Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Back in October I took a look at a Ruf Cabriolet. Originally listed as a BTR3, the listing has been corrected to refer to the car as a BTR 3.4. Last time around one of our knowledgeable readers commented that there were injection differences between the two. There’s also been a pretty substantial price drop of $40,000 to a still nose bleed-worthy $200,000. Is it likely to find a home this time around?
I’ve recently done some comparisons on the sport editions of the B6 and B7 chassis Avants, asking whether packages like the B6 Ultrasport or B7 S-Line Titanium Package justified the premium they commanded over similar non-sport models. There’s another Avant that commands a serious premium in either B5 or B6 form, but in this case it’s not anything to do with being more or less sporty. Mechanically and physically, these specimen are identical to the other models in the run, but it is the color that stops people in their tracks, generates clicks and opens wallets – Nogaro Blue Pearl Effect. The lineage started with the RS2 and its signature shade “RS Blue” which was then continued with the S6 Plus and the B5 S4. It was the color of speed for an entire generation of wagon lovers, so what does that equate to today?
Normally on Motorsports Monday I feature a race car or a track biased car, but today I’m going to do something a little different. If you follow FIA GT racing and the IMSA Tudor Championship, you might be eagerly awaiting next weekend’s Daytona 24 hours – the kickoff to the endurance racing calendar. And something special will be debuting at Daytona; what I believe is BMW’s first racing M6. Sure, the 6-series was previous used as a racer in the early 1980s Touring Cars before the launch of the M3 and Alpina ran an E6x later on, but primarily it’s been almost all small BMWs that have taken to the track since 1985. But eager to take on the likes of the Bentley Continental GT3 and Aston Martin race programs, the Munich company has moved from the Z4 platform to an all-new M6 racer. To celebrate this launch, BMW produced 100 special road going M6s for 2016 called the M6 Competition Edition. They were available in only two colors – Austin Yellow or Alpine White – and commanded a fully 50% premium over a standard M6. But it’s not just a flashy appearance package, as the F12 2-door coupe only Competition Edition has been reworked to produce more power to go along with the exclusivity:
Time for some citrus. I’ve mentioned previously how the market for the long-hood 911 has plateaued, and perhaps even reached its peaked, but even if that is the case the 911S remains a special car that we must keep an eye on. These were some of Porsche’s first opportunities to show its ability to produce a top-level machine that could provide performance but also remain civilized. The 911S epitomized that focus and here we have two different variants, both of which come in the wonderful shade of Tangerine over Black. With values remaining mostly stable over the past year it’s not a bad time for those who really enjoy these early 911s to look for the right opportunity. Here we have both a Coupe and a Targa and both look in very good condition. Which would you choose? We will begin with the Targa, from the 1968 MY:
There’s something that’s just so right about the 1990-1992 GTis. The bigger bumpers gave a chunkier, more menacing look than the 85-89 cars had, and the swap to the 4-headlight grill worked so well. More power and bigger, better BBS wheels made these the best GTis in the eyes of many VW faithful. By 1990, the GTi 16V had gotten fairly expensive so Volkswagen reintroduced a more budget-conscious 1.8 8 valve version. It wasn’t a total poseur, though – Volkswagen made an attempt to differentiate the entry level GTi from the standard Golf. With 105 horsepower on tap (5 more than the standard Golf) and a 5-speed close-ratio gearbox, they channeled a bit of the original A1 GTi even if they didn’t sing up high like the 16Vs did. There were other subtle differences between the 16V and 8V; externally, they looked very similar except that the 16Vs wore appropriate 16V insignia front and rear and on the slimmed down side moldings. The 16Vs also got the larger and wider BBS RM multi-piece wheels with wider flares, while the 8V model wore the 14″ “Teardrop” alloys that had previously been the signature of the 16V. Both now wore roof mounted antenna and integrated, color coded rear spoiler with 3rd brake lights and color coded mirrors, along with the aforementioned 4-headlight grill, deeper rocker panels and integrated foglights. The 16V got beefier Recaro Trophy seats, while the 8V was equipped with the standard sport seats. Both wore the same sport suspension. And, both models now had the passive restraint “running mouse” belts. Today we’ve got one of each to look at, so let’s start with the big brother:
