Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
I suppose someone has to drive it. “It” in this case is a 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera. A classic 911 finished in Polar Silver over a rare Flamenco Red leather interior. It also has 18″ turbo-look wheels, a sunroof, and just 67,000 miles. One minor catch – it’s also got a gearbox that shifts itself.
The M Coupe has moved from cult legend into one of the most desirable M products produced. Late-production S54-equipped models have recently topped $100,000 at auction. Add in a rare color and great condition, and they’re all the more desirable. While not quite a 1:1, the M Coupe is like the Porsche 964 and has gone from being ugly duckling to the market darling, and the S54 models are the RS America of the lineup.
For most of us, that means if you want a ‘Clownshoe’ you’ll need to look towards early production when they were equipped with the venerable S52. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as lower running costs and higher production numbers mean much lower asking prices. Take this Imola Red ’99, for example. First off, only 2,180 S52 M Coupes were sold here. Imola Red was one of the more common colors on the M Coupe, with 422 made. This one is one of 164 Imola/Black S52s made, and it’s got lower mileage. Let’s take a look:
It often pays to be first. There certainly is true in the car industry as well. Especially when it comes to rare limited-production models that everyone wants but not a lot of people can get. The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is turning out to be a perfect example of how much difference a year makes when it comes to pricing. Let’s take a closer look.
A few weeks ago I checked out a 2004 Mercedes-Benz C240 4Matic in wagon form and explained that you probably weren’t getting much Mercedes wagon for under $10,000. Today, I might have an exception to that loosely based rule. As long as you are okay with a few miles on the odometer.
Yes, this 2011 E350 4MATIC Estate up for sale in Florida comes in with nearly 208,000 on the odometer and doesn’t look like it is ready to slow down.
I think sometimes we need to be reminded that old cars are in fact, old. As much as we romanticize them, at the end of the day they are just a bunch of parts pieced together inside a metal shell. We like to think that the older construction is somehow different, and that is the case for some cars, but a lot of times we experience Paris syndrome when it actually comes to driving them. These old cars often feel slow, sloppy, and can be a pain to live with just for basic creature comforts. Hello, Porsche 912.
The 912 has all the exterior looks of the big brother 911 with its long-hood design before the days of impact bumpers and can surely lure us in with its timelessness. However, you are soon reminded that it is powered by a flat-four that pumped out a little over 100 horsepower when it was new. Inside? Well, it has a radio. Maybe the heat works, if you’re lucky.
