Wanderlust

Tag: MY1993

  • Speed Yellow Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 Hits RM’s Private Sales Department

    Speed Yellow Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 Hits RM’s Private Sales Department

    What: 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8
    Color: Porsche Speed Yellow (speedgelb; non-metallic uni; L12G / X4 / 12H / 12G; Porsche)
    VIN: WP0ZZZ96ZPS497084
    Mileage: 77,600 km, 48,218 miles
    Asking Price: $950,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Paris, France
    Link: RM Sotheby’s

    Unlike the much more common Porsche 911 Carrera RS of the 964 era, the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 is an actual homologation special. Okay, technically the “plain” Carrera RS boasted a lot of changes consistent with the then-current Carrera Cup series, but the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 was built literally to homologate the car for international GT racing requirements.

    Beginning the with shell of a Porsche 911 Turbo used for its wider track, each car was transported to Weissach’s racing department so that it could be hand built. Lightweighting ensued, limited not just to deletion of unnecessary equipment but also introducing aluminum equivalents of doors and front trunk lid from the RS 3.6. The car’s RS front spoiler got an extra lip for improved downforce, while other changes included replacement of the foglights with air ducts for the oil cooler, a larger adjustable rear wing, plus 3mm gauge glass for side and rear windows.

    Those are just the visual changes. This was a Porsche homologation special after all, which means the chassis got its share of changes too. A larger diameter adjustable anti-roll bar, strut brace, Bilstein suspension, Turbo brakes, reprogrammed ABS, and deletion of power steering all added to the car’s capabilities. Beyond that, it rolled on three-piece 18-inch Speedline Cup wheels in 9-inch width at the front and 11-inches at the rear.

    Under the fiberglass engine cover was the M64/04 3.8-liter flat six. That motor was derived form the same 3.6 as the Carrera RS, though it was bored out to 102mm while stroke was retained. Lightweight pistons with shorter wrist pins and reduced head height were also part of the design, as were six individual throttle bodies positioned close to the inlet ports. There was a custom inlet manifold and larger valves with lightweight rockers, not to mention a twin-pipe exhaust system.

    Only 55 examples of the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 were built, plus another 49 Carrera RSRs, which was enough satisfy the FIA’s homologation requirement of 100 cars. Interestingly, only one road car was required by the rule, though Porsche shrewdly built quite a few more in order to net some additional income. This was, by the way, the 964 era where Porsche was struggling to stay afloat financially.

    This specific car was built in 1993 and is one of twelve examples to be built in Speed Yellow. The seatbacks of the car’s Recaro Pole Position seats were color matched to the body, while the rest of the interior was trimmed in black leather along with contrasting grey seat inserts just as we tend to see in the Carrera RS.

    The car was first delivered to Porsche Zentrum Bielefeld in Germany in October 1993, then was exported to Japan before again returning to Europe in 2007. It’s currently located in Paris, France, though its age would make it an easy import into North America.

  • Market Find: Stateside E30 BMW Individual Daytona Violet 316 Touring

    Market Find: Stateside E30 BMW Individual Daytona Violet 316 Touring

    What: 1993 BMW 316i Touring
    Color: BMW Individual Daytona Violet (daytonaviolett; metallic uni; 283; BMW)
    VIN: N/A
    Mileage: 142,915 miles
    Price: $14,000 OBO
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Woodstock, GA
    Link: Facebook Marketplace

    Given the E30 BMW 3-Series was never sold as a station wagon (a.k.a. Touring in BMW speak) in the United States, nor did it sell the 1.6-liter 316 version, this car would likely qualify for one of our European Market Watch finds… except it’s already present in the U.S.A. according to Facebook Marketplace for Woodstock, Georgia.

    As specifications go, it’s compelling. BMW Individual Daytona Violet paint over handsome sport cloth, a 5-speed manual and a wagon make it very compelling. Worth noting though, further shots and video of the car over on Facebook Marketplace also show some wear and tear that is to be expected on a 142,915 mile chassis. The U.S. got the 325i (2.5-liter inline 6) and 318i (1.8-liter four cylinder), meaning this car is less potent than any of the U.S. offerings. Even still, you won’t find wagons in America and you’d be hard pressed to find fun BMW Individual colors like Daytona Violet in this era of American offerings either.

  • EU Market Find: Rare Saab 900 Turbo S Ruby Edition Hits Market in Netherlands

    EU Market Find: Rare Saab 900 Turbo S Ruby Edition Hits Market in Netherlands

    What: 1993 Saab 900 Turbo S Ruby Edition
    Color: Ruby Red (rubinröd; metallic uni; 242; Saab)
    Chassis #: YS3AD35
    Mileage: 197,500 km / 122,720
    Price: €37,995
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Doetinchem, The Netherlands
    Seller Listing: Link

    Why We Love It:

    Nothing says 1980s quite like a Saab 900 Turbo. Back in the Reagan era and even then quirky, Saabs came into vogue for their unique shape, hatchback and early use of turbochargers… not to mention kitschy yet trademark three-spoke wheel designs. The Swedish brand from Trollhättan built a cult-like following, long before being purchased by GM and later shuttered by GM during the great recession.

