For many of us born in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Porsche 928 and the BMW 8-Series were amongst the most impressive sports / GT models of their time.
Sure we had posters of a Lamborghini Countach (preferably with a puffy haired and scantily dressed bomb shell spreading over the Italian beast) and the Ferrari F40 or the Porsche 959 hanging on our side of the bedroom wall, but these models were clearly a pure fantasy that only a select few could ever own.
The 928 and the 8-Series, on the other hand, were more attainable and practical daydreaming material.
Our unfulfilled teenage dreams could explain why as adults we waste so many hours on eBay and Craigslist looking for “the” deal and then click over to dedicated forums to convince ourselves that we can handle their maintenance costs…
In one of our usual trips on eBay, we stumbled upon a pristine BMW 8-Series that led to a low-mileage Porsche 928, which to our surprise, was listed for sale by the same person.
And we’re not talking about any regular versions of the two cars, but the top of the line BMW 850CSi and Porsche 928 GTS, both with a manual gearbox – something that’s extremely rare with the Porsche in the States.
Given that BMW never put the M8 prototype into production, the 850CSi was the closest thing you could get to an “M” version of the 8-Series. Its M Motorsport-prepped 5.6-liter V12 churned out 375-horsepower (380PS) and was linked to a 6-speed manual.
According to the BMW registry, 1,510 850CSi’s were built from 1992 through 1995, of which only 225 were sold in the States. A rare car indeed.
The 1995 model listed for sale features a Daytona Violet exterior paint job with a Lotus White/Violet leather (don’t you just love the 1990s?) interior and has covered only 29,000 miles (a little under 47,000 km).
However, the asking price of US$65,900 will probably reinstate your childhood dreams…
Coincidentally, just like the 850CSi, the Porsche 928 GTS was introduced in 1992 and remained in production until 1995. Among other upgrades it featured the facelifted body with the different tail lamps along with wider rear fenders and a more powerful 5.4-liter V8 lump delivering 345HP (350PS).
The one for sale on eBay is a 1994 model fitted with the rare 5-speed manual while the original buyer had also ordered it without the sunroof that normally came as standard.
The blue colored GTS has only 19,000 miles (close to 31,000 km) on the odometer but as with most things we’d like to see parked under our garage, it also has an asking price out of our reach: US$109,500.
Guess it’s back to GT5 again…
By John Halas
1995 BMW 850CSi
1994 PORSCHE 928 GTS
