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Tag: V8

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Feature Listing: 2009 Audi R8 4.2 Coupe

Feature Listing: 2009 Audi R8 4.2 Coupe

Published December 30, 2015 by Carter

Is there such a thing as a practical supercar? If there is, I’d have to suggest that the Audi R8 is perhaps the best representation of such a thing. First, let’s define if it’s a supercar. Even the base R8 has the sonorous and high-revving 4.2 FSi motor that has powered the B chassis RS products for the last few models. Rated at 420 horsepower and 317 ft.lb of torque, it’s enough to launch the somewhat heavy R8 from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and a top speed just shy of 190 m.p.h.. As super sedans blur the lines between supercars and normal production cars, these numbers aren’t outrageous – but the R8 4.2 can run step in step in a Lamborghini Diablo, for example. Couple that with near perfect weight distribution and massive tires, and the R8 will easily out turn many marques of more mystique with its ability to generate the full gravity of the earth through turns – on street rubber. Yet this performance comes without the price that many used to have to pay for the luxury of speed; the R8 is happy to lounge around town at pedestrian speeds, bathing its occupants in comfort. And with all-wheel drive, it’s even usable year-round. Practical? Maybe it’s not the best choice for a family, but it’s certainly a driver’s car for those that love to drive in every condition. But perhaps best of all, it’s relatively affordable – only costing about the same as many Porsche 911 models:

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Motorsports Monday: 1978 Porsche 928

Motorsports Monday: 1978 Porsche 928

Published December 28, 2015 by Carter

There’s a strange part of me that loves the idea of turning up to the track in something no one is expecting to see turn fast laps. It’s part of what drove me to continuously develop my Audi GT into a track car, and most of what I love about racers like the Audi V8 quattro and 850 Estate Super Touring. But certainly, when it comes to Porsches everyone expects them to appear on the circuit, right? Well, in the case of the 928, it’s somewhat rare to see them hit the track. Big, heavy and complicated grand tourers, they’re more at home hitting top speed on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt Autobahn then slithering through La Source. Yet some, including Porsche themselves, took the big GT racing – from Le Mans to Daytona, the 928 saw competitive action around the globe even if it never was quite as celebrated as its rear engine brethren. Today it’s just as rare to find a track prepared 928 for sale, but an early example has surfaced on eBay:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 928 on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: Alpina Roadster V8 Roundup

Tuner Tuesday: Alpina Roadster V8 Roundup

Published December 15, 2015 by Carter

Part of the appeal of cheap(ish) cars to me is that when they get older they’re so infrequently seen. It’s not that exotics are daily drivers around me, but once a generation of car’s usefulness has been eclipsed they all but disappear from the roadways, replaced by the newest model. Do you really want a clean Audi 5000CS quattro Avant, for example, or an impeccable BMW 630CS? They can be found, but few and far between best describes the frequency with which they come to market. But as the price goes up, so rises the number of examples that are available at any given time. They may still be classified as “rare”, but they’re rare not because they’re hard to find – just hard to afford. There is nothing particularly rare, for example, about most of the Porsche 911 model range from any generation – they were all effectively mass produced sports cars. But because they were highly priced and treasured, the number of good examples that are on the market today exceeds the actually rare 924 Turbo and late 944 Turbo, for example. Looking in another direction, I marveled that on eBay this week there was not one, not two, not even three – but no less than six Z8s tuned by Alpina. That represents just over one out of every 100 that was produced, all for sale at the same time, all in perfect shape, all with low miles and high prices. In fact, this pool gives us a chance to check out exactly how much mileage changes perceived value – or at least, asking price:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 Alpina Z8 on eBay

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2013 BMW M3 Individual

2013 BMW M3 Individual

Published December 13, 2015 by Carter

In my search for a M3, I kept my eye out for Individual shades on the E46 just to keep things interesting. Velvet Blue, for example, was one that caught my eye. I can’t imagine having the fortitude to plunk down the extra 10% premium to order a car that I couldn’t see in the flesh, then to sit for months on end waiting for it to arrive – hoping they painted it the right shade! But thankfully some buyers have the vision and means to provide us with very interesting color choices on these cars. Though they rarely come up for sale in comparison to the sea of black and silver that consumes 90% of the M3’s production, it certainly is awesome to see one in a unique shade such as this E92 specified through Individual in Brewster Green:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2013 BMW M3 on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1997 Audi A6 Avant S6 Plus Conversion

Tuner Tuesday: 1997 Audi A6 Avant S6 Plus Conversion

Published December 1, 2015 by Carter

We all have dreams. In automotive terms, I can remember many cars that I’ve spent countless hours modifying in my head. “No one will be expecting this!” I’d laugh to myself, ignoring the sensibility of my plan. Hurdles such as the cost, the time invested, or even if the end result would be worth the hours spent not only planning but executing the plan were cleared as if I was Edwin Moses on route to another Olympic Gold. Indeed, I’d already be crowning myself champion of the mods as I slowly turned the image of a complete dream in my head at night, during breakfast, while walking or at work, and especially when driving. But then the realities of life set in, and the dreams so carefully laid out by many are dashed on the rocky shores of life. The plan wasn’t economically viable or even possible, the car was too rusty or too far gone, the parts were too hard to source, or as is often the case, priorities changed and something newer and flashier came along. For every 1,000 cars dreamed to completion, my bet is that fewer than five make it to the light of day. When I had my V8 quattro, I was going to restore that and make it a manual. I truly loved that car, but the realities of owning it were too hard to continue on. Then I had my 200 Avant, and I was going to combine the bits from the V8 quattro and make a monster V8 Avant. That, too, was left on the planning board.

All of this is what makes such creations as this car so special. Who would look at an A6 Avant and think “I’m going to turn this car into a S6 Plus Avant”? Maybe one person would have that thought – but it only takes one. The result of what was undoubtedly one of the least likely builds has resulted in one of the most desirable Avants I’ve seen stateside:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 Audi A6 Avant S6 Plus Conversion on quattroworld.com

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