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Another 3.6 liter 964 Turbo? Yes, another 3.6 liter 964 Turbo. Though I hadn’t come across an interesting one of these for a while I’ve now seen two this week that both captured my attention, each for its own reasons. My interest here is two-fold: first, this color combination is really speaking to me. I don’t want to try to over-analyze it because I do enough of that with other colors and these aren’t that unique. But I haven’t seen it much on this model and photographed here in mostly direct sunlight I love it. The second reason I’m interested is because unlike many of the other ads we’ve come across this one is actually an auction. It’s a reserve auction, but an auction nonetheless and therefore we might get a better sense of where these models are being valued. If you just want to know the asking price you can check Hunting Ridge Motors’ website (it’s a high price), but my curiosity is simpler. I’ve long wondered where the prices of these Turbos would stack up against their twin-turbocharged successors, the 993. The 993 clearly appears to be more highly valued than the 3.3 liter 964 Turbo, which shouldn’t surprise us, but what about the 3.6? The 964 has rarity in its favor, while the 993 is noted for being the last of the air-cooled Turbos. But it’s also all-wheel drive, a point that might shift the 964 back into the lead for some owners.
I feel like it’s been a while since I featured a long-hood 911 that was in original condition. Though not as aggressive and eye-catching as many of the modified and backdated 911s that we come across there still remains strong appeal to these early models. That is especially true of a 911S in a nice color. Of course, it is the very high values that these cars command which has encouraged so many owners of more recent models to backdate them in order to reproduce the original design aesthetic. Though the backdated models typically feature improved refinement and more modern mechanicals sometimes there’s just no substitute for the real thing. For the 1969 MY Porsche increased the wheelbase throughout the 911 range helping to provide a little more stability to the rear-engine rear-wheel design. Some buyers prefer the original short-wheelbase dynamics (and many collectors do), but I think many consider the change an improvement. Purely from an aesthetic standpoint the longer wheelbase creates a little better balance as the eye stretches a little more down the entire length of the car. Regardless of which side of that aisle you choose, it is the long-hood design itself that remains of paramount interest. The example we see here shows one of the better Porsche colors of this vintage: a Signal Yellow 1969 Porsche 911S Targa, located in Colorado, with a reported 39,060 miles on it (though the seller’s phrasing casts some doubt here and suggests the odometer may have rolled over).
Contrasts: they don’t always work, but when they do they create something that is much more interesting than the norm. I think we see this a lot with modified cars where contrasts in style become much more prevalent. With factory cars these contrasts usually come about through color combinations between the interior and exterior, but even more so when those colors appear to contrast with the ethos of the car itself. That is what we have here. The 930 needs little introduction. As Porsche’s turbocharged rear-engine Goliath it provided rewards to those able to master its dynamics and treachery to those who could not. Subtle is probably the last adjective that might be used about it. In neither appearance nor performance is it anything approaching subtle. Cassis Red Metallic seems a near opposite. A color that is both vibrant and also soft that may even suggest playfulness. It’s beautiful in a way that belies the nature of the 930. When combined we get a stark contrast, one that has been found on many Porsches before and after it and which remains one of my favorite hallmarks of the brand. Does it work? That will be up to individual buyers. But it’s about as far from triple black – the über aggressive alternative – that we can get.
I don’t usually go out of my way to feature a 911 with Tiptronic, but for whatever reason this 993 really got my attention and more or less seems like just the sort of air-cooled 911 one might look for if a Tiptronic actually was desired. The 993 itself has always struck me as a particularly elegant design within the air cooled world. Some of the more aggressive edges of earlier 911s have been smoothed and the curves accentuated. The color combination of this particular 993 further enhances that elegant look. Add to that the very fact that this is a Cabriolet and I think you have the recipe for a 911 cruiser where an automatic might be preferred. Here we have a Forest Green Metallic 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in Nashville, with Red leather interior and 58,279 miles on it.
Outside of our usual perusing of eBay we all have a variety of other sites we frequent when looking for interesting cars to feature. Some of the sites are sellers whose inventory is a constant array of amazing options and truthfully we could probably just run down the entire inventory and feature everything. But that’s not really what we try to do. That said, at times certain cars stand out so much that we can’t just pass by them. As I hope anyone reading this will agree, this is one of those cars: a paint-to-sample Blood Orange 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo that early in its life was shipped off to Andial for their 3.8 liter twin-plug conversion. On the engine side, the Andial conversion raises horsepower to 575 on 93 octane gas and 625 on race fuel. But it isn’t just an engine. Upgraded suspension and braking helps control the extra power and a sport clutch and single-mass flywheel help deliver that power to all four wheels. While perhaps not as all out and well known as a RUF conversion, the Andial conversions are special in their own right and on the 993 Turbo a rare treat to see.
