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Tag: 1996

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1996 BMW 318ti M-Sport

Published June 27, 2014 by Carter

One of the great unsung heros of the E36 lineup was the compact three-door hatchback, sold in the U.S. as the 318ti. Journalists decried the E30-based rear suspension and oversteering tendency of the 318. Enthusiasts were grumpy that it only came here with the 4-cylinder. And practical folks were happy to pass up the rear-drive amusement for a cheaper and better equipped Golf. But in my mind, the proportions of the 318ti were just right – like a rear drive Corrado, this car screamed of the potential for fun and practicality in one little package. The best looking of the bunch were the M-Sport models – though the changes were only cosmetic, they made the hot hatch look great!

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1996 Volkswagen Passat TDi Variant

Published June 16, 2014 by Carter

In the realm of desirable German cars, the Volkswagen Passat scores remarkably low – undermining what a great car it truly is. There have been a few generations now, some based upon Audis and some based upon modified Golf platforms. Each platform has it’s own stars; the B2 saw the Audi Quattro-based GL5 Synro. For B3 fans, the 16V G60 Syncro Variant turned things up a notch, even if it wasn’t available in the U.S.. And the B5.5 saw the development version of the “W” engine platform, with one of the most highly sought after Passats in the form of the W8 4Motion Variant 6-speed manual. But while the B4 had no such enthusiast notables, there were two very competent versions of the mid-90s Passats available. First was the sporty VR6 model, especially desirable in Variant form since we didn’t receive the 4-door GTi or Golf Variant on these shores. But for the budget-minded mega-milers, one of the true hidden gems of the water-cooled community was produced – the TDi Variant. Available only for a short time and in limited numbers, these cars are easily capable of a Prius-crushing 50 m.p.g. and have room for the family. Like many of the Audi/Volkswagen products, they have a loyal community that follows them and enthusiastically cares for them, no matter how many miles pop up. Recently we saw one of these TDi Variants top $13,000 in similar condition – about as strong as money gets for any of the pre-2000 watercooled Volkswagen products outside of the camper vans:

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Feature Listing: 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

Published June 9, 2014 by Rob

It has been almost 20 years since Porsche introduced the 993 and what would become the last of the air-cooled 911s. Porsche felt 272 hp was pushing the limits of what they could reliably produce from the naturally aspirated 3.6 liter flat-six engine while maintaining stable operating temperatures through air cooling. Combine those concerns with increasingly more stringent emissions and fuel economy needs and the writing was on the wall for the air-cooled engine. But Porsche certainly sent the model off with a bang as many still consider the 993 the best representation of a naturally-aspirated 911 produced to date. With the air-cooled market as strong as ever low-mileage examples are in increasingly high demand. The car we see featured here is a Red over Black 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe with 21,270 miles brought to us from our friends at Sun Valley Auto club in Hailey, Idaho.

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Spicy or Mild? 1998 BMW M3 Convertible versus 1996 BMW 328i Convertible

Published May 15, 2014 by Paul

Shortly after we had posted it last week, the Estoril Blue M3 Convertible sold. That car set off an interesting debate with our readers about how acceptable an open-roofed M car can be. Most people seem to be in agreement that they would rather have the enjoyment of top down motoring at the expense of weight or chassis flex, as most folks aren’t hitting the track on a regular basis. This M3 Convertible for sale in California has a bit more mileage under its belt, but is also a 5-speed manual example, arguably the more involving gearbox choice.

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1996 Porsche 911 C4S

Published May 6, 2014 by Rob

I should probably just admit it to myself: I drive a black car, it blends in fairly well with everything else, but I am a sucker for certain colors, especially certain bright colors, and always find myself taking a 2nd or 3rd look at the listing for a car painted in a hue that we would never refer to as subtle. C’est la vie. Here we have a low-mileage Arena Red 1996 Porsche 911 C4S that is located in Colorado. The C4S made its debut with the 993 and featured lowered suspension, Turbo brakes, and the wider rear bodywork of the Turbo, all packaged around Porsche’s all-wheel-drive system. For buyers who wished to forgo the high-stressed forced induction of the 993 Turbo, the 993 C4S offered an alternative that was dynamically similar though in naturally-aspirated form. While certainly not as highly regarded as a 993 Turbo on the current market, the C4S still holds its own and is sure to command excellent value over the years to come.

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