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Month: May 2018

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Dial “S” for “Sedan”: 2002 Audi S6

Audi’s interesting sales plan of S-cars in the early 2000s was, for U.S. fans, both good and disappointing at the same time. Mega models like the RS4 continued to be withheld from this side of the Atlantic just as the S2, RS2 and S6 Plus had been. The new generation of V8 powered S cars had yet to arrive, too; movies teased us of the slithering, nitrous oxide-boosted battering ram S8, and though the C5 chassis now sported the V8 in 2000, we had yet to see the S6.

But there were bright points. The B5 S4 was available as a sedan or Avant here, for the first time, in 2001 the flagship S8 arrived and after a wait until 2002, the S6 arrived in Avant form. And, only in Avant form, and only in automatic. You could complain about that for sure, but then the introduction at long last of an RS model – the twin-turbocharged RS6 – assuaged the loss of the regular S6 sedan for nearly everyone.

Once in a while, though, a S6 sedan pops up on this side of the Atlantic:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2002 Audi S6 on eBay

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2001 Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport

This GT2 reminds me very much of the Speed Yellow GT3 I featured last year. That GT3 remains one of my favorite cars I have posted here at GCFSB. It doesn’t possess the insane rarity of other models I’ve posted, but perhaps that’s part of its allure. While certainly not inexpensive it actually was attainable. And with 50K miles it also was driveable – in the sense that you don’t have to worry about that extra mileage harming its value.

This Speed Yellow 2001 Porsche 911 GT2, for sale in the Netherlands, with the factory-optioned Clubsport package ups the ante quite a bit in most of those regards. We’re taking a swift step upward in cost, but there’s also a significant upgrade in performance and rarity. That means it isn’t as attainable for most of us as the GT3 might have been. However, for those capable of shopping at these prices I do think it presents an alternative that should be equally as alluring as, if not more so, plenty of other options – some of which might themselves cost significantly more. It’s a simply wonderful machine.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport at Ferdinand’s Classics

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1987 BMW M6

If you aren’t in the know, this weekend was pretty special for BMW folks in Asheville, North Carolina – the site of ‘The Vintage’. My Instagram and Facebook feeds were flooded with images of all the best of Bavaria heading towards the quaint western North Carolina city. It got me thinking – what was the best way to make a splash at such an event?

Of course, showing up in a fresh Euro 1983 635CSi surely would do it, and it’d be the perfect car for the roughly 14 hour drive for me to get there, too. When I wrote that 635 up, the competition that I suggested should be considered wasn’t the U.S. spec 635, though, it was the M6. The big ‘bahn stormer had the chops to overcome the weight of the large 2-door Coupe with the 256 horsepower S38 under the hood. It also has enough luxury to make the half-day drive feel like a blink of an eye.

Some considered the Euro car to be a bit on the pricey side. But when I came across this equally restored U.S. spec M6, it was a good thing I was sitting down. Suggestion: move the coffee away from your electronic device!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 BMW M6 on eBay

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1968 Mercedes-Benz 600

A few days ago I was talking with a friend who owns and operates a Mercedes-Benz restoration shop and the topic of the W100 600 came up. It was mostly me asking all kind of questions as to what it is like to own one of these cars and getting answers that blew my mind. One thing stuck out that about stopped me in my tracks. He told me that a 600 he services for a doctor had to choose between doing some repairs on his car or putting a new roof on his house. It was at that moment I realized I was never going to own a 600 nor want to own a 600. Our conversation then turned to the cost-per-mile calculation to own one of these and he threw out the number of roughly $5. Most exotics usually average about $3.50 a mile. That means if you own a 600 and drive it a conservative 2,000 miles a year, you can expect your wallet to be $10,000 lighter. To think, some people still don’t understand that this just isn’t another old Mercedes that has some pricey parts on it. I’ve said this before and I want to say it again, there is no faking owning a 600. The amount of time and money needed to keep one of these probably surpasses some short-lived marriages.

Anytime a 600 pops up for sale, I always hurry to take a look because of the crazy options that could be lurking inside as well as the possibility of it being owned by a celebrity and/or murderous dictator. Today’s 600, a 1968 up for sale in Chicago, probably didn’t have any executions called in from the rear seat because it wasn’t owned by someone of that ilk and this car is equipped with a rear refrigerator, not a telephone. This 600 was actually first ordered and owned by a man named Don Ricardo. Ricardo was a NBC Orchestra conductor but real passion was cars â€” especially Mercedes-Benz. Ricardo owned two 300SL Gullwings, a 1928 SSK and one of the most infamous Mercedes of all-time, a 1935 roadster custom-built for Nazi Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler. I assume this car was a 770. Anyway, safe to say that Ricardo liked his cars and knew exactly what he was buying in this 600. From there, details on this W100 are slim but thanks to the power of the internet, I was able to uncover a little more about this Grosse.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1968 Mercedes-Benz 600 on eBay

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Bamboo Beige 1981 Porsche 911SC Coupe

Those that have been reading here for a while know that I like to highlight Porsche colors that we rarely see. This is especially the case when the specific color in question is one that I have never come across. Such is the case today with this 911. Here we have a Bamboo Beige 1981 Porsche 911SC Coupe, located in Los Angeles, with 92,185 miles on it and which is up for auction without reserve.

I will be the first to admit that Bamboo Beige is neither the most exciting sounding, nor the most exciting looking color in the Porsche lineup. It’s a color that we’d expect to see in the late-70s or early-80s and its very short availability from ’81-’82 serves as testament to that. I can’t say I’ve ever seen it come up as a PTS option either. Sometimes a color is rare because of a lack of interest from buyers and with a reported 50 total examples produced that may be the case with this one. The desirability of a color is a fickle thing though. Guards Red and Speed Yellow both have seemed very desirable at times while at others we almost never see them. And nearly every color has some who do truly like it. I’m sure Bamboo Beige would be no different in that regard.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Bamboo Beige 1981 Porsche 911SC Coupe on eBay

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