Danny’s Value Play: Two Modern Classic Convertibles

Once again I’ve got more than one Value Play for you. This month I want to talk about two of my favorite modern classics:

The Porsche 993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet and 2012-2013 Mercedes SLS Roadster!

Porsche 993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet

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Many Porsche enthusiasts consider the 993 generation of the 911 as the best and most desirable of the 911 series, in part because of it’s classic look, but also because it still performs well by today’s standards.

Today I want to talk specifically about the 993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet, often referred to as the C2 Cab.

It was the first of the 911 series with a six-speed gearbox and was given a new light-alloy subframe with coil and wishbone suspension which significantly improved performance.

I would recommend trying to find a 1996-8 model over the 1995 simply because 1996-1998 911s had 285 horsepower — a slight increase over the 1995’s 272 horsepower.

These cars are beautiful, dependable and collectible. All in all a real treat to drive and not at all intimidating.

With a little digging you should be able to pick one up for $40,000 – $60,000. For that price range, you can get into a manual with 20-50k miles.

2012-2013 Mercedes AMG SLS Roadster

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The SLS’s have been strong in value for the last 2 years. Most people want the coupes as they have the “Gullwing Doors”. The market on the coupes has come way up.

However, I don’t think the coolness factor of the doors is stronger than the coolness factor of the convertible.

The convertible (or Roadster as it is called) does not have the vertical doors, but it does have a very nice power soft top that can be cycled with the car in motion up to about 20 mph.

These cars are super light, drive effortlessly and have a ton of torque.

To sum it up, a Modern German Hot Rod… that was made in very few numbers making it rare and collectible.

These cars are stable in value at $140,000 – $170,000.