    All that serves to make an already obscure car even more obscure in the collectors market. Throw in an UK-market super limited edition (converted to left hand drive for your non-UK driving pleasure) and you have, what we’d argue, achieved peak obscurity. Enter the Saab 900 Turbo S Ruby Edition.

    The year was 1993, and Saab UK wanted to do something special. The idea was a special edition model limited to just 150 units. With no intentions of homologation or anything like that, the plan was basically a color and trim package, but from a brand that didn’t offer many limited editions it was and remains a highly collectible thing amongst Saab-o-philes.

    At its center is the Ruby Red paint, from which it draws its name. It also got a unique Bridge of Weir Scottish ‘Buffalo’ leather upholstery with ruby-matching Zegna wool inserts [1]. The original Ruby Edition also got color-coded bumpers and grey three-spoke wheels rather than silver [2] in order to set it apart from other period Saab 900 offerings in the UK. From the factory, the car boasted the brand’s turbocharged 16-valve 4-cylinder tuned to 185 bhp.

    While hardcore collectors may grouse, those seeking this car as a drivable classic will likely appreciate the primarily OEM plus modifications you’ll find in the listing linked above. These include the aforementioned left hand drive conversion, and also European bumpers, Aero skirts and GT specs, 16-inch Saab Aero wheels with polished rims, engine upgrades to about 225 hp, Saab 9000 front brakes, OEM rear wiper retrofit, OEM exterior temperature gauge, Bilstein shocks, Blaupunkt Radio, LED dash lights and headlights, OEM third brake light from Saab 900 Classic and more. The seller even lists that he’s got louvered slats for the rear window if that’s desired.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • EU Market Find: Speed Yellow Porsche 968 Clubsport

    EU Market Find: Speed Yellow Porsche 968 Clubsport

    What: 1993 Porsche 968 Cubsport
    Color: Speed Yellow (speedgelb; non-metallic uni; L12G / X4 / 12H / 12G; Porsche)
    Chassis #: Unknown
    Mileage: 158,000 km, 98,176 miles
    Price: €41,500
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Wolbert Sportscars, Achterveld, Netherlands
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why We Love It:

    There are fewer and fewer deals to be had in the Porsche world, particularly amongst rare models, performance models or in rare colors. That’s why the never-sold-new-in-America 968 Clubsport is a favorite of ours.

    Built at the end of the front-engined so-called transaxle era, the 968 was the final evolution of the 924/944 lineage. By the end of the run, the 968 featured a normally-aspirated 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Other than an exceedingly rare 968 Turbo S, the 968 Clubsport was the most extreme of the range. It featured a track-tuned chassis, 50:50 weight distribution and further excellent kit from the factory including larger Cup wheels and optional Recaro Pole Position. Six colors were offered, including Grand Prix White, Black, Guards Red, Maritime Blue and Speed Yellow.

    Yes, Speed Yellow was a standard color, on elf six . So, the car you see here isn’t a Paint to Sample Porsche. Even still, we believe it’s worth mentioning. That’s even more-so in this case, because it also has the optional color-matched Recaro Pole Position shell seats and is priced very competitively on the 968 Clubsport spectrum.

    This car does have a few modifications worth noting for collectors. This includes a cage, Momo steering wheel, upgraded sport suspension and a 993 “Big Reds” brake upgrade. We’re guessing it was someone’s track toy, a task at which most 968 Clubsports excel.

    The dealer also states that the car is damage-free.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • European Market Find: 1993 Porsche 911 Speedster in Maritime Blue

    European Market Find: 1993 Porsche 911 Speedster in Maritime Blue

    Fans of air-cooled Porsche 911s will want to take note. A 964 Speedster is already a rare bird, but one built to an extremely choice specification such as this Maritime Blue (maritimblau; non-metallic UNI; 5MB; Porsche) example going available on the market is a truly special thing. We’ve just run across it available in the south of France (because of course) and wanted to make you aware.

    While the Porsche Speedster became an icon during the early 356A portion of Porsche’s history, the idea of the low-slung windshield and lightweight take on Porsche’s mainstay sportscar didn’t return until the G-body 911 Speedster of the late 80s. And while those G-body cars were very cool with their wider Turbo fender flares, the Speedster would go back even more to its roots in the guise of the 964 when it went narrow body and took even further measures to emphasize light weighting.

    According to the ad over on the website for the dealer Alsphalt Classics, only 936 examples of the Porsche 911 (type 964) Speedster were ever produced. That makes them rare, although not altogether unseen as they were federalized and sold in America as well. Even still, many of the ones you tend to see are a standard color such as Black or Guards Red, and when Paint to Sample was used they always seem to be some form of yellow.

    Also popularized during the 964 era was a Porsche Carrera Cup color called Maritime Blue. One of many Porsche takes on classic French Blue, non-metallic Maritime Blue became a popular standard color on the 964 generation Carrera RS, often paired with blue interior accent such as color-matched Recaro Pole Position seats with Maritime Blue painted shells and gradients of blue leather on the seat centers.

