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Tag: flat 6

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Future or Now? 1998 993 Carrera 4S v. 2007 997 Turbo

This past weekend I caught a bit of the Mecum Auction action, and I was pretty stunned to see a fairly new 993 Turbo in Arena Red come across the auction block. Generally, when newer metal comes across the block at these auctions, the commentators break to commercial sponsors and don’t really pay attention. But the 911 market is such that this particular 993 – which wasn’t perfect, mind you – hammered for around $170,000 not including fees. The surge in air-cooled prices is amazing, and it seems that there’s a scramble to buy what good examples are left while they’re still affordable. Two cars were sent our way by readers last week that got me thinking more about this; one was the 993 Carrera 4S that you see here from our reader John, and a 2005 996 Turbo S in Signal Green – reportedly 1 of 1 – from our reader Michael. I’ve talked before about how the 996 Turbo is a screaming performance deal right now, and this one-off Turbo S wasn’t too far from the price of the 993 Carrera 4S offered here.

Obviously, despite being very similar cars in many respects the two have very different markets. Those in the 993 market are looking for a rapidly appreciating classic; a well proportioned, ultimate development of the air-cooled days of Porsche when limited production numbers, over engineering and sublime driving experiences ruled the day. Those in the 996 market are looking for the most performance they can buy, and a twin-turbo, all-wheel drive 911 is truly a car that now can be used all year long while lighting your hair on fire every time you hit the loud pedal. Unfortunately, that Signal Green example disappeared before I could get this article up; what I found to replace it might even be more astounding – a 997 Turbo Sport Chrono with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. Nearly a decade separates these two cars and there’s a substantial performance gap as well; which would you choose?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo DP 935

Ah, the DP 935. It’s a car that in the world of Porsche generates both enthusiasm and enthusiastic hatred of the modifications. There’s no denying that they were one of the more spectacular modified Porsches in the 1980s, though, and while Duran Duran seems to be playing in my head everytime I see one, I nevertheless love to find them. We last looked at a blacked-out and modified 1986 DP 935 almost exactly a year ago. Today’s model, like the all-black model from last year, is not 100% correct or the full-crazy European-spec slantnose, but the U.S. spec toned down package that retained the original bumpers. Also like that car, this example has non-original wheels and an engine rebuild/refresh. Is it the one to buy?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo DP 935 on eBay

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10K Friday Poor-sche Edition: 928S4 v. 944 v. 944 Turbo v. 924 v. 944 S2 v. Boxster v. Boxster S

“Poor Man’s Porsche”; while it’s a moniker usually attached to the 924 series, the reality is these days it applies to everything outside of the 911. The surge in 911 prices has been so great, that it has also pulled other lesser alternatives to the 911 up as well – try to get into a clean 912 and you’ll be surprised by the price. Even the lowly, forgotten 914 is in the mid teens for a really clean example of a flat-4 model up towards $100,000 for original 914-6 models. So does this mean you need 6-figures to be a true Porsche enthusiast? I don’t believe that’s the case – I think there are a plethora of great options at or around $10,000, so I’ve lined up an assortment. Which do you think is most worthy of wearing the crest of Stuttgart?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 Porsche 928S4 on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1986 Porsche 911 Rinspeed R69

Oh, the 1980s. Full of crazy creations, custom calamities and questionable creativity. If you wanted a crazy tuner car back then, there were plenty of options from mild to wild; some of them we’ve covered, such as the DP slantnose cars and the Koenig widebody 560SEC Mercedes-Benz. But if one company has consistently gone above and beyond, it would have to be Rinspeed. Afterall, they did made a 911 turbo truck that changed color and roofline and was encrusted in jewels. That takes a really special mind – one that most would argue should probably be in a straight jacket. Nevertheless, there’s always a market for the crazy Rinspeed creations, and one of their less extreme models has come up for sale. Based upon a 911 but borrowing water-cooled bits for a unique look, check out the Rinspeed R69:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Rinspeed R69 on classic driver

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Tuner Tuesday: 1987 Ruf BTR Lightweight

While there are a plethora of Porsche 930s sporting Ruf details, when you get into the real Ruf vehicles you have crested a very high mountain of performance. Rufs emerged in the 1980s as the ultimate giant killers; cars whose performance exceeded the expectations of everyone in the motoring press and every stock vehicle they came across. Put simply, there were just no cars that were faster; even Porsche’s legendary 959 was bullied by the equally revered Ruf CTR Yellowbird in a high-speed test when they were new. They were, and remain, the most expensive and most highly sought modified Porsches available. Add to that the specialized lightweight versions of the already exclusive Rufs, and you’ve got something truly special and unique:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Ruf BTR on eBay

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