Tag: Grand Prix White

Feature Listing: 1977 Porsche 924 Martini World Championship Edition

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In 1976, Porsche won the World Sportscar Championship for makes with successful runs in both the 935 and prototype 936 chassis. The 936 was triumphant at Le Mans in the already famous Martini livery, while a series of 935/76s carried the colors in Group 5 FIA sports car racing. It was there that Porsche introduced the ‘slant nose’ aerodynamic bodywork that became the hot mod on 911s in the 1980s; however, in the 1970s you could get a very nice slantnose Porsche – replete with Martini Racing colors – for a lot less than a 911 Turbo.

To commemorate the success of the 1976 season, in 1977 Porsche released a limited run of Martini-colored 924s. Option M426 was the Martini World Championship Edition, and it cost $450. Add in a removable roof like this one for about $350, and the sticker price of this car just passed $10,000. For that sum, Porsche gave you quite a lot of visual enhancement; bathed only in pure white, the 924’s 8-spoke alloy wheels were color-matched to the body. Martini stripes ran the length of the sides, their design mimicking the wedge shape of the 924. Inside, a special two-tone interior of scarlet corduroy and black leatherette was offset with Martini stripes stitched into the upper portion of the seats and blue piping ran throughtout. A commemorative plaque was added to the back of the center console, too, reminding you that the car you were driving was from the house of a champion. You held a real leather steering wheel, and helping execute your commands was achieved by Porsche adding sway bars to the suspension both front and rear. It was a series of small changes that resulted in a neat package, and one that is sought by collectors of the transaxle design today:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 924 Martini Championship Edition on Hemmings

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Double Take: 1995 Porsche 968 6-speed

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A few weeks ago, I took a look at a trio of Porsche 968 6-speeds. One was a rare 1995 model; only 259 were sold from that model year. As is often the case with 968 Coupe 6-speeds, the asking prices of two of the three were quite high and they still linger on the market, unsurprisingly. Well, today we have another double take of ’95 specific 6-speeds – how do they measure up to the last three we looked at?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Porsche 968 Coupe on eBay

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1977 Porsche 924 Martini World Championship Edition

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Last month I wrote an article for The Truth About Cars where I covered the special models of the Porsche 924. Recounting the various special editions drew into sharp focus the general lack of any performance gains with those models. Sure, some had sway bars and fog lights – two of the best known performance upgrades in the 1980s. But generally speaking, most of the Porsche 924 limited models were just a special color stripes and/or special interior. The 1976 and 1977 World Championship Edition 924 is probably the best example of that, but before it’s completely dismissed as a mega-poser, it’s worth a look if for no other reason than it’s quite the looker:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 924 Martini World Championship Edition on eBay

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1977 Porsche 924 Martini Edition

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Continuing on my theme of watercooled transaxle Porsches in famous livery, in 1976 Porsche won the World Sportscar Championship primarily with its 935 and 936 models in Martini Racing livery. To commemorate this achievement, in 1977 if you walked into your Porsche dealer and selected option M426 (Code E19) on a new Porsche 924, you’d be handed the keys to a uniquely colored coupe. The outside of each was Grand Prix White, and along the side were triangularly shaped stripes in the now famous Martini Racing livery. The “Tarantula” alloys were color-matched white as well. Underneath, the Martini cars were equipped with front and rear sway bars – the only real performance option. Inside was what really set the car apart, though, with scarlet carpet and seat centers, contrasting piping, a leather steering wheel and of course a commemorative plaque to let you know you were in the house of a World Champion!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 924 Martini Edition on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1991 Porsche 911 Targa Rauh-Welt Begriff

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As Rob said in his recent 964 Carrera 4 Widebody post, the flared variants of the middle generation 911 can be polarizing. Even more polarizing are the extra-widebody Nakai-san Rauh-Welt Begriff creations. That Akira Nakai is an artist is unquestioned, but whether his creations are genius or blasphemous depend on your definition of art I would suppose. Nakai takes the stock 911 and turns it up to 11, with custom molded, hand crafted flares and widening the lines of the 911 to outrageous proportions. Fitted with giant wheels, lowered suspensions and custom front and rear bumpers, they are the embodiment of the Japanese tuning scene but with a decidedly European feel. Indeed, you don’t need to look far into Porsche’s own developments to find the inspiration for these models from Stuttgart’s own work. Indeed, many of Nakai’s works look a lot like the 964 Turbo S Le Mans racer and later 993 GT2 race car, with their giant gold BBS wheels, huge spoiler, vents and wide flares. Personally, I think that Nakai does an exceptional job mimicking the best of the 911 race car design whilst simultaneously introducing his own style. That becomes more obvious when you see a non-Coupe RWB such as today’s Targa model – I believe the first open-air RWB I’ve seen:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Porsche 911 Targa RWB on Cats Exotics

