Category: Features

  • Market Find: 2024 Porsche 911 ‘Turbo Remastered’ by Sonderwunsch to be Auctioned

    Market Find: 2024 Porsche 911 ‘Turbo Remastered’ by Sonderwunsch to be Auctioned

    If you’re a super aficionado of Porsche Sonderwunsch and seeking something highly unique, we think this 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo out of Dubai and going up for auction by RM Sotheby’s should definitely grab your attention. The car was conceptualized as a tribute to Louise Piëch’s 1974 911 Turbo prototype with distinctive tartan seats and matching tartan graphics that’s a regular fixture at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. The car is the result of a collaboration between Style Porsche, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, intended as a showcase of the wide capabilities of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch special wishes program.

    The base car is painted GT Silver (gtsilbermetallic; metallic UNI; M7Z / U2; Porsche), including custom exterior decals matching an interior fitted with two-tone Lipstick Red and black with red and blue tartan fabric trim.

    Below is the full item description provided by RM Sotheby’s. Below that is a full gallery of the car. Check out more information HERE.

    2024 Porsche 911 ‘Turbo Remastered’ by Porsche Sonderwunsch

    ADDENDUM

    Please note this car is offered without registration papers, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction.Please note that this lot is subject to VAT on the full purchase price (both on the Hammer Price and Buyer’s Premium).

    Porsche lined up a particularly special 70th birthday present for Louise Piëch, daughter of company founder Ferdinand Porsche. To mark the occasion, on 29 August 1974, the factory gifted her a 911 Turbo prototype (chassis 9115600042). Even more special, this example of the first road-going 911 to feature forced induction was quite different from the final model that would enter production the following year. For starters, it was based around a narrow Carrera chassis rather than gaining the full-fat Turbo’s eventual and distinctive wide stance. In addition, a turbocharged 2.7-litre flat-six was initially installed rather than a 3-litre powerplant, plus the tachometer showed an ambitious red line of 10,000 rpm.

    Finished in silver over a tartan interior, as chosen by Mrs Piëch, the prototype was completed at the Zuffenhausen factory on 17 July 1974. She evidently enjoyed driving “911 Turbo No. 1” greatly. Upon handing the car over to the Porsche Museum four years later, the odometer recorded nearly 32,000 kilometres from Mrs Piëch’s touring of continental motorways.

    With 2024 marking 50 years since the original 930-generation 911 Turbo was revealed to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October 1974, Porsche fittingly commissioned the one-off ‘911 Turbo Exclusive Manufaktur’ offered here. Presented in GT Silver, this car is a loving modern-day interpretation of Mrs Piëch’s personal prototype. The stunning homage comes as a result of a collaboration between Style Porsche, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, and Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE in an exercise showcasing the Sonderwunsch request program, which provides bespoke customisation services to create unique special editions.

    Unveiled at the Icons of Porsche festival held in Dubai in November 2023, this car is fitted with a host of Exclusive Manufaktur options. These include the Sport Design Package, which notably adds upturned tips for the rear wing, more pronounced side sills, and an aggressive restyling of the extended front bumper. Meanwhile, the side strakes and mirrors are painted to match the body colour. To authentically recreate the look of Mrs Piëch’s 1974 prototype, Style Porsche designers in Weissach have added the Austrian autobahn decal on the right-front wing. Porsche Classic also provided special permission for the script from the first-ever production 911 Turbo to be reused for the rear badge. The exterior configuration is capped off by black five-spoke wheels that hark back to the famous Fuchs alloy design.

    With the Heritage Design Classic package selected, the interior features retro-style green illuminated dials for the tachometer and Sport Chrono dial. The upholstery for the remastered Turbo compromises two-tone Lipstick Red and black, while the seat centres and door cards are trimmed with red and blue tartan trim just as Mrs Piëch originally requested. Like the rear badging, the seats are capped off with original Turbo lettering embroidered into the headrest.

