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It’s another Wednesday and time for another rare wheel roundup! Today I have some more of my favorites lined up, starting with ones close to my heart – Ronal R8 option wheels. These are the lower offset wheels that have the spokes curve in to create a nice lip; were they 4x108mm, rest assured I wouldn’t have posted them and they’d be in the mail to me. They’re rare to find in either bolt configuration but would suit an early GT/4000, Volkswagen or (gasp!) E21 or E30 well. There are two sets of OZ Racing Vega wheels – one for Porsche, the other for Mercedes-Benz. They’re a neat BBS alternative and rare to see. The Audi A3 S-Line wheels may be one you haven’t seen before as most of the S-Line cars came with either larger 17″ wheels or the more BBS-esque wheels. Boy, they’re cheap – a great rare winter setup, perhaps? The Gotti wheels are so over the top they’re almost cool again! And the same goes for the polished Zenders – a rare find with plenty of character to set you apart. What’s your favorite?
I have a confession to make. Speaking as a former owner of a BMW E30, I’ve fallen out of love with them. Blasphemy, right? Hear me out. I feel as if this car has become a bit of a hipster in the world of modern classics. It’s a fantastic car, with plenty of engine options and body styles to choose from, not to mention good roadholding abilities. But somehow the myriad of aftermarket modifications coupled with the M3 pricing craze that has trickled down to the rest of the range leaves me a bit unmoved. After piloting GCFSB co-manager Carter’s race prepped Audi Coupe GT this summer, it made me realize there are plenty of other interesting, more exclusive machines out there that can be had for much less money. Subsequently, my attention has shifted to some nineties rarities like the Audi S6 Avant and Porsche 968.
This E30 M3 for sale in California isn’t a clapped out high mileage example, but it has been used and is described as reliable. Perfect, then, for the person who might want to use one of these early ///M machines daily.
The Z3 Coupe is an oddball in the history of the BMW range. Sure, we’ve seen some intriguing cars like the M1 and Z1 come and go, but these vehicles had a definite purpose. While this car’s sibling, the M Coupe, is revered for its unabashed performance, the slightly softer Z3 Coupe seems like it would have limited appeal. Or would it? After taking a trip up north to see family over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was thankful for my R53 MINI Cooper S and it’s ability to hold a folding bicycle, multiple suitcases, grocery bags and sundry other things (with the rear seats folded flat, of course). While the cargo hold is a bit smaller in the Z3 Coupe, you still have more practicality than the Z3 Roadster offers, with unique styling to boot. This Z3 3.0i Coupe for sale in Florida has the desirable 5-speed manual gearbox and has covered under 70,000 miles.
There is something inherently appealing about buying an older car. If you’re willing to forgo the glam and glitz – and importantly, the warranty – of a new car it’s amazing the deals that you can get. A Volkswagen Phaeton is basically a Bentley underneath, and you can get a decent example for only $8,000 today, for example. Of course, in doing so you’re taking some risks – older cars are a great deal up front, but you’re buying something that has been used – so of course, there will be some issues. Or, in the case of really complicated cars, a lot of issues. For example, I can’t imagine what the used car market on the brand new S-Class cars is going to be in a few decades. They are going to be close to throw away cars because no one is going to be stupid enough to want to fix all of the massively complicated electronics on them as an independent and no one will be able to afford having the dealer fix them up. Back up a few decades, of course, and cars weren’t nearly as complicated so it’s at least easier on the surface to contemplate what was a cutting edge car with a lot of miles; in 1988, it didn’t get much more cutting edge or appealing than the BMW M5:
Some pristine examples of the standard 535i have cropped up recently, and today’s is a shining example of why these were such popular sports sedans in the 80s. With black on chrome, it’s not quite as sinister as the M5, but what I would give for my E28 to be as clean as this! With just 114k miles, the M30 has barely reached puberty, ensuring that you can buy this 535i and have years of looking classy ahead of you. With a starting bid of just $5k and this kind of condition, this could be a great classic value for the right buyer.
