Tag: 1986

3 Comments

1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

  By

There is certainly something about a G-Body Porsche 911 in a shade of green. The G-Body is arguably the most iconic shape of the 911 and certainly one of the most recognizable, so when you pair it with today’s color, Moss Green Metallic, it is a home run for me. Normally green makes up just 1% to 3% of total car production, and that is for both the car industry as a whole and for Porsche specifically. So if you feel like you don’t see a lot of green cars out there, you aren’t wrong. This 1986 up for sale in Italy is well into the “driver” category with over 100,000 miles, but that doesn’t mean it is going to come cheap. Nope, not at all.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe at Luzzago

Continue reading

1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Project

  By ,

Oh boy. Everyone loves a good project, right?

This poor 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 needs some help. Well, a lot help. Looking at the photos, I don’t know if it is worth saving. To make it short, the paint is totally gone, the suspension is sagging, there is rust in the trunk, and the interior is one step short of fire damage. But hey, at least it runs. Right? (Checks notes to see if it does actually run)

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Project on eBay

Continue reading

1986 BMW 535i

  By

The E28 is a firm favorite among fans of 80s BMWs, but it’s the M5 and 535iS variants that get most of the attention. It’s not hard to see why. The M5 based on this platform was one of the first super sedans, laying down the classic formula for all modern Q-ships: supreme performance packaged in a stealthy, unassuming exterior. Meanwhile the 535iS appealed to those who wanted a bit of flash but couldn’t quite afford the full cream M-car, and was really just a 535i with firmer suspension, body kit, and sport seats. That isn’t a bad thing. The underlying car, introduced as a range-topper in 1984, was a winner, marrying the bulletproof M30 3.4 liter straight six engine (good for about 182 hp, in US emissions restricted form) with a tractable and responsive chassis. A regular 535i with a manual gearbox therefore offers a fun and relatively affordable alternative to the more expensive E28s out there, and this ’86 is a perfect example of that.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 BMW 535i on eBay

Continue reading

1986 Treser Largo

  By ,

Ahhhhh, the 80s. Tuners in the 80s were pushing the limits of their crafts, redefining performance and styling with cutting-edge technology. Of course, when I say ‘cutting edge’, I literally mean cutting. Take Walter Treser, for example. He not only lopped the top off of a Quattro to create his ‘Roadster’, but he also had at the roofline of the Type 44 to create the hatchback ‘Liner’ model. While Audi was busy sawing Quattros in half and removing about a foot to create their Sport Quattro, Treser went in a different direction. As in, the complete opposite. Apparently not satisfied that the Roadster and Liner were crazy enough, Treser chopped a 200 clean in half, stitched 12.6 inches into the middle of it, and created the ‘Largo’. I presume that the pronunciation is akin to the current President’s (for today, anyway) residence of choice, but all I can see is “Large-Oh”. And large it is. Audi themselves would later create their own Lang version of the V8, but Treser’s version appeared over half a decade earlier. To say they are rare is an understatement of…well, long proportions. But one can by yours today in Florida, if you’re up for a project:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Treser Largo on Facebook Marketplace

Continue reading

1986 BMW 535i

  By

When I look through the history of E28 5-Series I’ve written up, it’s not hard to notice a pattern. Most are modified, and most feature European-style modifications. Perhaps that annoys the purists and I’ll start off by saying a half-hearted ‘sorry’ to all of them, but here we go again.

I do like a really clean standard 5-Series, but it seems to always be the modified examples that catch my attention. Here we have a ’85 525i, which it is quite easy to see is not stock. Beyond being lowered, it’s wearing European-specification headlights and bumpers, big BBS-style wheels, and a few other odds and ends that make it worth a closer look. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the lovely Arctic Blue Metallic, either:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 BMW 535i on eBay

Continue reading

1986 Audi Coupe GT

  By

Within the world of older Audis, it’s often a case of pick your poison. Do you want low miles? Do you want good exterior condition? Do you want good mechanical condition? Do you want a manual? Do you want a desirable model?

Running down the checklist when considering the pool of available candidates, infrequently are you allowed to shout out “BINGO”!