    While the appearance is a clear tribute to Porsche’s past, the dynamics are at the leading edge. As a 992-generation 911 Turbo, the car boasts a 3,745-cc six-cylinder boxer engine enhanced by symmetrical turbochargers to deliver 580 PS. With that power transmitted to all four wheels via an eight-speed PDK transmission featuring an aluminium gear selector, the sprint to 100 km/h takes just 2.8 seconds while the top speed is 320 km/h. That considerable performance is accessed by unlocking the car with a bespoke dual-finish key that features the tartan pattern and GT Silver colours.

    Registered in the United Arab Emirates and showing delivery use only, with the odometer displaying just 35 kilometres at the time of cataloguing, the sale of this 911 Turbo ‘Exclusive Manufaktur’ is particularly special. A seldom-offered opportunity to become the first owner of a one-off Porsche that celebrates 50 years of the manufacturer’s forced-induction flagship, here is an opportunity for marque enthusiasts and supercar collectors alike that’s not to be missed.

  • Market Find: Audi exclusive Sprint Blue RS 5 Cabriolet

    Market Find: Audi exclusive Sprint Blue RS 5 Cabriolet

    Today we’re excited to bring you the first of what we hope to be many for Tailored Driver– fan submitted content. Kaleb, the owner of this Audi exclusive Sprint Blue (sprintblau; pearl UNI; LZ5F / 5N; Audi) RS 5 Cabriolet, reached out shortly before his Cars and Bids listing went live, and we were happy to hear from him. Not only a fantastic, incredibly high sticker ($94k!) Tailored Driver, but also a truly great enthusiast’s car to boot.

    The B8.5 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet is already a rare car. If production numbers we’ve found over on Audiworld.com are accurate, only 769 U.S. market Cabriolets were produced (versus 2747 Coupes) between MY2013 and MY2015. And while this does sound consistent with what we’ve heard in the past, it’s the note of Audi exclusive painted examples that make us think their count may be missing at least some color data as they list no “individual” colors in MY2013 or M&2014 (like this car), though do list 25 “Exclusive” colors in MY2015. No doubt Audi might provide more specific details on the Audi exclusive mix, or if this car is one of multiple or one of one as it sits in its Sprint Blue on black leather color way.

    What is Sprint Blue? The color appears to have debuted on the B7-generation Audi S4. Having produced Nogaro Blue from the earliest RS2 production (as RS Blue) and through B5 and B6, it seems the brand was looking for a new bold blue paint code to freshen up that end of the palette spectrum. Sprint Blue Pearl was that blue, though favors more to the green/cyan side of the blue spectrum as compared to the more purple/magenta oriented Nogaro Blue.

    In period, Sprint Blue was a popular factory color choice and is seen regularly on the B7 S4, B7 RS 4 and early B8 S and RS models. By the time the B8 received its “B8.5” facelift like this car though, Sprint had been replaced with Audi’s Sepang Blue that is a bit lighter and with less green. So, when cars like this RS 5 were produced, Sprint Blue had already gone. Likely the person who chose this specification fell in love with the color and kept it going with this special order. And it’s hard to argue. The car looks fantastic.

    Get all the details and follow along on Cars and Bids as the auction for this Tailored Driver (VIN: WUAC6AFH5EN900954) will close in just two days.

  • Color Focus: Porsche Brewster Green – 22B

    Color Focus: Porsche Brewster Green – 22B

    CODE:  22B

    TYPE: Non-Metallic

    CONTENT ARCHIVE: Brewster Green

    SUMMARY:
    Some say Porsche’s non-metallic Brewster Green (brewstergrün; nonmetallic UNI; 22B; Porsche) is Stuttgart’s take on British Racing Green. However, we’d suggest it’s just another shade by Stuttgart of England’s original national racing color. Where Irish Green goes just a bight lighter than a lot of traditional British Racing Greens, Brewster Green goes a bit darker. In lower light it can sometimes even look black, though under direct light the green hue and the relationship to the British national racing color is undeniable.

    Brewster Green was a favorite of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche and other Porsche family members like Wolfgang Porsche for their own personal cars. As a result, it’s been a popular choice over the years, occasionally offered as a standard color and regularly chosen for Paint to Sample specifications.