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Motorsports Monday: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

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Over the past few decades, the classic car market has been so crazy in some cases that former race cars have been reverted expensively back to street models in order to capitalize on their greater value. Factory race cars obviously retain their appeal – sometimes even if they were never raced – yet cars that were converted by your average enthusiast retain the prospect of a return to their former street-worthy status. One of the most popular cars to convert to track use has traditionally been the Porsche 911, a car that since it’s inception was a gentleman racer in the making. But with values in a shocking climb, will we see these 911s leave their ancestral home at the track and head for climate-controlled garages with heavy specialty insurance premiums?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe on eBay

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10K Friday Performance Edition: M3 v. 944 Turbo v. CLK500 v. S4 v. GTi

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Well, I hope this will stir some interest, as I think this is a bit of an interesting comparison. What level of performance can you buy for $10,000 (give or take) these days? Surprisingly, there are a lot of options – and those options vary pretty seriously in their execution and packages; there’s a wagon and a sports car, two sedan-based coupes and a hatchback. Engines range from a 2 liter turbo to a V8, with a bit of everything in between. Yet, what appears to be a very strange comparison linked only by price is revealed to be much closer when you look at performance figures:

E36 M3: 240 hp, 0-60 6.0 seconds, 3,200 lbs
944 Turbo: 220 hp, 0-60 5.9 seconds, 2,900 lbs
CLK500: 302 hp, 0-60 5.7 seconds, 3,800 lbs
S4 Avant: 250 hp, 0-60 5.6 seconds, 3,700 lbs
GTi: 200 hp, 0-60 6.6 seconds, 3,200 lbs

The range is much closer than you’d expect – especially when you consider that these figures could easily be equaled in margin of error, driver skill and reaction time. In the twisties, the lower powered cars like the GTi catch up to the higher power CLK and S4. All are, in one way or another, practical choices. Some are destined (or already) classics, while others will likely fade away. So what would be your choice? Let’s start with an M3 we’ve already seen:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1999 BMW M3 on eBay

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1989 Porsche 944S2

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Although the appeal of the budget speed of the 944 Turbo is certainly large, the actual driving experience around town can sometime be a bit lacking and the expense of 25 year old turbocharged technology can be a turnoff. Luckily, Porsche offered its own solution with the 944S2. Well covered on these pages, the S2 offers early Turbo levels of performance from its 3.0 16V motor, with no turbo lag. I’ve said it was perhaps the best all-arounder Porsche has ever built, and I think overall that’s a realistic look at the S2; if all-out speed wasn’t your goal, the S2 offers practicality, lower ownership costs and enough power to take advantage of one of the best handling chassis ever made. Take a look at this 1989 example:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Porsche 944S2 on eBay

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1989 Porsche 944 Turbo

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While yesterday I hinted that the E46 M3 might be the next 944 Turbo, let’s not forget that the original 944 Turbo is still alive and kicking. While generally speaking the 1988 Silver Rose Turbo S cars seem to be the most valuable of the street cars, the 1989 Turbos came in “S” specification, complete with the M030 suspension, more power and those special wheels. I’m lucky enough to have spent a fair amount of time in one of these; my father bought a 1989 just like this, but with white sport seats. It’s an amazing car, capable of effortless acceleration, swallowing huge trips in a single gulp, and yet gets good mileage and is comfortable. It’s one of those strange “fish story” cars; it just shouldn’t be as good as it is, and yet it is still largely overlooked as a performance value. While clean examples of the performance bargains in the 1980s and 1990s have steadily been on the rise, the 944 Turbo remains attainable. Today’s 1989 example is one of the better ones:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo on eBay

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Forgotten 44s – 1987 Porsche 944S and 1989 Porsche 944 2.7

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If you want a water-cooled, front engined Porsche collectable, there are several bulletproof standbys to look at. There’s of course the always popular 944 Turbo and Turbo S, a performance bargain that’s sure not to last much longer. Then there’s the curvy 968 and it’s lesser appreciated brother, the 944 S2. Enthusiasts in the know love them and seek out clean examples that challenge and exceed Turbo pricing. Those on a budget or less interested in the box-flared 44s look towards the short production 924S – a hidden gem of affordable Porsche ownership. Heck, even the lowly 924 Turbo has a cult following, as do the niche models like the 924 Carrera GT and GTS. But for your hard-earned money, there are two very rare models that 944 enthusiasts seem to forget. These models are slightly more affordable than their more-sought after brethren, but as the market climbs it may just be these lesser known models that appreciate more. These models are the 1987-1988 944 S 16V and the 1989 only 944 2.7. Today there are two clean examples, one of each model, on Ebay. Let’s start with the 16 Ventiler:

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Year: 1987
Model: 944 S
Engine: 2.5 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 96,664 mi
Price: $8,990 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 944 S on eBay

RARE FIND! 1987 Porsche 944 S with only 96K orginal miles. With only 2 previous owners in the last 26 years this car comes with a long list of service records that date back to the original owner, Engine was rebuilt few years ago from previous owner, we just recently serviced this Porsche with New A/C Compresser, New battery, New Windshield, New brakes, New Power Steering pump, New Fuel Filter, New Fuel Pump, New Plugs, Wire and Caps, New Transmission Seals, New Gasket Seals, New Axles Seals and much more! This Porsche is a beauty and a rare find.

This 1987 Porsche 944 S comes with a clean CarFax and AutoCheck Report. We offer Nationwide Shipping as well. For more pics and information, please visit us at www.AutoByDesigns.com

Despite being at an Ebay dealer, this car appears to have records to trace it’s maintenance history. The white over grey is a great combination in my mind. With the special “S” alloys, these cars stand a little apart from the regular 944 look, though they miss the Turbo-look body kit of the S2. Some might not like that, but the earlier look of the 944s is a tad bit lighter if not as clean. The 16V motor was a treat, and received a host of upgrades over the standard 944 – magnesium engine bits, different transmission, brakes, computers, suspension and a 190hp set these cars apart and slotted them nicely between the 944/924S and 944 Turbo. With only about 3300 1987 Ss and 8000 overall imported to the U.S., they’re not quite as rare as the later S2s but more rare than the Turbo or 944. Looking for something a little less common, then? How about this 1989 944 2.7:

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The 1989 944 was the last of the breed. While the Turbo and S2 would carry over for a bit longer until the launch of the 968, the last of the 8Vs received a few upgrades as it’s swan song. Chief among these was the bump in displacement to 2.7 liters, a net of only a few horsepower over the 2.5 but a jump in torque that made the 2.7 more fun to enjoy than the earlier cars heading out of corners. Guards Red over black is a standby with 1980s Porsches, so perhaps this one floats your boat:

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Year: 1989
Model: 944
Engine: 2.7 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 133,000 mi
Price: $8,995 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Porsche 944 on eBay

1989 Porsche 944 NA. Guards Red with black leather interior, 5 spd, sunroof, cold a/c, am/fm cassette. The car has been well maintained and I have of the maintaince records since I bought it in 2007and also from the previous owner. There is over 10 years of documented maintenance history. Engine runs strong and clean. Paint is in good condition. all lines clean and straight. Car is driven daily to work and appointments. Serious inquiries only. (954) 214-4560.

Like the S, this car seems like a good deal with records available. Either way, for a pinch under $9,000 you can jump into a lower mile, maintained classic Porsche. They’re cheaper to run than their flat-6 and V8 counterparts, and while neither is as exciting as the Turbo or S2 models both will surely give you smiles down the road. If it were my money, I’d sport for the 944S and enjoy a few trips to redline, plus I like the stealthy white/grey color combo. There are countless “special versions” of the water cooled front engine Porsches, but these both are great drivers that you could hold onto and will likely appreciate – both in value and in driving experience!

Which would you choose?

-Carter