Rather than the inevitable 911 which will make its way into this list, I opted for this underdog. No, it doesn’t have a rear-mounted flat-six – it has a four-pot in the front. And yes, critics said the predecessor it was based from was more Volkswagen than Porsche.
But for $18,500 this thing is undeniably as Porsche as you can get for your money (sorry Boxster, not sorry Cayenne).
Visually, it ticks all my 80’s checkboxes: pop-up headlights, angular contours, tilted/lifted sunroof, retro interior, and even tasteful decals.
Perfomance wise, it’s also pretty retro. Reasonably light (1,180kg) with 163hp on tap is only good for an 8-second 0-100. It’s enough to provide responsive driving and lively handing as a street car.
For me though, I would enjoy it for what it is. Another car from Porsche that numbers don’t do justice. A car that puts a smile on your face, that you look back at after parking, that you take on romantic dinners. A car that turns appreciative heads from 4-year old boys through to old timer car enthusiasts.
When the time is right and I’ve ridden the Porsche appreciation bubble, I could sell for a tidy profit and leap frog to the next car – maybe even a Porsche 911 SC.
The Weekly Car combines looks, performance, appreciation, sale price, condition, location and brand equity into a neat package. You should buy it.
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