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  • Importable Market Find: Audi exclusive B5 S4 Avant in Merlin Purple

    Importable Market Find: Audi exclusive B5 S4 Avant in Merlin Purple

    There’ve been specially painted Audi models probably since there’s been an Audi brand, but the arrival of Audi exclusive as a factory tailor service and resulting availability in the market of these unique specification cars only really dates back to the 1990s. It’s rare that we actually find cars from this period, so when we do we tend to celebrate it. When we find one that’s a truly collectible or sought after specification, well we go weak in the knees.

    Given all of that, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear our jaws hit the floor when this listing was shared around the Tailored Driver team group chat. The B5 S4 holds a special place in enthusiasts’ heart, much less a well preserved manual transmission Avant. Now throw in Merlin Purple Pearl (merlin purple; pearl effect; 4B / LZ3W / Z3W; Audi) paint paired with blue Alcantara segmentation on its black leather interior and we’d argue it elevates a very well-preserved survivor to a pretty strong case for collector status.

    On the downside, this car is located in Germany. On the upside, it was first registered in 1998 so a relatively easy import into the USA via contract services from the likes of Orchid Euro. That it’s European does suggest a few more complexities for acquisition, but its EU specification production also means it’s got EU specification options like that Audi exclusive paint or optional Recaro sport seats that were standard in the B5 RS 4 and we didn’t get in the U.S.A. until the B6 era.

    Mileage is in kilometers, so it’s worth noting that 234,000 km equates to 145,000 miles. And while that’s not museum piece mileage, it is exceedingly low for this age of car. That the Avant looks largely unmodified also makes a strong case for its collectability.

    So, is it worth buying and importing? We’d say yes. We’d also say that you better hurry, because you’re probably not the only people dropping the car’s current owner a message upon seeing these photos. We suspect you’ll be competing with many others to make a deal happen… maybe including us.

    Find it HERE.

  • Market Find: Ceylon Metallic 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL in RM Sotheby’s Münich Sale

    Market Find: Ceylon Metallic 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL in RM Sotheby’s Münich Sale

    The BMW 3.0 CSL is one of the most collectible vintage BMWs going, a rare and highly sought-after iteration of the brand’s E9-based coupé. Like its period motorsport competitor the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, few CSLs were built and the collector market tends to keep close track of where they are and when they’re coming on the market. It’s notable then when RM Sotheby’s plans to sell one in their upcoming Münich based auction.

    Motorsport intentions were always the plan with the CSL, and to accomplish that BMW engineer set about light weighting it via generous use of aluminum in the doors, hood, and trunk lid. These and other measures helped aid its shedding some 440 lbs. BMW built just 1,265 unites, of them just 500 were built as right-hand drive like this one. Racecars derived from these roadgoing homologation specials would net six European Touring Car championship titles from 1973 to 1979.

    The 1972 3.0 CSL in question (Vin: 2285250) is a a peculiar build both in configuration and specification in that it’s both right hand drive and painted Ceylon Metallic (ceylon; metallic UNI; 008; BMW). And though its lot description from RM denotes a likely replacement engine, it still expected to fetch anywhere from €120,000 – €160,000 Euros. Compared to a 911 Carrera RS 2.7, that’s a relative bargain.

    Below is the full lot description of the car and gallery. To see the full lot listing including associated documents, as well as registration to bid, check out the RM Sotheby’s website HERE.

    [source: RM Sothebys]

    • One of just 500 right-hand-drive examples of the revered CSL homologation special; fitted with a fuel-injected 3,003-cc engine making 200 PS
    • Finished in rare Ceylon Metallic; features period-correct and desirable Scheel sports seats, Petri three-spoke steering wheel, plus electric rear windows
    • Bought by The Munich Masterpieces Collection in 1999; benefits from an older restoration
    • Accompanied by a history file, owner’s manual, tool kit, jack, and spare wheel

    The rarest and most sought-after variant of the beautiful E9 coupé, the 3.0 CSL arrived with aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot lid to help shed some 200 kilograms. Building 1,265 units allowed BMW to homologate race cars that would notch no fewer than six European Touring Car titles between 1973 and 1979.

