Wanderlust

Tag: Cars and Bids

  • Market Find: E46 M3 Touring on Cars and Bids

    Market Find: E46 M3 Touring on Cars and Bids

    What: 2000 BMW 323 Touring / M3 Touring Build
    Color: Titanium Silver  (titansilber; metallic UNI; 354; BMW)
    VIN: WBAAR3349YJM02502
    Mileage: 182,900 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: $45,369
    CarFax: Link
    Location: San Diego, CA
    Auction listing: Cars and Bids

    Unlike Porsche, BMW doesn’t have a Sonderwunsch department. However, looking over this highly OEM-looking E46 M3 Touring build on Cars and Bids, we’re wondering if they aren’t missing an opportunity. Yes, of course BMW now builds an M3 Touring even though we can’t get it here, but we’re thinking more of reimagined cars like Sonderwunsch’s 993 Speedsters.

    What if BMW Classic built M3 Touring out of plain jane 3er long roofs? They’d probably look a lot like this, and what’s not to love? Do we need to mention it’s also a manual?

    As of this writing there are two days left on this auction. Go get it wagon fans.

  • Market Find: BMW Individual Maritime Blue i4 M50 Gran Coupe

    Market Find: BMW Individual Maritime Blue i4 M50 Gran Coupe

    What: 2023 BMW i4 M50 Gran Coupe
    Color: BMW Individual Maritime Blue  (maritimblau; non-metallic UNI; P7P; BMW)
    VIN: WBY33AW06PFP94302
    Mileage: 11,600 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: $26,666
    CarFax: Link
    Location: Utica, NY
    Auction listing: Cars and Bids

    Regardless of where your allegiance lies when it comes to mobility- electric, combustion, hybrid, or maybe a little of all the above- we think this Tailored Driver shows that with the right options anything can be exciting. BMW’s version of Maritime Blue is used brilliantly to spice up this i4 M50 Gran Coupe, and it’s currently for sale on Cars and Bids. It’s a welcomed change from your standard greyscale electric, set off nicely with H&R suspension and 21″ aftermarket wheels. Is this enough to make you consider a Driver outside of your comfort zone? Let us know in the comments below.

  • Market Find: 1 of 60 2025 Chapman Bespoke Launch Edition Lotus Emira

    Market Find: 1 of 60 2025 Chapman Bespoke Launch Edition Lotus Emira

    What: 2025 Lotus Emira Chapman Bespoke Launch Edition (1 of 60)
    Color: Isotope Green (isotopegreen; B132 / C132; Lotus)
    VIN: SCCLEJAX2SHA10499
    Mileage: 800 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: $78,500
    CarFax: N/A
    MonroneyLabels.com Window Sticker: Link
    Location: Washington, UT
    Auction listing: Cars and Bids

    It was just a couple of months ago that Lotus pulled the wraps off of their own in-house tailoring division Chapman Bespoke and one of the first results is this limited run of 60 “Chapman Bespoke Launch Edition” models. This one, painted Isotope Green, has just popped up on Doug DeMuro’s internet auction site Cars and Bids.

    As a builder of premium sportscars, it makes sense that Lotus would both get into the lucrative tailoring business and also push for greater market penetration by building limited run series of cars. That’s pretty standard fare in the space, and it works well here for Hethel.

    We like the way Lotus is using cue elements such as the triangular badge on the C-pillar of the car as a plaque to spell out just what the car is. The neon green level of Isotope Green is also quite different from standard colors of Emira we’ve seen so far, which will help you stand out from the Emira crowd should you join the ranks of ownership for one of the best new cars for driving purists that’s in production today.

  • Market Find: Great Spec Meyers Manx Dune Buggy on Cars and Bids

    Market Find: Great Spec Meyers Manx Dune Buggy on Cars and Bids

    What: 1964 Volkswagen Beetle Title with 2025 Meyers Manx Build
    Color: Big Sur Blue (unknown source)
    VIN: 115345324
    Mileage: 4 miles
    Current Bid: $30,000 at time of writing
    CarFax: N/A
    Location: Charlotte, NC
    Auction listing: Link

    Kit cars as tailored drivers? We think the Meyers Manx qualifies. The team at Meyers Manx is bringing back the brand with some amazing products and plenty of special options to make tailored builds. On the other end of the spectrum, there are still individuals and dealers creating new builds of their own.

    Take for example this fresh build listed on Cars and Bids. It’s a great mechanical spec paired with a beautiful exterior/interior combination of Big Sur Blue (unspecified source, but likely the standard color by the same name from Meyers Manx) and plaid seats. Seems like it’d make an excellent option for a Summer 2025 daily driver.

  • Market Find: Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue S4 Sedan

    Market Find: Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue S4 Sedan

    What: 2010 Audi S4
    Color: Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue (nogaroblau; pearl effect UNI; Z5M; Audi)
    VIN: WAUMGAFLXAA152848
    Mileage: 116,100 miles
    Price: Auction
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Poway, CA
    Dealer Listing: Cars and Bids

    If you’ve been an Audi fan for a while, chances are that when the Four Rings replaced the iconic Nogaro Blue with Sprint Blue for the B7 generation of S4 and RS 4 you questioned the decision. And when the B8 launched with Sprint as well, it became apparent that Audi wasn’t going back to the Nogaro well any longer, but at the time Audi exclusive was simply not widely known as a path to right that wrong. As such, we’re led to believe that the original Tailor of this S4 was a tried and true brand evangelist who put their money where their mouth was. By pairing Nogaro with a 6 speed transmission, finished with alcantara-centered black leather seats and brushed aluminum interior trim, this S4 harkens back to the prior generations in many ways. The only remaining question is- will others take note of just how special this S4 is, or will it fall squarely into budget commuter territory? Follow along with the auction on Cars and Bids to find out.