    No doubt whomever specced this 911 Speedster was influenced by the Carrera RS. The car makes use of the same gradient and color-matched Recaros, going several steps further with color-matched leather on the dashboard and one-piece shift knob with boot, plus webbing on the lightweight door pulls. It even gets the optional color-matched wheels also in Maritime Blue.

    Interestingly, the background on the Alsphalt Classics website reveals this car to be a pre-production model with pre-series engine and gearbox. Given it’s a 1993, that’s more intriguing than it might be concerning as the 964 had been in production since late 1989 and with few changes. We’re guessing what would have made this pre-series was simply early production of the Speedster body style.

    The dealer reports this car has spent its time in Spain and the South of France, while the clear side markers on the fender also confirm it’s not German market specification, as that would have no side repeaters just like North American models.

    It’s logged 99,500 km, meaning about 60,000 miles. Looking at the excellent photos from the dealership, it appears to be in relatively original condition with some wear on things like door pulls. Priced at 244,900 Euros, it’s about what we’d expect for a rare and incredibly tasteful specification of the 964 Speedster. Also, being older than 25 years makes it a relatively easy import for any of our North American readers. Check out further details HERE.

  • Expedition Motor Company Returns to G-Wagen Roots with Sahara Beige Wolf

    Expedition Motor Company Returns to G-Wagen Roots with Sahara Beige Wolf

    EMC’s All-New 1993 250GD Combines Classic Geländewagen Military-Grade Durability with the Elegance of a Modern Luxury SUV 

    [source: Expedition Motor Compay]

    FRENCHTOWN, NEW JERSEY – The first-ever Geländewagen prototypes were designed by Mercedes-Benz in the 1970’s with the intention of creating a rugged, capable, and user-friendly all-wheel-drive vehicle that could navigate any terrain for military purposes. In an effort to ensure that these vehicles would perform reliably in even the most dire of circumstances, the first G-Wagen prototypes were tested under extreme conditions in locations such as the Sahara Desert and Arctic Circle. In 1978, the developers of the G-Class performed extensive test drives with the prototypes in the imposing dunes of the Sahara Desert, forever linking the legendary sand-covered desertscape with the most iconic off-road utility vehicle ever designed. In homage to those inaugural G-Wagen prototypes and to showcase the versatility of this world-class, go-anywhere utility vehicle, Expedition Motor Company is proud to reveal the brand-new Sahara Wolf, built off of a 1993 250GD originally used in the military.

    “For this Sahara Wolf, we went back to the roots of the Geländewagen and the extensive testing those prototype vehicles underwent in the dunes of the Sahara Desert, in particular,” comments Alex Levin, Founder of Expedition Motor Company. “In addition to that same reliability and off-road prowess inherent in the original prototype vehicles, EMC has also implemented an array of in-house developed components to modernize the ride quality and overall driving experience.” 

    EMC’s reimagined Sahara Beige (saharabeige; 255; non-metallic; Mercedes-Benz) 1993 250GD Sahara Wolf retains the stout OM602 2.5L 5-cylinder diesel engine paired with a completely rebuilt 711.117 5-speed manual transmission. Each EMC Wolf undergoes a meticulous 100-point restoration process to ensure dependable and consistent performance from every part on their builds. From applying anti-corrosive treatments to incorporating a proprietary suspension system, no detail is too small to ensure this EMC Wolf will be enjoyed for decades to come.

    Designed as a convertible with a soft top included at purchase, EMC’s Sahara Wolf can thrive in any weather conditions. Built with versatility in mind, this completely rebuilt 250GD feels equally at home cruising in a sunny beach town or tackling inclement weather. Other noteworthy exterior additions include a custom-built EMC Bullbar, 3-inch LED Pod Lights for enhanced visibility off-road, a Warn Winch, and an EMC Snorkel Kit. 

    On the interior, EMC expertly paired an elephant gray colorway to perfectly contrast the Sahara Wolf’s sand-like exterior. The New Jersey based G-Wagen specialists further modernized this 90s-era utility truck with a Harman Kardon Infinity sound system, sound proofing, Wireless Apple CarPlay and a full array of creature comforts including air conditioning, heat, as well as front and rear heated seats. Priced at $180,450 and available immediately for interested customers, the Sahara Wolf is EMC’s latest example of masterful craftsmanship paired with an inherent understanding of automotive design. 

    “There is no other vehicle on the planet that pairs military-grade performance with luxury as well as the G-Wagen does. After years of military service, we obtained this 1993 250GD and repurposed it into a luxurious custom-built SUV following more than 2,300 hours of restoration work,” continues Levin. “We own the largest collection of G-Wagens in the world today, and I consider EMC to be the leading authority in G-Wagen restoration. EMC is able to customize these vehicles to meet customer preferences while maintaining the utmost standards for build quality.”

    For more information on the Sahara Wolf and all available builds from Expedition Motor Company, please visit www.expeditionmotorcompany.com.