Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
I’ll admit it; I’m a bit of a sucker for off-colored cars. Perhaps it’s having something that most others don’t. Maybe it’s my anti-social id expressing itself through vibrant tones. Or, more likely, it’s just nice to see cars in a shade out of gray scale. In this case, this 2004 M3 is one of twelve imported in the BMW Individual shade of Brass (Messing) Metallic. Are the results of choosing such a different tone on the E46 successful? You bet your brass….
In start contrast to yesterday’s very clean but crack-pipe-priced Friday Fail M3, we have a well-tuned, low-mileage E36 M3. The yin to yesterday’s yang, this black 1995 coupe has mild engine mods including a Jim Conforti chip and intake while the suspension modifications are a bit more extensive, dropping it low over the lightweight Fikse wheels. With just 89k miles, it hasn’t traveled that much more than the white devil and is in nearly as good of shape – it’s just not being advertised as the ridiculous creampuff investment that the looney toons at Earth Motors were hocking. With a reserve auction and Buy It Now right under $16k, this is a clean and fast M3 that epitomizes their performance value right now.
There is something about this 911 that really is attracting my notice. I can’t put my finger on it, but more so than most 991s I come across this one looks really good. Maybe it’s the color combination – I do really like the interior. Or maybe just the white exterior paint in general, which for whatever reason seems to work for me. I haven’t been a huge fan of the 991 design as it’s become too flat and more or less looks like the Cayman. I realize that’s the reverse of how the two models are typically viewed, with most seeing the Cayman as derivative of the 911, but with the current models the direction seems to have shifted. I’m sure aerodynamically it’s far superior to the more upright appearance of an air-cooled 911, but those specific aerodynamic benefits will rarely be appreciated to any significant degree so I can’t say I care. Design aesthetics aside, the 991 is another step forward in the long evolution of the 911 as one of the best sports coupes on the market. Performance is raised across the board and even if the current 911 isn’t as hard-nosed as it once was it remains a rear-engined driver and that in itself lends it much of its unique character. Plus, what car isn’t as hard-nosed as it once was? So here we have a White 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S, located in Florida, with Nautical Blue leather interior and 57,442 miles on it.
Our own Paul has recently spent a few posts outlining some gripes he has with the current Volkswagen/Audi lineup, and in all honesty I have to echo him. With the exceptions of the TT-RS and Golf R, VAG has really left our market wanting. For some time, it was the niche-ness of Audi that made it so appealing. Where else would you get a turbocharged, all-wheel drive manual wagon? Ironically, it’s most recently been rival BMW that has offered that package in the 535xi Touring as Audi has steadfastly removed the fast 5-doors from North America. Okay, we get the beautiful A7/S7/RS7 lineup, but they’re exceptionally tech-heavy and….well, just plain heavy, as well as being (like nearly all of the Audi lineup) automatic only. Now, if I’m honest some automatics aren’t that bad and I think even Paul admitted the most recent generation of BMW autos were pretty impressive. The same goes for recent turbo motors that manage to produce both stellar fuel economy and outrageous power (for how long, I’m tempted to wonder as I saw yet another 2.0T apart on a bench today). But the synergy of naturally aspriated mechanical noise, three pedal engagement and a weighted lever to mesh them together is something enthusiasts will always want. That combo, when coupled with the equally sought fast wagons from Audi, creates a legendary package that has really few equals and a presence second to none. Last offered in the B7 chassis, the raucous BBK-code 4.2 V8 coupled 11:1 compression with variable valve timing for a screaming 7,200 rpm redline and 340 horsepower. The numbers were close to the S54 in the E46 M3, but the delivery is completely different. While the M3 is a high-revving race feel, the Audi positively comes across like a freight train when you’re behind it. Mash the throttle and there isn’t an explosion of speed – indeed, you might be disappointed at first. But keep watching that needle, because that silky smooth V8 has already propelled you past legal speeds and is showing no sign of slowing down:
We feature Porsche’s 930 rather frequently on these pages. It’s a much beloved and respected performance machine that in its day set a high bar for other automakers to reach. But even with its prevalence on our pages on occasion we still come across examples that really attract our attention or are simply color combinations that we have not seen. Such is the case with the example here, a Granite Green Metallic 1988 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in Michigan, with a Grey Green interior and 72,443 miles on it. 1988 marked the final year the 930 would be equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission and as such they are the most advanced model available prior to the significant price increases we see for the ’89 MY. As I mentioned in my last post of a 930, the market has been tough to pin down. With some caveats that I mention below the asking price here isn’t too out of line with the market and given the color could represent a pretty good value.