  • Market Find: Will this Salvage Title Viola Metallic Porsche 911 GT3 Touring be a Bargain?

    Market Find: Will this Salvage Title Viola Metallic Porsche 911 GT3 Touring be a Bargain?

    What: 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
    Color: Paint to Sample Viola Metallic (viola; metallic UNI; 39G / 3AE / 54; Porsche)
    VIN: WP0AC2A96NS270480
    Mileage: 4,600 miles
    Bid Price: Currently $176,000 with 47 Minutes Left
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Glendale, CA
    Link: Cars & Bids

    Are there any performance bargains in the Porsche 911 GT-car space? This paint to sample Viola Metallic 2022 911 GT3 Touring may be the indicator you’re looking for. With gold wheels and light Linen Grey interior, it’s definitely a unique specimen.

    More importantly if you’re thinking about buying it, the car’s got a salvage title. And while buying a salvage title six figure tailored car from an online auction can be a bit dicey to consider, it’s worth noting that the listing does have after accident photos, full receipts, pics from the process, etc.

    We’re just including the beauty shots here. Check out more details after the jump… and hurry because we caught it late and there’s less than an hour on the auction.

  • Affordable Tailored: Designo Electric Green Edition 2000 Mercedes SLK 230

    Affordable Tailored: Designo Electric Green Edition 2000 Mercedes SLK 230

    What: 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor Designo Electric Green Edition
    Color: Designo Electric Green (designoelektrischgrün; metallic UNI; 024; Mercedes-Benz)
    VIN: WDBKK47F1YF164255
    Mileage: 41,800 miles
    Bid Price: $5,000 with 22h, 59m remaining
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Tampa, FL
    Link: Cars & Bids

    At the lower end of the tailored market is this rare SLK roadster with AMG appearance and Designo Electric Green paint. For its age, this car has remarkably low mileage, though it’s showing its fair share of wear and tear.

    Fortunately, modern car auction sites such as Cars & Bids have made considering these sorts of car about as easy as they can with an expectation of photos depicting imperfections in detail. This listing takes that seriously, with close ups of the imperfections.

  • Market Find: Green-on-Green E39 BMW 525i Wagon on Cars and Bids

    Market Find: Green-on-Green E39 BMW 525i Wagon on Cars and Bids

    What: 2002 BMW 525i Touring
    Color: BMW Slate Green (schiefgrün; metallic UNI; 449; BMW)
    VIN: WBADS43452GD86927
    Mileage: 193,400
    Price at Time of this Writing: $5,655 with 1 Day Left
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: see photo gallery
    Location: Moss Beach, CA
    Auction listing: Link

    From the discount tailored rack comes this well preserved and rare specification BMW 525i Touring we found listed over on Cars and Bids. Whether or not you count it as truly tailored is up to you. The exterior color of Slate Green was a standard offering on the E39. And, though we haven’t yet found it in period catalogues, the interior specification of Stone Green and Black doesn’t appear to be listed as special order on the attached Monroney window sticker.

    So, it’s a rare spec then and not a tailored ride. Even still, it’s a rare specification that includes tone-on-tone coloring with green on the outside and green on the inside. That all makes it very tasteful.

    Alas, it does have an automatic transmission so the true obscure wagon nerds who are seeking gears they can row may find that part a disappointment, but close inspection of the attached photos over on Cars and Bids also shows very detailed record keeping for this car’s nearly 200,000 miles logged, not to mention well-preserved condition in the many photos.

  • Market Find: 1999 BMW Individual Violet Blue M3 Evolution Convertible

    Market Find: 1999 BMW Individual Violet Blue M3 Evolution Convertible

    What: 1999 BMW M3 Evolution Convertible
    Color: BMW Individual Violet Blue (violettblau; non-metallic; 528; BMW))
    Chassis #: WBSBK920X0EX67158
    Mileage: 46,400mi
    Price: Auction
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Ryan Friedman Motorcars, Glen Cove, NY
    Auction Link: Link

    Why We Love It:

    The M3 we didn’t get, in a color we couldn’t- there’s a ton to like here. Sure the E36 generation’s M3 was offered in the US, but to many enthusiasts (or snobs), the S52 that powered it wasn’t really an M motor, just a 328i motor that’d been hot rodded a bit. Regardless of opinion, this M3 has the full-fat M3 Evo motor, and more importantly, the 6 speed manual that was specific to the Evo version. Further adding to the conversation is that this Tailored Driver is a right hand drive version, and a convertible- hardly the hardcore enthusiast’s choice. But to us, this represents a great opportunity to get in the Tailored market with a genuinely cool car.

  • Market Find: 2010 Audi exclusive Solar Orange S4 Sedan

    Market Find: 2010 Audi exclusive Solar Orange S4 Sedan

    What: 2010 Audi S4
    Color: Audi exclusive Solar Orange (non-metallic UNI; LY2G; Audi)
    VIN: WAUMGAFL7AA093077
    Mileage: 27,600
    Price at Time of this Writing: $20,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: Pictured below
    Location: Fountain Inn, SC
    Auction listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Incredibly rare early Audi exclusive build in Solar Orange with impossibly uncommon Tuscan Brown two-tone seats, low miles and a 6 speed manual transmission… what’s not to love? Found on Cars and Bids, this Tailored Driver represents an easy (and maybe cheap!) way of getting into something unique while not suffering the parts availability issues that come with proper rarity. Imagine not springing the extra $2,500(!!!) for an exclusive build on your new Audi back in 2010… couldn’t be us.