Tag: Violet Blue Metallic

  • Euro Market Find: Violet Blue Metallic over Tartan Porsche 968 Cabriolet

    Euro Market Find: Violet Blue Metallic over Tartan Porsche 968 Cabriolet

    What: 1992 Porsche 968 Cabriolet
    Color: Violet Blue (violettblau; metallic UNI; 57 / L37E; Porsche))
    Chassis #: undisclosed
    Mileage: 199,722 km, 124,101 miles
    Price: €28,750
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Kruibeke, Belgium
    Auction Link: Link

    It’s a funny thing about bold factory specifications. They can go full Buffalo Girl and go ’round the outside, coming back into solid ironic cool status. On the surface, we don’t know many Porschephiles who place the 968 Cabriolet on their short list of cars to own. Same goes for Viola Metallic – a medium metallic purple in a world where purple can be polarizing. Red interiors can also be hit-or-miss, but then you throw in tartan like the 968-era correct Studio Check and things are getting really interesting really fast.

    The 968 you see here is in Belgium, so it’d be in need of importation if you’re one of our predominantly North American audience. This is the sort of car you’d see Germans diving deep into the product catalogue then surfacing months later doing a factory delivery with their true unique creation.

    For the factory-spec perfectionists, we think we see an aftermarket shift knob in these photos, which is a shame because finding a matching factory replacement may prove to be a challenge… though if there’s any brand we’d feel more confident about being able to source it who’d be better than Porsche we can’t think of them.

    Also, the wheels appear to be 993 Targa specification. Likely this car came with cup 1 wheels from the factory – either 16-inch as would have been standard on a 968, or perhaps upgraded to 17-inch like the 968 Clubsport.

    Okay, for sure this car is polarizing. Even still, it’s so unique that we think it’s the sort of car that gets snapped up in a heartbeat by someone seeking something where they definitely won’t stumble over a twin at cars and coffee, or perhaps the collector who has everything.

    So, what say you? Totally cool or totally terrible?

  • 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.

  • European Market Find: 1994 BMW Individual Violet Blue 318is Coupé in Switzerland

    European Market Find: 1994 BMW Individual Violet Blue 318is Coupé in Switzerland

    What: 1994 BMW 318is Coupé
    Color: Violet Blue Metallic (violettblau; non-metallic; 528; BMW)
    VIN: WBABE51000JG28978
    Mileage: 83,890 km / 52,126 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: CHF 22,900 (est. $25,928)
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Noville, Switzerland
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    However special or deep the options list may have been for European market BMW buyers in the 1990s, cars remained expensive to own and operate. Seeing an exceedingly well appointed and appreciable specification with a small displacement engine wasn’t uncommon, which is how you end up with such a special build on what would otherwise be a more mundane BMW model.

    Yes, this is a 318, which means just the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder. However, visually it’s full-on M-spec M3 with all of the proper body kit, wheels and more. Even better, it’s got BMW Individual Violet Blue paint and very tastefully coordinated sport cloth interior. On top of all that, it’s a manual.

    Back then, it was BMW allowing you to have an M3 without the money or the pace of an M3. Today, that advantage remains the same, because if this were an M3 Coupé in like condition it would be anywhere from double, triple or possibly nearly quadruple the price!

    For the collector, we’d suggest buying it and leaving it the way it is while enjoying the great chassis. And, if you got tired of the slow pace, you could probably swap a more potent M-spec engine into it and not lose any money. Either way, we’d count that as a win.

    As with any of our European Market Finds, this car is older than 25 years, making it an easy import into the U.S.A. should you be so inclined. Notably, this car is in Switzerland, which is an interesting pocket in the European space. Switzerland hasn’t adopted the Euro, meaning you don’t often find Swiss cars in the typical European sales channels. They also tend to be well kept.