices is an indication of some of the market volatility. Hagerty now values condition 1 cars at $98,000, and even poor examples are quite pricey. So is there room in the budget to improve upon one that’s listed at a bargain rate?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW M5 on eBay
Comments closedI don’t know that this 911 model needs much introduction. It’s a much loved model by writers and readers alike here at GCFSB and I always feel a certain elation when I see another one come up for sale. For those not entirely familiar this is the 964 Turbo 3.6. We might say it’s what the 964 Turbo was supposed to be from the beginning, but it took a few years to come to fruition. It’s not quite the pinnacle of 964 Turbos since that is reserved for this car’s successor – the ultra-rare Turbo S – but I think for many the Turbo 3.6 itself is one of the holy grail cars. And while not cheap you can have one for far less money than a Turbo S. Heck you might be able to have three for less money than a Turbo S!
Here’s an excellent looking example, painted in the fairly rare color of Polar Silver. It’s located in Ohio and sits with 54,960 miles on it. The best part: it’s one of the best prices I’ve seen for a Turbo 3.6 in quite some time.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: Polar Silver 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 on eBay
2 CommentsA couple weeks ago I featured this Speed Yellow 2005 C4S Coupe. It appeared to be an exceptional example of what is a generally unloved model. I stated in that post that I think bright colors really work in the 996’s favor when it comes to maximizing the attractive qualities of its exterior. However, not everyone wants a brightly colored exterior and Speed Yellow is about as bright as they come. Also, as much as I liked that C4S it was very expensive with a price well into good 996TT territory.
Here I hope to remedy those two problems. This is the same model 911, from the same model year right at the end of 996 production, so you get what is for me a better looking 996 and the sort of usability that always has made the C4S a worthy candidate for daily driver duties should that be your desire. Obviously it’s nearly the polar opposite in color. I’ll admit I could do without the tint, especially of the rear lenses, but otherwise where a Speed Yellow 911 will turn every head, this black one should allow you to cruise by (mostly) unnoticed. At 20,086 miles, the mileage is still quite low but it’s priced almost $20K less. That’s a lot of money for Speed Yellow and a few less miles.