Modifying a modern Porsche is a tricky thing for a few reason. First, it is really expensive as you might expect. Second, a lot of times it is really hard to improve on what Porsche gave you in the first place, at least cosmetically. The devil is in the details and rightfully so, but you never tend to see major changes without really going off the deep end. Today, this 2005 Carrera S has a fair amount of cosmetic modifications, but not too many as to upset the purists.
Fresh off last week’s red car, I bumped into another car that just happened to be a much different shade of red. This 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 is finished in paint-to-sample Arena Red, which technically is a custom color on the 991 GT3, but this isn’t this first time we’ve seen it on a 911. Arena Red was the launch color of the 993 Turbo and featured on the ironic Kills Bugs Fast poster that we all probably had a chuckle over when remembering it. It isn’t a historic color like some of the other paint-to-sample options we’ve seen, but actually more modern as it launched in 1995 on the already mentioned 993, as well as the Boxster and very early 996 cars. Does it fit well on the 991 GT3?
Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see this. When you say “W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class” to me, I think of an incredibly milquetoast car that was made to a price point for the masses and it certainly reflects that. Yes, the range-topping C63 AMG was a bonkers car that is a ton of fun, but at the same time almost equally as terrifying if you haven’t fixed the headbolts on them. Back to the standard models, you were offered up various V6s with an automatic and a very rare manual that is nearly impossible to find. Well, it looks like someone found one and decided to turn it into a full blown race car to compete in the Trans Am series, along with various other series that it qualified for. You know what they say about racing: To end up with a small pile of money, start with a really big pile of money.
Red is a funny color when it comes to cars. Coupe or sports sedan? Sure, looks great. Full-size luxury sedan or SUV? Are you out of your mind? Even when it is offered on a SUV, it is usually in a much softer red that borders on burgundy. Same with the full-size sedans, a soft red. However, sometimes you do find the rare luxury sedan finished in the brightest red you can think of and it catches you off guard. Wouldn’t you have it, this is exactly what we have today in the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S500 I found up for sale in Poland. It is literally called “Magma Red” and isn’t shy about it. The thing is, I’m not sure if I like it just because it’s different or because it actually looks good.
With the launch of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, we were also offered a topless version with the 718 Spyder. We’ve seen the Boxster Spyder before, but never like this. This Spyder was developed under the guidance of Porsche GT boss Andy Preuninger from the GT department, thus making it a real “GT car,” just not badged as such. It literally is just a Spyder version of the 718 GT4 with the same suspension, engine, and tuning, just with the little folding top similar to that of the GT3-based 991.2 Speedster. So if you want a GT4, but also want the open-air feeling, here you go.
Just when I thought I’ve found the most unique color on a 996 Porsche Carrera 4s, along comes this. “This” being a 2004 C4S up for sale in Japan that is painted in the always lovely Ruby Star. We’ve seen this color before on the 964 and 991, but this is the first time I’ve seen it on the 996 body. Even crazier, they took the Ruby Star inside too and painted the center console, trim, and gauge cluster surround. Too much? Or classic Porsche?
Do you want to get crushed? Because this is how you get crushed.
This Mercedes-Benz G320 offered up for sale in Utah is being advertised as a 1982 “Professional.” It is not a 1982, not even close. It is a 2001 made to look 1982. Why is that important? 2020 minus 2001 equals 19. Not 25, which is the required time that is needed to import foreign vehicles that weren’t originally sold in the US. It looks like they fitted W460 bumpers, mirrors, grille, taillights, and front fenders to masquerade as a 1982. This is very illegal. So much that if any government agencies who deal with imports find this truck, they’ll probably crush it. Please don’t do this.
When is a “base” Porsche 911 good enough? The conundrum with the 991.2 911 is that while the base car, a twin-turbo 3.0L, is really good on its own, you have all the other models above it. And there are many. Carrera T, Carrera S, Carrera GTS, GT3, GT3 RS, GT2 RS, Speedster, Turbo, and Turbo S. Suddenly, at least on paper, the base model would seem inadequate. I’m here to tell you it is not. It is very much a pure 911 whether you get the PDK gearbox or the 7-speed manual, and the possibilities you gain by having that twin-turbo 3.0L are about endless in terms of making power. This 2007 up for sale in Texas is a perfect example why.
For the past 15 years or so, Mercedes-Benz and AMG would take their flagship sedan, put a twin-turbo V12 in it that makes enough power to pull a barge of coal, and sell it for over $200,000. Then before the dealership owner’s nephew gets a chance to scratch the paint up by “washing” it, it isn’t worth $200,000 anymore. Mile after mile, the car is worth less. Significantly less. Like, “I could have gone to Harvard” less. Until we are here today, some five years later, where the car has lost over $160,000 in depreciation. Still the same car, same 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, and of course, same running costs. Tempting?
The 964 Porsche 911 Speedster has always been a cool novelty, but that doesn’t mean it is only that. I think these stayed true to the original 356 Speedster compared to Turbo-bodied 3.2 Carrera-based 911 Speedster, 997 Speedster, and 991 Speedster that is basically just a GT3. Porsche also blessed the US market with the fixed-back lightweight seats that were in the 964 RS for that extra feeling over the 964 Cabriolet. Only 936 examples were produced, with 427 Speedsters heading Stateside. These pop up for sale from time to time, but most are tucked away in collections given their rarity and the aircooled boom. This example up for sale in California checks in with 34,000 miles and some odd little custom touches that makes Porsche so unpredictable at times.
