I have no false hope that my 225k-mile E28 M5 is going to follow the low-mileage examples into the upper-five-figure price range, but it is fascinating to see where the mere mortal examples are ending up. The wrong-wheeled rustbucket I wrote up a while back almost hit $13k on its auction, a number almost as shocking as the $60k M5s on eBay. This E28 is hardly the dumpster-dive of Mr. Rusty, but the blemishes are plentiful. The clearcoat is failing on the roof, it has the classic 80’s bumper waves and dash cracks, the driver’s seat is conspicuously omitted from pictures, and the engine compartment has some surface rust showing. On the flip side, the trunk’s carpet set is complete, which will make you then envy of a plurality of the owners on mye28.com (me included). It sounds like it runs well and hasn’t been outright abused or neglected; it’s just a rare car that looks to have lived a pretty average 28 years. The reserve is still on with bids up to $14k. Compared to the rust-bucket, where will a high-mileage, 6/10 E28 M5 land?
German Cars For Sale Blog Posts
The 1984 Audi 4000S quattro is a bit of a unique beast. Though it appeared for all intents and purposes identical to the 4000S Limited Edition from the same year, underneath the two shared little in common. Indeed, when you lifted the covers much more of the quattro model was shared with its bigger brother, the exotic Quattro – the so called “Ur-Quattro” by fans. Herein lies part of where things get confusing in Audi history, since the actual development mules for the boxflared rally wonder utilized the 4000 (née 80). You could make a pretty convincing argument that the small sedan was the original, but that’s neither here or there at this point and is generally semantics (though, it’s occasionally nice to splash the waters of reality on enthusiast’s ill-informed fires of unshakable belief). Whoever was technically first, there’s no denying that the 4000/80 model brought the idea of permanent all-wheel drive to a much more affordable market of rally-bred enthusiasts who eagerly snapped up the roughly 4,500 examples of the first year model. Radical looking changes came for the 1985 model year with a thorough refresh, and there are those who love both generations with equal aplomb. Admittedly, I’m a fan of the post 85 models, sometimes referred to the as the “sloped grill” cars. But you don’t have to go far to find fans of the more square ’84 model. One reader of ours tasked me with the goal a few years back of keeping an eye out for a clean ’84. Easy, right? Not so fast…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Audi 4000S quattro on eBay
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I’m going to get back to basics today with this Black 1983 Porsche 930, located in Boston, with 48,997 miles on it. A Black 930 is a frequent resident of these pages and even for someone like me who really enjoys brightly colored cars these still possess their own singular allure. Of course, the 930 itself is far from basic machinery and provides a combination of performance and luxury rivaled by few cars in its day. While they are eclipsed by modern supercars in each regard they possess a raw ferocity that commands a driver’s attention and rewards those who master their sometimes difficult dynamics. A heavy does of rear power will do that. This particular 930 was never available in the US market due to Porsche ceasing to send them over from 1980-1985. But examples from those years can be had now and this one looks in nice shape.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1983 Porsche 930 on eBay
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I’ve been seeing a pristine white E36 M3 coupe on perfect Style 22s, looking like a wonderful mix of stock daily driver that gets pampered in the garage every night. Even though history has shown it to be the most banal M3, there are still so many things right about this car. It’s sized right. The simple but aggressive lines perfectly support the car’s ethos. Just as I imagine that white example is cared for, the E36 M3 is the perfect car to dote upon, drive every day, and enjoy the hell out of.
This one-owner silver 1995 coupe is not quite the same stock-queen as the local white one, but it’s has just 90k miles and a host of well-chosen modifications. Suspension upgrades, chip, brakes, exhaust, and wheels complete the standard modification lineup on this now two-decades-old M3 that brings a few nice stock options like the slicktop sunroof delete and Vader seats. For just $10,500, it’s the perfect representation of why the E36 M3 is in the running for best performance value available.
Click for details: 1995 BMW M3 on eBay
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It should come as no surprise that Porsche 944 Turbo prices are on the rise. In fact, in atypical Porsche form it’s quite late to the party. Considering the stratospheric rise of its ostensible competition from BMW and Audi, the 944 Turbo has remained quite affordable for a very long time. That has resulted in a glut of mediocre to poor condition examples; let’s not forget, after all, that this is a Porsche, and servicing a complicated 30 year old example can be beyond the budget of some available to leap over the entry price hurdle. However, one of the Turbo models that have traditionally retained greater value is the later run 1988 S models and 1989 S-spec models. Properly, 1989 models are not referred to as S models, but as they carry all of the same upgrades as the 1988 model many add the suffix to the name. Considering how limited they were in the U.S., at only a reported 1,874 1988s and 1,385 1989s with a handful of 89 spec cars shifted in 1990, it’s not as much of a surprise that they’re prized possessions for many and generally speaking they come to the market in better condition than the earlier ’86/87 models. But not many these days come to market having traveled only 28,500 miles since new:
