To Porsche fans, air cooled is more than a preference or novelty; it’s a borderline religion. And if the 993 represented the ascension of the prophet of the boxers to near God-like status, the 996 was most certainly the Anti-Christ. As a result, peppered by their own frenzied quest to prove the merit of the the super-Beetle Porsche fans themselves have driven up the prices on the last of the holy 911s. There are several special versions and owners and enthusiasts of each will kindly explain at length why their pick is or should be top value amongst the 993 crowd; but for most people not interested in that multi-hour conversation look no farther than right here. Porsche once again resurrected the the “S” moniker for the 993 Turbo’s last run and it was surely worthy of the crown; upgraded over the already 959-esque twin-turbocharged all-wheel drive 993 Turbo, Porsche added a few horsepower and some styling tweaks to a few hundred of these special Turbos, ensuring their future collector status and accompanying price:
Author: Carter
You don’t have to despair if you’ve missed out on the E30 M3 and Porsche 911 market – there are still plenty of alternatives that make great occasional vehicles with enough sport to have fun with and enough presence to make you feel really special. Two of the best coupes from the early 1990s are often overlooked and are still very affordable – the Porsche 968 and the BMW 8 series. Now, truth be told most 968s are out of the “10K” price range, and 850i/Cis are often close in disrepair if they’re at or below $10,000. But if you’re willing to take higher miles on the well-built 968 chassis and opt for the smaller motor in the E31, you can find examples of either that fit a budget. Which would you choose?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Porsche 968 on eBay
1 CommentI’ve been on a bit of a tear recently regarding rarity. There seem to be far too many unusual color combinations that were seldom ordered and sellers pick that “1 of x” point as their badge of honor regarding the specialness of the car. Okay, so some of those combinations are pretty neat, and indeed some of the cars are quite rare – like last week’s Pre-Production Evergreen and Kayalami M Roadster. It was a car custom ordered to someone’s taste from the available options, and as a result it’s neat as an oddity but not the most attractive color combination. I understand the point – if I was going to go buy a brand new car from any manufacturer, I’d want to assure that my example of a mass produced car was just a bit different than what everyone else had. What better way than to custom-order a color out of specification, such as today’s 2004 E46 M3 finished in Dakar Yellow by BMW Individual:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 BMW M3 on eBay
1 CommentIt seems these days the blueprint to own a classic car in good condition is to go to a big-headline auction and pay ever-increasing amounts to get the best and most unique example of a particularly popular run of car possible. Look at the 911 and E30 M3, though they’re not alone; the frenzy over prices has created its own “Hemi” moment as prices double on a year over year basis. Where does that leave enthusiasts? With plenty of options, thank you very much. If you want a classic Porsche like the 356 or early 911s but just can’t stomach the incredible bills associated with those cars, why not consider the early Karmann Ghia? Seriously, to someone who was uninitiated, if you took the badges off of each and swapped them around, it would be easy to believe that the 356 was a Volkswagen product and the Karmann Ghia was the Porsche – its sleek lines look, if anything, more sporty than the 356. Classicly styled, long and low and with that trademark flat-four soundtrack that drove several generations, the Karmann Ghia is one of the few classic German cars that is still quite affordable but will make you feel like a million dollars wherever you pull up – especially when presented in the condition of today’s 1956 example:




