Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
I’m a sucker for the details. Sometimes they are big and in your face, sometimes something so small you’d never really notice it. On Porsches, the details are never-ending and they’ll gladly charge you for such. Today’s car, a 2004 911 Carrera 4S up for sale in San Francisco, is not subtle with the details. Finished in the always-popular Guards Red, this one takes the Guards Red inside and splashes it absolutely everywhere. Get ready.
Recently I took at look at the underrated 944S2. Well, the even more underrated example in the 944 lineup must be the short-lived 1987-8 944S. Porsche introduction of the “Super†944 was perhaps obscured by other developments in the lineup, including the Turbo, Silver Anniversary model, and revisions to the base model in ’87. The new M44/40 double overhead cam motor upped power output substantially to nearly 190, but outside of the subtle “S†badge on the rear and the embossed “16 Ventlier†on the side trim, there were no signs of the performance gains under the hood. There was a substantial change, however, to the base price, which cut the middle ground between the ~$32,000 944 and ~$40,000 Turbo at around $37,000. I always felt like Porsche’s pricing versus power gains on these models seemed a little too convenient; you got the impression that they could do more with the model, but didn’t want to tread on the 911’s toes. Apparently, so did buyers at the time. The 944S failed to sell as well as the normal 944 or the Turbo, with about 8,800 imported over the short two year production cycle before it was replaced by the even more potent and better looking S2. Few appear today at all, but a Guards Red example popped up on eBay this week:
Santa is here and he drives 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo painted in Guards Red. Okay, maybe not. But if he did, I think he’d go classy with a Savannah Beige full leather interior with dark burl wood accents, and of course, the navigation system as well. Wouldn’t you know it, that is what we have today. This 996 Turbo up for sale in Maryland is finished is said spec and the best part, just has 11,000 miles on it. Basically a brand new car and certainly looks the part. Naturally this won’t come cheap, but I’m really surprised at what the ask is on this one.
While cars like the Audi Quattro and BMW M3 may have popularized boxy flares with their racing credentials to back it up, in my eyes no one pulled off the muscle-bound economy look better than the Porsche 944. The addition of several inches of width and wider wheels to the 924 chassis meant an entirely new feel that mingled with supercar lines instead of Volkswagen lineage. Simply put, they were the most sensual looking German car in the 1980s, and that got even better late in the run with some subtle aero additions that enhanced and updated the look. The smooth Turbo bumpers and rear diffuser carried over to the S2 model, along with some lovely “Design 90” wheels that were also highlighting the 964 model. As Porsche moved to a full update of the watercooled transaxle cars with the introduction of the 968, the outgoing 944S2 even adopted the new “bridge” spoiler design from the not yet introduced model.
Turbo looks without the associated power wasn’t an unknown quantity for Porsche, but the 944S2 was no slouch in its own right. Powered by the M44.41 3-liter inline-4 that had been enlarged from the double overhead cam 944S motor, the 208 horsepower wasn’t as much as the 968 would sport but was still awfully close to what the original 944 Turbo had produced in power. Better yes, with instant torque the S2 was, and still is, a very entertaining drive. Hardly cheap, on paper they were not immediately the smart choice for a sports car buyer in 1990 and 1991, as twin-turbocharged monsters from Japan were all the rage and often less expensive than the best part of $50,000 a 944S2 would cost you. With only around 3,600 imported to the U.S., they’re a bit rare to see but offer great Porsche build quality, performance and even practicality in a very attractive package:
I’m a huge “Why buy this, when I can buy this for the same price?” kind of person. Very much so when it comes to cars. Obviously this can go very wrong when you need to spend $20,000 on a mini van for your family and you come home with a 2004 Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa with the clutch hanging on for dear life. The next thing you know your writing a Craigslist ad with the first words being ***MUST SELL*** while calling your insurance company back to take the car off your policy. This kind of thinking isn’t so bad when it comes to cars that are meant to be cars that you aren’t hauling around your family to your mother-in-laws house. Case in point, Porsche 911.
The 991.2 Carrera 911 T was a car that Porsche certainly didn’t have to build. I went over the specifics of them before when I looked at one back in February, but the short of it is the car is mash-up for parts across the 911 range meant to be an “enthusiast option.” It slots in price wise between the Carrera and the Carrera S, and when looked at on paper, is a ton of a value when talking about new 911s. However, new 911s are still $100,000. So that brings me to never of ending question of do you buy this, or a boat load of other cars for around $100,000? Tough call in my eyes.
