When I first saw this car, I thought I’d be writing a “Revisit” article due to the grey brick background and beautiful E28 M5. Alas, it’s just another very clean M5 from Motorcar Studio, nearly a dead ringer for the one I featured just over a year ago. That 138k-mile example’s auction ended without a buyer at the $32,900 asking price, so they’re coming in a little lower at $27.9k for this 194k-mile M5. It actually looks to be in as good or better shape despite the higher mileage, especially in the interior where the apparently-original leather looks as good as a redo. Mechanically, all records from new with diligent maintenance from just two owners is about as good as it gets with a high-mileage classic. S38s have been known to reach well over a quarter-million miles without a rebuild given devoted maintenance and a little luck, and with a compression test showing 200 PSI all around, this looks like a good candidate.
Tag: BBS
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:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Volkswagen GTi 16V on Huntsville Craigslist
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The words “Q-Ship” and “Sleeper” get tossed around a lot when describing the super-performing sedans, coupes and wagons from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW – but truth be told, virtually any enthusiast and most non-enthusiasts can spot a high performance model a mile away. We have to go really pretty far back to find examples that were true sleepers – models where it was only the number of tail pipes, subtly wider wheels, or maybe one single badge that hinted at their greater performance. There were no extra gills, bulges, flared fenders, red trim, flashy colored brake calipers and 29″ wheels with 375 section tires. For models like the 450SEL 6.9, you had to know what you were looking at to fully appreciate the performance. But even as we got towards the E28 M5, manufacturers were slapping badges, lowered suspensions, spoilers and special trim to help set their client’s substantial investments apart. In the vein of the 450SEL 6.9, though, Volkswagen launched a discrete performance sedan – a true sleeper – in the Passat W8:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion on eBay
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“DOHC” was king in the late 1980s and 1990s, and Volkswagen offered several different flavors of dual-cam goodness. You had practicality and sport in the Scirocco model and GTi, with the Golf carrying the torch into the 1990s after the sports coupe’s production ended. Volkswagen also carried the 16V into the Jetta, but offered some slightly different features and styling to help to separate it from the Golf. Where the Golf was slightly more hard-edged and felt like a racer, the Jetta felt slightly more refined. While 1987-1989 models externally weren’t very different in the front from the GTi, after 1990 single rectangular headlights continued and GLis now came standard with the BBS RA 15×6 wheels in silver. Those wheels had previously been outfitted on the Helios Edition. They also got the Recaro Trophy seats and bigger, aerodynamic bumpers that the GTi now carried. Standard was central locking, twin outlet exhaust, 10.1″ front brakes and a cassette radio with 6 speakers, while options included ABS, power windows, sunroof and metallic paint. Just like their GTi counterparts, these expensive Jettas weren’t sold in great numbers and finding all-original examples can be difficult, especially one with lower miles like today’s end of the run 1992:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Volkswagen GLi 16V on San Francisco Craigslist
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Following up on the 2.0 16V GTi from earlier, the car that perhaps draws wider appeal as the best 1990s Volkswagen product – and, in part, the argument against paying a lot for a late Mk.2 GTi – is the Corrado VR6. As I talked about in the 1990 Corrado write up from the other day, the G60 was a bit down on power and finicky, leaving the GTi as the more desirable choice until 1992 for many. But in 1992, Volkswagen changed the game by introducing the narrow-angle VR6 motor into the sport coupe. Compared to the European-spec model, North American cars were detuned; Europeans enjoyed a 2.9 liter mill with nearly 190 horsepower, while North America made due with about ten less from a 2.8 variant. Subtle upgrades to the exterior made the Corrado look a bit more finished and upscale to match its pricetag. Performance was also where it should have been from the get-go, and the result was the package that many consider one of the best front-drivers ever made: