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Month: March 2018

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1997 BMW M3 Sedan

Just last night, a friend informed me he had “acquired an older BMW”.

“Willingly?”, I asked. He affirmed he had contractually agreed to this life changing experience. “What model?”, I furthered.

“A Z3”.

Now, supportive friend Carter probably should have nodded in approval. After all, the Z3 is great value for the money. They’re cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and fun to drive. But what actually came out of my mouth was laughter. Not maniacal laughter, mind you, but just the uncontrollable mocking type that you immediately feel a bit bad about. Hoping to redeem the situation a bit, I prodded “Six cylinder…?” Nope. 4. I contained further laughter at this point, but I was grasping for straws. Meekly, I ventured “…..manual….?” hoping for some affirmation. “YES!” he happily retorted, glad to finally confirm a question of mine.

It’s actually a nice car, and it’s in great shape, and he paid almost nothing for it. But from the same period, BMW had some other affordable, fun to drive and even more potent options for enthusiasts. Take, for example, the M3 Sedan. Like the Z3, it was rear drive. Like the Z3, it has a manual, and they share some achitecture. But while the Roadster has a bit of a stigma that results in enthusiasts’ dismissal, the M3/4/5 has developed into a legend in its own right. Damn the fact that it didn’t have the more exotic Euro motor, if you want a cheap and pure driver’s car while still being able to comfortably transport 4 adults, they don’t come much better than this platform:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 BMW M3 Sedan on eBay

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Clown Commuter: 2002 BMW Z3 3.0i Coupe

So you want an affordable, distinctive yet practical car for your daily commute? Yesterday I suggested there might be more fun to be had for less money than the Golf Harlequin. Well, here it is: the Z3 3.0i Coupe. While the ‘clownshoe’ isn’t quite as spacious as the Golf, it does add a dose of practicality to a fun-to-drive and very unusual package. But while the market focuses on the M products, the more rare to find Z3 3.0i is an affordable option that will help you stand apart from the crowd.

Produced in Spartanburg in February 2002, this Topaz Blue Metallic example has seen better days, it’s got quite a few miles, and it’s an automatic. But that means it’ll be about as cheap as a clownshoe comes. Is it worth the price of admission – or, at the very least, is it worth the savings over a M?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2002 BMW Z3 3.0i Coupe on eBay

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1986 Porsche 930 Coupe

As I’ve more frequently turned my attention to modern 911s, largely in an attempt to locate better performance value, I am still reminded of the 930. The 911 has become quite refined over the years. Porsche has now long been a luxury brand and it is expected that its 911 Turbo will carry on that luxury. While the 930 wasn’t exactly a no-frills 911, it also would be hard to describe as refined. It was more than capable of biting a ham-fisted driver and strictly on appearance refinement hardly would be its calling card. That path lay for Porsche’s own venture into very high dollar territory with the 959. The 930 remained a menace.

It is that quality which always brings me back to it. Modern 911 Turbos are faster and more capable performers in almost any conditions, all while being able to serve as a daily driver. In many cases on the second-hand market they’re cheaper too. So why the 930? For me it just takes one look.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe on eBay

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2018 Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet

Late last year, Mercedes-Benz cooked up one of their craziest creations yet. One part G550 4×4², one part G65 AMG and one part Maybach S650 Cabriolet. They threw all that together and the robots from Affalterbach spit out this thing: the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet. It weighs 7300 pounds, has 621 hp along with 738 lb-ft of torque and will get to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. Every angle of this W463 on steroids is totally ridiculous and we didn’t even open the doors yet. Even more ridiculous? The price tag. I hope you are sitting down.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2018 Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet on Moblie.de

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1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin

The Golf Harlequin is the model that answers the question no one asked. It’s the model that proves Germans have a sense of humor. It’s also a model which defies logic. If you told your automotive-inclined friend you bought a 22 year old 2.0 automatic 4-door Golf with mis-matched body panel colors, he’d probably offer you the couch in his living room to sleep on for the next month. Things must be that hard for you, after all.

Now, tell him you paid a premium for that car. “How much?”, he’d most certain quip.

“$10,500”

The stunned silence which would undoubtedly be followed by the most boisterous of laughter would be punctuated only by the whipping out of a phone and a call to the local insane asylum for an admit, or at the very least a consult. But who’s the joke on here?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin on eBay

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