Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Whether your intention is to try to return your car towards a stock form, find some period correct aftermarket wheels or even some optional OEM wheels, there are always some great options out there to check out. Today is no exception; from the rare to see Ronal R9 for classic BMWs to the wicked OZ 3-piece wheels for AMGs, here are a few of the rare wheel sets I found for sale this week. Which are your favorite?
In the U.S., few Audi models have quite such a devoted following as the 1995 S6 Avant. Not many were imported, and those that were generally have been snapped up by enthusiasts and had miles piled on to them. Some have succumbed to accidents or been organ donors, leaving even fewer on the road 20 years later. However, we have 4 today available – amazingly all in different colors. Which would be the one you would choose? Let’s start with an Emerald Green Mica example:
The less glamorous version of what was a fantastic chassis and engine combination, the Audi 4000 quattro brought rally-bred performance to the masses. You really could think of it as the original “WRX” because while the big-brother Quattro that stole all of the headlines in its day is currently a reasonably good value compared to some of its contemporaries, when they were new the turbocharged, box-flared brother was simply out of reach of most enthusiasts. Original sticker price of the Quattro put it around the same price as a well-equipped Porsche 911; equivalent today to a base model R8. It was therefore very exciting to see a nearly identical drivetrain layout passed down to the more pedestrian sedan version, complete with a similar-sounding inline-5 and locking differentials. You got all of this in a slick-looking 4-door package for around $20,000 – not cheap, mind you, but half the price of the Quattro. For many fans of the Quattro package, it proved to be legendary in its own right:
Thought they recently have surpassed the 25 year importation boycott into the United States, it’s not likely that you’re ever going to see many of this model car on these shores. Sure, there’s a group of Audi enthusiasts who are particularly excited when they see a B2 Coupe Quattro pop up for sale – a truly rare event in the U.S.. However, clean models demand a serious premium because of their rarity – a premium which pushes them squarely into the price point of the turbocharged, box flared big brother. Though the drivetrains are for the most part the same, the addition of the turbo, bigger wheels and flares changes the category of ownership from neat footnote to headline splash. As such, it’s understandable why the Coupe Quattro is such as niche vehicle. Nevertheless, it’s really neat to see one for sale in the U.S., and this occasion is no different.
To me, it’s pretty amazing that the Quattro hasn’t really received the attention of the E30 M3. The Quattro beat the M3 to the market by 6 years with its squared, chunky boxflare stance. It was all-wheel drive, turbocharged and cutting edge. It revolutionized the World Rally Championship and firmly cemented Audi in the halls of motorsports and enthusiasts minds. The offbeat 5-cylinder hanging in front of the wheels seemed an odd choice, but Audi has returned with an updated version of that power plant in some of its newer models, and the sound and performance is no less memorable than it was in the original. Indeed, in terms of what a single car did for a brand, the Quattro was much more influential for Audi than the E30 M3 was for BMW in my mind. Yet today, if you want to get a great condition E30 M3 with under 100,000 miles you’re looking at over $50,000 to play; if you want to get into the original Quattro, nice examples can be had for half that amount: