Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The Speed Yellow 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe with a slew of RS pieces has come back up for sale. I asked the last time we featured this car whether it was worth the asking price and the consensus appears to be that it is not. Well, that price has come down some, though at $89K the sellers are still asking a lot. Still it’s a wonderfully beautiful machine, possibly one of the best of the 911 breed, there’s just the matter of figuring how much those looks are worth.
Maybe green is becoming more popular than I realize because suddenly there appear to be quite a few green 911s coming up for sale from a wide variety of models. A few weeks back we had a run of interesting blue cars and now we’ve moved on to green. Who knows what color will be next! So, to this car: here we have a Moss Green Metallic 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, located in Atlanta, with tan interior and 48,655 miles on it. Note that this is a European model so the model designation listed on eBay is slightly off. It is not a 1980 911. As with many green cars, and as the name of this shade makes quite clear, this 911 possesses a strong sense of nature and earthiness that fits well in many environments. It makes for an interesting color, but one that doesn’t necessarily stand out. It blends well. As the first year of the 3.2 Carrera an ’84 model tends to make for a good option as you get the basic engine upgrades that many desire over the 911SC, but without the premium associated with the later G50-equipped models. The example here has low enough mileage that it won’t come across as a value buy, but it should please collectors and it’s not such low mileage that it can’t be driven at all. As a weekend cruiser with some upside it sits in a pretty solid place (even if I do think it’s being priced too high).
I’ll cut to the chase a little with this one: my interest in this 1991 Porsche 911 Turbo is partly as a data point. I’m curious where the early 964 Turbos are being valued, especially for those with low mileage and in good condition. With the 930, especially from its final model year in 1989, becoming increasing valuable and 993 prices flying through the roof, the 964 may be sitting in a nice middle position where values have yet to take off, while still offering a tremendous amount of enjoyment. For those who prefer it, you could probably find one of the earlier 930s, i.e. from ’86 or ’87, and come in for less money than a 964, but that’s a less direct comparison than the much more expensive ’89 models, which featured a 5-speed manual as we find on the 964. The 964 Turbos also represent the last of the rear-drive versions and for that I think they will always garner a particular level of appeal. The standard 3.3 liter Turbo may never approach the heights of the 993TT, but there should always be significant demand.
The cynic might remark that the Porsche Cayman R is exactly what the Cayman could, and should, have been from the very beginning if Porsche hadn’t neutered it so as to protect the 911. The optimist might simply look on with joy and celebrate the arrival of a Cayman that has been allowed to flourish. Whichever side you’re inclined to lean toward the result is the same: the Cayman R is a fantastic machine that sharpens and hones all of the Cayman’s edges to provide a driving experience to rival any other car in the Porsche stable. Including the 911. Of course, there exist iterations of the 911 that can easily handle a Cayman R (though the new Cayman GT4 looks to close that gap considerably), but those 911s cost significantly more money. At a starting price of around $67K the Cayman R represented a very nice value for Porsche enthusiasts and even the most die-hard 911 fan could no longer turn his nose up in disdain. I always have liked the Cayman even if it lacked those 911 quirks that made Porsche’s leading light so revered. It was a relatively light and compact car blessed with impeccable balance and enough power to quickly get you into trouble. It definitely could have been better, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t good. With the R, the model had finally begun to approach its zenith and show its true form. The example here is a Carrera White 2012 Porsche Cayman R, located in Indiana, with 18,300 miles on it. While the R was available with a 6-speed manual this one has had the PDK 7-speed automatic transmission selected. It’s not my ideal choice, but depending on your intended use that transmission can make sense. It’s faster, if arguably less fun and less engaging.
Typically a car like this one we would reserve for a Tuner Tuesday post. The parameters of this auction don’t really allow for that so this will serve as a bonus Tuner Tuesday (on Friday)! The DP935 takes all of the styling excesses of which we are familiar on the Porsche 930 and turns them up a notch. That is especially the case with an example like this one with the full front end treatment, rather than retaining the standard, and already somewhat wild, 930 Slantnose design. DP Motorsports had partnered with Kremer racing for a number of years providing lightweight bodywork for Kremer’s race cars, which all sort of came to a head with their collaboration on Kremer’s 935 K3. The DP935 is a road-going iteration of that car, though without the cachet that comes with the Kremer name being associated with it. Painted in iconic Gulf Blue and Orange this DP935 brings us about as close as we can get to having a road-going racer modeled off of Porsche’s legendary 935. While these began life as a Porsche 930, and retain the basic shape of those cars, the final product easily distances itself from the 930 in nearly every department, from power to design aesthetic. For those with fond memories of Porsche racing from the ’70s and ’80s a DP935 brings with it the opportunity to own a fantastic piece of that history and one of the ultimate attention-grabbing cars.
