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1985 BMW 518i with 23,000 Miles

From the top-tier of the BMW performance catalog in 1985, we’re shifting gears to what was just about the slowest BMW you could procure in the 1980s. The E28 of course had a base model – here it was the 528e with the M20B27 good for just over 120 horsepower. But European countries and Japan got an even pokier version, the 518 and 518i. The 518i had the fuel-injected M10B18 looking a bit like a lost puppy cowering under the long hood, rated at 103 horsepower. It was capable of gently motivating the E28 to 60 in 12.6 seconds and had a top speed of 109 mph. Hardly thrilling, right? However, it wasn’t intended for speed – it was intended for economy. The 218 horsepower M535i you’d like to be reading about consumed 9 liters of fuel at 120 kph over 100km, while the 518i sipped one less. Not impressed? Around town, that same M535i churned through 15 liters for 100 km. The 518i? 9.9. Even though gas was relatively cheap in the 1980s, that still adds up when you’re sitting in traffic.

But today if you’re looking at a classic BMW E28, you’re not thinking of fuel economy. What are you thinking of? Condition, condition, condition:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 BMW 518i on eBay

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2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS

Love them, indifferent, or hate them, the Cayenne was really good for Porsche. They resulted in a significant cash boost for the company that allowed them to really invest in development of the 911 and basically everything else since these SUVs were launched in the early 2000s. So the next time you see a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 driving along, think to yourself, “Thanks Cayenne.” Okay, so maybe that isn’t the first thing that will pop into your head, but you get where I am coming from.

Today, I wanted to look at a Cayenne that isn’t the lease special V6 but also not the insanity that was the Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S. The GTS trim on any model always was, and still is, that sweet spot for those who want something a few notches up from the base model but aren’t spending $200,000 on a Turbo or GT car. The Cayenne GTS was a really nice spec Cayenne that had some different body work, 21″ wheels, and a 400 horsepower 4.8 liter V8. Even better, it was offered in a 6-speed manual that was completely off the table for any person who was married. This 2009 up for sale in Texas has the standard automatic that is significant other friendly, but at the end of the day can still do 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. The best part? They are getting cheap.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS on eBay

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1985 BMW M635CSi

The M635CSi somehow gets lost among the other greats of the period from BMW. Perhaps, for U.S. fans, it’s the nomenclature that’s confusing. After all, there was a M1, an M3, and a M5, but when it came to the M version of the E24, BMW stuck with the moniker M635CSi in all markets but the United States and Japan. Confounding that decision was the launch of the E28 M535i. Like the M635CSi, it had additional body pieces, special interior trim and wheels from M-Technic. But while the M535i had a fairly normal M30 under the hood, the E24 received the full-fat M88/3 that was shared with the M5. Like the European M5 production started in 1984, well before they were available to U.S. customers. But while the M5 only sold in very sparse numbers over its short production cycle (about 775 sold in Europe between 1984 and 1987), the M635i was a relative hit, with just over 3,900 selling overall – far more than made it the U.S. market. Additionally, the European models were a slightly more pure form of the design; smaller bumpers, less weight, and about 30 more horsepower on tap without catalyst.

Back in February, I looked at a group of M6s with asking prices all over the map. True, some M6s have sold for big numbers and there’s one looking like it may hit $100,000 this week. But they’ve all been pristine original U.S. examples with very low mileage. Today we have a moderate mileage, lightly modified European M635CSi in an offbeat color (for the M6), so how does the price sit?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 BMW M635CSi on eBay

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2014 Porsche 911 GT3

Would you believe me if I told you that the 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3 had an engine warranty for 10 years or 120,000 miles? Well, it’s true. In one of Porsche’s rare screw-ups (in addition to that whole IMS thing), the engines in the 991.1 GT3 had a metallurgical defect in certain batches of pivoting rocker arms in the valvetrain. This led to misfires at high RPMs and thus, very unhappy customers who spent $135,000 plus another $40,000 in options. If for some reason your engine does fail, Porsche will drop in a new updated engine, no questions asked. You can probably put two and two together and figure out why I am bringing this up. This 2014 up for sale in Colorado just happens to have a fresh updated engine installed in it with just 2,300 miles despite the car having almost 18,000 miles. Not only that, this car has something else that makes it probably the cheapest 991 GT3 out there for sale on the market right now. Let me explain:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 on eBay

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Golf Match! Volkswagen GTI Mk.2 v. Mk.3 v. Mk.4 v. Mk.5

Okay, $22,000 is a lot for an old hot hatch, even if it’s the ‘original’. When I was perusing some cars to consider, I noticed that there was a point where Mk.2, 3, 4 and 5 prices were all pretty equivalent. In fact, you can just about buy all four of these cars shown below for the same price as that Kamei X1 GTI. It raises an interesting question; what generation is the one to get at this price point? Certainly a lot depends on priorities – if, for example, you really want a fun daily driver or you’re looking for more of a weekend warrior show car. But let’s look at this group and see which has potential:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Volkswagen GTI 16V on eBay

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