The last blog post featured a bucket list of my all time favorite Porsches. Those are some great cars. Something you can be proud to own, that is if you can afford any of them. The problem is, for most of us anyway, we don鈥檛 have the checking account balance that allows us to write a check with a bunch of commas and zeros in the CA section. Ding, ding, ding鈥t is time for today鈥檚 acronym lesson. CAR stands for Courtesy Amount (or the number you write in the little box on a check). That is different from the LA or legal amount or the written out amount of a check. One Million dollars and 00/XX. Fact is I do not have the CA or LA to write a check for any of the cars listed in the previous blog. So in the spirit of doing another bucket list, I thought it would be fun to put together examples of Stuttgart鈥檚 finest.
But let鈥檚 put this list within reason. 50,000 max. That should cover a few cars that are pretty serious, but leave enough in my bank account / 401K to retire at the age of Seventy-Eight. It is no longer just a VW/Audi, but is being seen more and more as the Porsche that it truly is. The 914-6 sported a tiny 2.0 liter flat 6, and many have been upgraded to larger engines. But the simple timeless design is just right 40 years on. 30-40K range and the price will just keep going up. Snag one now and hang on to it. It is balanced and still to this day pretty quick, two plus decades later it still turns heads. And from 1986 on the interior was so elegant in its minimalist simplicity, everything right where it needed to be. And if you are patient, have the right tools and access to a vast amount of internet based knowledge, easy to work on and modify. In 1988-89, the Turbo model was available as a special 鈥淪鈥?version (in 鈥?8 it was called the 鈥淪鈥? for 89 it was just a Turbo).
It had 250 hp stock and an updated sport suspension. It is the one to have. Than the 912 is for you. It was built as an entry level 911. Porsche saw that the 6-cylinder version was a bit expensive and wanted something that was less expensive, more accessible for prospective Porsche owners. So they put the old 4-cylinder from the 356 in place of the very expensive 6-cylinder and the 912 was born. It was built from 1965 to 1969 and a special one-off year in 1976. They are much lighter, simpler and more tossible than the 911. But prices for good ones are creeping up, better get one soon. It was futuristic when it came out and when you see on today, it still looks like nothing else on the road (but in a very good way). A lot of 鈥淧orsche people鈥?hate it, saying it is fat, ugly and ungainly and it has the engine up front (eek gad!).
Funny, these same people say the same thing about the new Panamera. But others love it for what it is, a car so advanced, that some car companies are still trying to play catch-up. The GT and GTS are maybe more desirable, but the prices on them have remained quite high. For the rest of us? The S4 represents the best combination of drivetrain and exterior lines. Better snap one up! And will probably own one again. The ultimate version of the 924/944 line. The 928 / 993 design elements make this look very distinct, it was the most grown up looking model in the 944 series. What it had was a HUGE 3.0 liter 4-cylinder motor making 236 hp. This was the highest specific normally aspirated 4-cylinder motor ever produced. It also had a 6-speed trans-axle and Vario-Cam valve adjustment to optimize combustion. When it was introduced, it was very expensive. The Dollar - Deutsch Mark exchange rate killed it.
And most of the survivors have case bolts that solved the issues. They were solid in every way. The SC is way to have an iconic 911 for way less money than late 60鈥檚 鈥淪鈥? It is for many people, the one 911 to own. It was less cranky than the earlier carbureted and MFI (Mechanical Fuel Injection) versions. It had CIS or Continuous Fuel Injection, this remained in production for ten years, finally replaced by the fully electronic Motronic. But I digress, the SC has great balance, decent power and so many mods available it is just stupid. The original 1997 Boxster was brilliant! Mid-engine balance, 201 hp and the looks of a show car. And it had two trunks to boot (Get it? Boot鈥ritish for trunk). Then Porsche upped the ante and came out with the 鈥淪鈥?version. Output was bumped up to 250 hp, it had a six-speed trans-axle, bigger brakes, and an up-rated suspension. The Boxster was so popular, Porsche built ten鈥檚 of thousands of them to keep up with demand.