Back again with a car that I’m unsure how even rolled off the assembly line solely based on the odd color combination. This 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is finished in the smooth Orient Red Metallic over .. Metropol Blue leather? Yes, this is a dark red over dark blue car and I suppose it isn’t too crazy, but why just not go with black? Something different I suppose. The good news is that it isn’t all that expensive.
Month: October 2022
It is hard to believe that some cars that were already six figures have doubled in value over the past five years. Especially considering the hype around them isn’t all that much and the values of risen without much notice. Of course, I am talking about the 996 generation of the Porsche 911 GT2. Just five years ago we looked at a 2002 for 3,200 miles on the odometer for an asking price of $169,000. That car finally ended up selling for $154,000 and at the time, seemed like a big price for a 996 GT2. Oh, how naïve we were. Today, we have another 996 GT2 up for sale in Pennsylvania with just 3,900 miles. The price? I told you to double it.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 Porsche 911 GT2 on eBay
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Since I’m apparently on a bit of a wagon kick as of late, let’s look at the last US “Touring” car offered by BMW. “Ah!”, but you’ll say, “BMW offered wagons after the BMW E34!” True, I owned one. But the nameplate Touring was discontinued by BMW in the US, as they switched to either Sport Wagon or Sports Wagon (depending on year and line). Semantic, maybe, but nevertheless true. This was semi-ironic, as well, since it was also the first Touring model BMW offered here officially. So what was special about the E34 version? Well, not a ton; the M5 was not offered as a wagon here, and most are the smaller-displacement motors with automatics. That’s what we have today – the bottom of the lineup 525i with a four-speed automatic. But look at it! Like the classic Mercedes-Benz wagons, this was not about speed – it was about carrying all your hunting gear, golf clubs, high-end luggage, or children to boarding school. It was a solidly built, good-looking car that was never pretentious but definitely underscored that you had deeper pockets than most. The E34 came from a different time, where easy credit didn’t exist – nor did 7-year balloon-payment car loans. This was the 90s recession, car loans were hovering around 10% interest, and this car cost nearly $40,000 – inflation corrected, about $85,000. It’s no wonder that they’re rare to see.
So what did you get for your luxurious outlay? To be honest, not much – the 525i kicked out 189 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque from the M50, which wasn’t bad – but it also wasn’t a 535i. You could also get the two V8s in 92 – the 530i and 540i, though long-term the six was probably a smarter choice. This was hooked to a slightly weird choice in the automatic form – the US market got a GM 460LE four-speed automatic instead of the five-speed ZF gearbox Europeans got. While this ultimately sounds like the low man on the totem pole, this particular E34 is pretty nice to see in period-correct Island Green Metallic:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 BMW 525i Touring on eBay
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If you thought buying your BMW M-tuned car you all of the company’s tricks…well, you’re probably not surprised already that is not the case. BMW M also has an “M Performance” line, which offers more hard-core suspension, exhaust, engine tuning, and aerodynamic tweaks for the already muscle-bound Munich missiles. In the case of today’s M2 coupe, two M Performance packages were selected – sadly, not all the best stuff. Z08 got you black grilles, a carbon-fiber rear spoiler, and an M Performance exhaust system. ZFO was all interior bits; the M Performance steering wheel, pedal covers, Alcantara shift trim, and LED door projectors. This is a little sad because the big M Performance stuff was really…well, performance oriented. You could opt to get coilover suspension, upgraded brakes, additional aero tweaks for the side skirts, and M763 wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Neat, but you were also looking at $10k worth of add-ons with those, and the two previously mentioned packages already added $5K. Additionally, this car was ordered with the Executive Package and the M Driver’s Package, which raised the top speed and got the original owner a day at the track. Add in the DCT, and this $54,000 coupe was now – gasp – $69,000. That’s $1,500 more than a standard M3 sticker price in 2018, and the M3 had 60 horsepower more than the M2. It’s also more than an M2 Competition cost. And, on top of that, the seller of this particular one also says there was a dealer adjustment of $20,000, making this a $90k M2. That’s more than the M2 CS sticker price!
Today, I’m not really sure anyone is seeking out these Performance Package cars, though in the future they’ll likely be more desirable.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2018 BMW M2 Performance on eBay
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I hope you like yellow. I always seem to go hot and cold on the color, and honestly that is because it entirely depends on what car it is. Last week we saw a very rare 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL500 sell for a bunch of money and I’m certain if that car was black, it wouldn’t have sold for that price. However, whenever Designo gets involved, they seem to turn the dial up a few notches. That was the case with this 1998 SLK 320 Kompressor up for sale in Italy. Hold on.