I’m not sure today is that day, either. Here’s a 1986 Audi Coupe GT, and yeah, I really do try to look at every single one I can find. But in particular I wanted to look at this car because it’s very similar to how my own GT was delivered from the factory; Oceanic Blue Metallic, a quite rare color to find on any Audi from the 80s. How rare? Well last year I wrote Audi to ask them. And they claim that in 1986 114 Oceanic Blue Metallic with Gray Velour Coupe GTs were produced. That number seems low, but to me it also seems a bit suspect. Audi also claims they sold 2,846 Coupe GTs here in 1986. If those numbers are both to be believed, it’d mean that every 25th Coupe GT we’d come across would be Oceanic Blue Metallic. Maybe that number does make sense, but it seems to be unlikely; spotting an OBM Coupe GT in the wild seems to be a lot more unlikely than that number would suggest. Regardless, we don’t see it often, so it’s worth taking a look:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Audi Coupe GT on eBay

Continue reading

376k-Mile 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera M491

  By

No, that letter ‘K’ in the title wasn’t a careless keystroke that I’ve been know to make. It is the understanding of the decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting multiplication by one thousand. In layman’s terms, this 911 has 376,000 miles. To make it even more interesting, this particular 1986 Porsche 911 was optioned with the M491 code, which means “a sheep in wolf’s clothing”. Okay not exactly, but it denotes the car has the body of a 930 Turbo, but engine remains the standard 3.2L flat-six. You’d think this car has 37,000 miles by looking at it, and the owner must think so too as it sure is priced like it is.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera M491 on eBay

Continue reading

1986 BMW 325iX with 300 Miles

  By

While BMW wouldn’t launch the U.S.-spec iX until 1988, Europeans were introduced to the concept in 1986. Unlike Audi’s quattro system which utilized a rearward driveshaft tacked on to a front-wheel drive transmission output shaft, BMW mated a transfer case and two viscous couplings, which effectively were front and rear limited-slips. This was very different from Audi’s contemporaneous system, which relied on the driver to lock the rear and center differentials that were otherwise open. The 325iX was able to be mated to an automatic transmission long before Audi would do so in the small chassis. BMW’s system was also more rearward biased, with 67% of the power being sent to the back wheels. While still more prone to understeer than a standard 325i, it was less so than the Audi.

But outside, there was little fanfare to celebrate the massive change in drivetrain technology. The iX just got a simple lower body kit similar to the Scirocco 16V kit and a single “X” after the 325i designation on the trunk. That’s it. European examples could even be more stealthy, like this ’86 that sports wheel covers. And this one in particular is quite special, as it’s never been road registered and has traveled just 500km since new. Pricing? The ‘E30 Tax’ is strong, my friends.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 BMW 325iX on SuperVettura.com

Continue reading

1986 Hartge H28

  By ,

Though not as familiar as Alpina, Hartge was another tuner who took BMWs to a higher level. Starting in the early 1970s, they similarly modified cars with higher output motors, special suspension and body kits, and even eventually their own wheel line. In 1985 Hartge was granted special production status in Germany, but their volume never approached that of their rivals. As a result, it’s a bit of a special treat anytime a fully modified Hartge turns up.

The E30 Hartge range was fairly similar to Alpina’s C and B range, with designations associated with their engine displacement. From the 170 horsepower H23 to the 210 horsepower H27, tuned versions of the M20 were employed – some with unique individual throttle bodies, bespoke exhaust manifolds and camshafts, and other trick items. But Hartge also stuck the M30 in the chassis, creating this car – the H28 – and an even more potent H35. The H28 was rated at 210 horsepower – a 70 horsepower upgrade from the stock 323i on which the car was based – and also was met with upgraded suspension, differential, wheels and tires, brakes and body kit. Like Alpina, you could buy many of these parts piecemeal from authorized sellers, making fully modified factory Hartges quite rare:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Hartge H28 on eBay

Continue reading

Halo Homologation-off: 1980 BMW M1 v. 1986 Audi Sport Quattro

  By ,

It’s a bit amazing to consider that two of the most significant halo cars in German motoring history – both homologation models intended to lead their respective marques into the next decade – so closely paralleled each other, yet were so very different. It’s but a 35 minute train ride between Munich and Ingolstadt, and in the late 1970s both BMW and Audi wanted a range-topping model to grab attention. But their approaches were radically different. BMW designed a bespoke mid-engine, tube-frame supercar around a basic engine design it already had. Audi, on the other had, took a basic car design it already had and added a revolutionary drivetrain.

Both were styled by Giugiaro. Both had to be built out-of-house; Baur had a hand in each. Both had legendary engineers – Walter Treser and Roland Gumpert for Audi, Jochen Neerpasch at BMW. Both raced, though the series they were intended for were ultimately cancelled. Both launched a brand name – BMW’s M division, and Audi’s quattro (and later quattro GmbH). And today, both are both legends and highly sought by collectors. So today we have an interesting showdown; two prime examples have come to market and are nearly the exact same price. Of course, for that to occur the Audi entrant is the ‘ultimate’ evolution of the Quattro, the Sport model. So let’s put aside the ridiculous $700,000 plus asking prices of each of these cars for a moment, and consider – all things being equal (which they nearly are!), which one would you choose? Let’s start with the M1:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 BMW M1 on eBay

Continue reading