    Just 500 CSLs were configured in right-hand drive, including this example that was completed by the factory in December 1972. Equipped with the potent Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection system, the sonorous straight-six produced 200 PS. Please note that this car is fitted with what is believed to be a non-stamped factory replacement engine.

    The consigning owner, intent on finding a rare Ceylon Metallic car, imported chassis 2285250 to Finland in June 1999. The following year, a restoration and repaint was commissioned. Today, complete with the desirable Scheel sports seats, Petri three-spoke steering wheel, 14-inch CSL alloys, and electric rear windows, as well as being offered with a Birth Certificate by BMW Classic, this example would be a superb addition to any marque or motorsport-themed collection.

  • Color Focus: Porsche Gulf Blue – 328

    Color Focus: Porsche Gulf Blue – 328

    CODE:  328

    TYPE: Non-Metallic

    CONTENT ARCHIVE: Gulf Blue

    SUMMARY:
    The term “icon” may be loaded. For starters, the word itself is used far too often, in a way that waters down the value of the label. And, in the case of a truly iconic color such as Gulf Blue (gulfblau; non-metallic / non-metallic UNI; 328; Porsche), the color also tends to get over-used by Paint to Sample clients seeking the obvious Porsche motorsport heritage play. And what a play it is.

    Gulf Blue gets is name from the petroleum company bearing its name. Gulf Oil has been a longtime sponsor of racing. Its trademark livery with its blue and orange color schemes have adorned race cars from far more brands than simply Porsche. Lore suggests Gulf colors used as racing livery began in 1967, with the brand’s first major win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans painted to a Ford GT40 a year later in 1968, and then again in 1969. For 1970, Gulf shifted to Porsche and adorned the 917K. That same year, Steve McQueen and his Solar Productions crew showed up in Le Mans to film the movie by the same name Le Mans. The latter catapulted the blue and orange into the consciousness of automobile and racing fans around the world, and it kicked off a long association between Gulf and Porsche.

    Gulf Blue is a non-metallic light blue, almost a powder blue and not far off from what American college football fans would call a Carolina Blue. It’s quite common in the Paint to Sample Porsche space, and often paired with other race livery colors such as navy blue and orange (a.k.a. Gulf Orange, but that’s a color for another Color Focus).

    RELATED LINKS:

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZMl9akZiqM

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  • Market Find: 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo S in Paint to Sample Brewster Green

    Market Find: 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo S in Paint to Sample Brewster Green

    There are a lot of things we wonder when we see a car like this 2024 Porsche 911 Turbo S (Vin: WPOAD2A93RS253171) come onto the market. First and foremost, how could you order such a car with thoughtful Paint to Sample color choice of Brewster Green (brewstergrün; nonmetallic UNI; 22B; Porsche) and only log 300 miles. It seems like a travesty to have a car like this and not drive it, but maybe that indicates a flip. Whatever the case, it’s a good problem to have.

    Here’s what we know about the color. Brewster Green is a non-metallic dark green, well darker than a British Racing Green. According to sites like Color.RS, Brewster Green may be one of the oldest car paint colors on record having been apparently offered as far back as 1909 on the Ford Model T.

    In the Porsche world, Brewster Green also has long-held significance. Ferry Porsche himself had a practice of specifying his company cars painted in one of a select number of green paint colors including Oak Green Metallic, Olive Green, Emerald Green Metallic, and of course Brewster Green. This tradition has been continued by Dr Wolfgang Porsche to this day, with numerous examples in his private collection painted in the same colors his father favored in those very early days of the brand.

    Here’s what we know about this car for sale. It’s basically new and currently in inventory at Porsche San Luis Obispo, asking price $329,888. We’re going to give the dealer credit for making sure the Paint to Sample color is listed and searchable both on their site and AutoTrader where we first found it, but are less enthusiastic about the photos – direct sun and looking high in the front. Given we’re looking to show off unique colors and specifications on this site, we just wish dealers of luxury and exotic cars in general spent more time making them look incredible in photography.

