Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The 2003 BMW 525i M Sport we featured on Monday could be considered a lot show for not much dough, looking very similar to its M5 sibling while offering more economy and substantially lower operating costs. But what if you want the real McCoy? Is a higher mileage M5 a good bet? Here’s an Emerald Green example closing in on 135,000 miles for sale in Georgia at a tempting price.
Pablo from flüssig magazine is back once again to take a look at this clean, lower mileage 1987 Porsche 944S for sale in Pennsylvania.
It began with mild curiosity.
My then-future wife already knew of my close-minded, air-cooled superiority complex, but didn’t understand why I thought her 944S didn’t figure into my Porsche passion…then she took me for a ride. I was hooked. This car made me a believer; in fact, it was this very car that would inspire me to start a magazine called flüssig ten years later.
What was it about this little car that nudged, no shoved, me into the world of early water-cooled Porsches? The smoothness. This is a character trait my beloved 911 didn’t possess. In fact, that air-cooled fossil is very much like me; rough, uncouth, noisy…a little bit dangerous, a little bit friendly, but generally behaving like an oaf—a sophisticated oaf.
The S was the exact opposite. Its character mimicked that of my wife, Diane. Well mannered, svelte, elegant. Perfectly bulged hips, thin at the waist, and strong enough to shove you back when provoked. No wonder I was attracted to both.
Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I want to point out the historical significance of this car.
While some other aftermarket tuners such as Ruf and Renntech offer turned up versions of the already potent cars, Alpina operates slightly differently – filling in the voids of models not offered by the manufacturer. There are plenty of examples of this, and if often seems to be misunderstood; Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Alpina Roadster is probably the most notable case. A slower, softer, automatic version of the hardcore roadster certainly doesn’t make a lot of sense at first glance. But what Alpina does is give enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the performance that BMW offered in a slightly different package that sometimes outperforms the original platform car – Chris Harris recently found the B3 Biturbo to be nearly “the perfect car“. One of the notable missing gaps in the BMW lineup was a faster version of the E36 Touring; building off the earlier B6 – effectively, Alpina’s 4-door M3 challenger built between 1992 and 1993 with a bespoke engine and typical Alpina upgrades, the company later launched the Japanese-only market B6 2.8 Touring. Produced between 1996 and 1998, only 136 of these small wagons were produced, again utilizing the 240 horsepower bespoke Alpina motor, special wheels and interiors, Alpina’s own body kit, exhaust and suspension. They were available in 3 colors only; red, silver, and green:
For reasons I’m not sure I understand myself, I was slow to accept the 964 and failed to give it its due worth and appreciation. That at least holds true for the Carrera as I’ve always found the 964 Turbo to be fantastic. It really wasn’t until recent years after seeing a few of them on the road that my appreciation for them has gained, presumably since I enjoy the design much more than any of the current models. And like with many cars, though not all, I find them much more attractive in the flesh rather than in pictures. Anyway, here we have a higher mileage example: a Grand Prix White 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe, located in Delaware, with 145,000 miles on it. I see a Grand Prix White 964 in my neighborhood fairly frequently and it looks fantastic! So while I typically do not care for these cars in white, I must defer to those experiences rather than what here looks somewhat bland.
Porsche is thankfully one of those car companies that still lets you customize your ride beyond what one normally finds in the dealer brochure…provided you come with the checkbook handy. For years, Porsche has offered a “paint to sample†option for buyers who are perhaps a bit bored with the colors in the back of the dealer brochure. This has led to a multitude of interesting liveries over the years, including the second to last 928GTS produced, in a questionable shade of Pearlglanz Metallic over purple interior trimmings. Thankfully, some of these special combinations are less offensive than others. Such is the case with this 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo painted in Gulf Blue with a subtle Espresso Brown leather interior.