Instead of buying a new car have you ever dreamed of buying a classic?
It’s an interesting thought and that is exactly what a mate did a few years back when he got rid of his aging Magna.
Instead of rushing out and buying that latest whatever, he spent the money on a long wheelbase BMW 7 Series with all the trimmings.
Once a consulate, chauffeur-driven car, enjoyed by spies and diplomats, the 730iL came with a small block 3.0-litre V8, low kilometres and a full service record.
He picked the car up for just $26,000 and it car introduced him and the missus to a entirely new world when they joined the local Beemer club.
Make sure you do your research though, because in his case the 730iL had a weird wheel and tyre combination and the replacement rubber was super expensive.
So, instead of buying the latest Camry with all the mod cons, you could opt for something a whole lot more interesting – like this Porsche.
This 993 is the last of the real 911s, the ones with an air-cooled, boxer engine in the boot – just like my old Beetle?
Priced from a prodigious $220,000 new, this car still looks amazing and still handles like a thoroughbred, and could be yours for less than $50K — maybe a bit more for this particular example.
This was the era of the VS Commodore and the EL Falcon which had just been released.
Narrow at the front with pumped up rear haunches, the 993 still looks as fresh as a daisy.
The same basic shape has prevailed from the start which is one of the reasons for the 911’s ongoing success.
Even people who know little or nothing about cars recognise a Porsche when they see it.
Open the door and the fumes transport you to an earlier time, a time when mechanics got their hands dirty, in a workshop with plenty of parts, big dollops of grease and lots of tender loving care involved.
993 is the company’s internal name for this version of the 911, built between late 1993 and early 1998 as a replacement for the 964.
The design is derived from the 989 project, a four-door sedan which never saw the light of day (unless you count the Panamera).
The introduction of an all-alloy multi-arm rear suspension attached to an all-alloy subframe necessitated the widening of the rear wheel arches, which in turn helped the 993’s stability.
The previous model had a tendency to oversteer if you took your foot off the throttle mid corner.
The upgrade also reduced interior noise and improved ride quality.
The C4S is fitted with a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated flat six M64 engine, with an output of 210kW at 6100 revs and 340Nm of torque at 5250 revs.
The dash from 0-100km/h takes 5.3 secs and it has a top speed of about 290km/h.
It takes premium unleaded and is good for about 11.4 litres/100km.
The 993 was the first 911 to have a six-speed manual as standard.
The two-wheel drive Carrera, Carrera S, Cabrio and Targa models were also available with a `Tiptronic’ auto.
The optional all wheel drive system is based on the layout from the 959 supercar.
Porsche departed from the 964’s setup replacing the centre differential with a viscous coupling.
The Carrera 4 S and later Carrera S shared the Turbo’s bodyshell.
The 4S came with four-wheel drive, lowered suspension and retained the Turbo’s larger disc brakes with the characteristic red calipers.
Befitting its stature as a “bahnstormer” the sound when you fire it up is loud, just the way we like it — you’ll hear before you see it.
Sometimes old cars don’t quite live up to their memory when you get behind the wheel.
Not so with this one. We loved it every minute of it.
The pedals and even the steering wheel are slightly off-set but gave us no trouble.
Changing gears is a snap and it never seems to get caught short in the torque department.
The car sits low and you look up at most cars.
There’s no steering wheel adjustment, but electric adjustment for the seats.
The ultra low profile tyres get bumpy off the motorway, but the whole drive experience is so involving you hardly notice.
Seriously, with classics like this readily available, how could you bring yourself to buy a Camry?