    Off our rant and back to the car, you can find a full specification for it HERE. Interestingly, given it’s a Turbo S and not a GT3 or the like, this Brewster Green coupe has sport cloth interior that embraces the more sporting side of its S designation. That’s a bold choice for whomever ordered the car given the quickness of the turnover, but hey… so was Brewster Green. We hope a total enthusiast sees the value and snaps it up.

  • Market Find: 2016 BMW Individual M3 in Wildberry  Metallic

    Market Find: 2016 BMW Individual M3 in Wildberry Metallic

    Facebook Marketplace can be an excellent place to treasure hunt for unique specification cars, as evidenced by this 2016 M3 sedan F80 sedan (wildberry; metallic; T09; BMW) painted in BMW Individual Wildberry Metallic (wildberrymetallic; metallic UNI; T09; BMW Individual) paired with Silverstone light grey interior. The car looks modified, though cleanly and minimally so, and well kept. And, for critics of the latest bucktooth BMW M3/4 generation, it’s the better-looking previous generation.

    The car has 37,000 miles, making it not exactly unused, but also low mileage for its age. The owner states that he’s installed a GTS style hood, but that he still has the original that can go with the car. And while we’re sure it’s a pain to move or store, we think we’d want it even for the next owner if we purchased this great-looking Bimmer.

    We’ve added photos of the car to this post, however you can find even more pictures and video along with the full listing on Facebook Marketplace HERE.

  • Color Focus: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow – 337

    Color Focus: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow – 337

    CODE: 337

    TYPE: Non-Metallic

    CONTENT ARCHIVE: Dakar Yellow

    SUMMARY:
    BMW named this yellow hue after the iconic Dakar Rally, the ultimate rally raid style endurance race that originally trekked from Paris to Dakar, though presently is now held in Saudi Arabia. Though BMW automobiles has never competed as a factory at Dakar, BMW Motorrad won the motorcycle class of the Dakar Rally six times, including its first victory in 1981 when Hubert Auriol won on the R80 G/S. Though we don’t know for sure, it’s a safe guess that these victories are quite likely the inspiration for the name of this almost buttery shade of yellow BMW used to debut the BMW M3 type E36.

    Dakar Yellow (dakargelbii; non-metallic uni; 337; BMW) is considered one of BMW Individual’s most iconic colors, and has been a popular choice through BMW Individual since that E36 era. Worth noting, there is also a color known as Dakar Yellow II, though it shares the same 337 color code with the main difference noted by enthusiasts as simply Dakar Yellow with a UNI clear coat.

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  • Market Find: 2020 Audi exclusive R8 V10 in Porsche Chalk

    Market Find: 2020 Audi exclusive R8 V10 in Porsche Chalk

    Nowadays at the factory tailors, it tends to be more affordable to specify a factory color of the marque in question than it does to cross the badge divide and choose from another carmaker’s palette. Such is definitely the case of Audi where deviation to that level will jump you to another price tier. Given the disparity, cars deviating from the brand tend to be a little more special and a lot more rare. Such is the case for this 2020 Audi R8 V10 (Vin: WUAKBAFX7L7901975) painted Chalk (kreidegrau; non-metallic UNI; M9A / 3H; Porsche).

    Maybe it’s the Porsche + Audi association of 1970s Can-Am, or perhaps the Porsche and Audi collaboration on the RS2, but we love the look of an established Porsche color on an Audi offering. Yes, Audi has colors that are close – Siam Beige, Nardo Grey, but Porsche Chalk is its own thing and pairs excellently with an R8 V10 slathered in black optics and carbon fiber componentry like he R8’s signature side blades. Yes, it’s all a but subdued, but the owner thought of that when they went for blue stitching as an accent. It’s an excellent specification.

    It’s also now four years old, has logged just over 8,000 miles and is used. Yes, $199,000 is on the higher side of the R8 market, but it looks impeccably maintained and even the facelifted naturally aspirated R8 is now out of production, meaning fewer and fewer new inventory exists. People seeking this car, much less a very special specification such as this, are running out of options.

    We found this car for sale over at Southeast Auto Showroom in Palm Beach, FL. Check it out HERE.