The last of the air cooled Porsche 911 Turbos the 993 tt (twin turbo). Coming in at about 400 hp this beauty is truly a beast at heart. With all wheel drive and blazing speed this turbo is a legend among Turbo owners, you can see this with sustained used market that equals the cost of the next generation 996 tt (twin turbo).

This air cooled monster is a collimation of 20 plus years of turbo charged air cooled engine technology and the drive train technology carried over from their legendary AWD 959 super car of the 80’s.

Produced from 1996 to 1998 these turbo’s are in short supply. As with any used Porsche you should pay for a Pre Purchase Inspection when considering the purchase of one. With 0 – 60 MPH at 4.4 seconds (according to the factory) and a top speed of 180 MPH (according to the factory) this is nothing short of spectacular performance.

In Mid 1997 Porsche added an S version of the 993 tt (twin turbo) that had an additional 24 hp making conservatively 424 total HP. The 993 TT S (twin turbo) is said to rocket 0 – 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds (according to the factory) and have a top speed of 189 MPH (according to the factory). Since they only produced very few of these be prepared to pay over $100,000 for a turbo S model.

For 2007 BMW will be introducing a convertible roadster that will absolutely flatten the competition.

With a 330 hp and 262 lbs of torque (at 4900 rpm) 3.2 liter 6 cylinder engine this two door convertible claims to rocket 0 – 60 in 4.9 seconds. BMW claims their new Z4 M Roadster will redline at 8000 rpm. The Z4 M Roadster will come standard with a 6 speed transmission. The 2007 BMW Z4 M Roadster in will weigh in at 3197 lbs.

The new M Roadster will keep the same styling as the standard Z4. Besides the M badge this will be a tough beast to identify.

Please see this article on the BMW M Coupe

Audi will be releasing for the 2007 model a somewhat redesigned TT Coupe. Although the exterior remain TT identifiable what lies underneath is what is so impressive. The new Audi TT will have a 69% Aluminum and 31% Steel frame to help save weight and make a more rigid frame.

The new Audi TT will come with either a 200 hp 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbo engine or a 250 hp 3.2 liter 6 cylinder naturally aspirated engine. They will also be offered with either front wheel drive or all wheel drive (standard on the V-6). The new Audi TT will also be available with either a 6 speed transmission or an automatic transmission.

Audi claims the 4 cylinder version will go 0 – 62 MPH in 6.4 seconds while the 6 cylinder will sprint 0 – 62 in just 5.7 seconds.

The design changes are subtle with the 19 inch wheels and the new Audi front end grill, the new TT still keeps its identifiable profile. The interior is again another Audi work of art.

Some possible other options could include; a diesel version (remember an Audi diesel powered vehicle won overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring) and or a possible RS version,

When is it coming to the USA? Who knows, may be months or years.

In 1988 Volkswagen introduced a replacement for the cult followed Scirocco the Corrado. The VW Corrado was without a doubt a beautifully designed car. The 3 door 4 seat sports car was both elegant in design and memorable in performance.

The Corrado introduced the automatic raising and lowering rear spoiler to the masses. This feature is a dead give away to the upholders of the law.

The Corrado was offered with an option of either a 4 or 6 cylinder power plant. The best 0 - 60 was achieved by a later version of their VR6 power plant that sprinted the Corrado to 60 in 6.8 seconds (USA version, the European version achieved the same task at 6.4 seconds).

With production numbers over 100,000 throughout its 1988 to 1995 run, the Corrado is not terribly hard to find for sale. Be careful on your selection, these cars are and where a favorite of the modifying public, abused examples are easier to find than the pampered ones.

Fahrcar Readers Poll results:

Question: Which 2003 sports sedan would you rather have?

Answers: Readers choose out of the following selections:

49% would rather have a 2003 BMW M5

31% would rather have a 2003 Mercedes S55

20% would rather have a 2003 Audi RS6

Please keep in mind that Fahrcar.com’s readers polls are neither scientific nor represent necessarily the opinion of Fahrcar.com.

In 1986 BMW introduced a new race car to compete in “Group A” European Touring Car Championship racing. The only problem was that in order to compete, you had to have a road version on the car, hence the BMW E30 M3.

What makes the E30 M3 so special is that it was almost an exact replica of the race car used in competition. The engine was a high revving inline 4 cylinder that produced 192 hp and 170 lbs of torque (at 4750 rpm). From 1986 till 1991 the BMW E30 M3 evolved to remain competitive on the track. In the USA we only saw the 192 hp version, but in Europe they where privy to a 238 hp version (1990 E30 M3 Sport Evolution). They are extremely recognizable with their flared fenders to accommodate the oversized tires.

According to Car and Driver the USA 192hp version of the BMW E30 M3 sprinted 0 – 60 in 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 141 MPH. The 238 hp European version made the 0 – 60 run in 6.2 seconds with a top speed just over 150 MPH.

Availability of these used production race cars is limited. Their performance is no secret so take caution if you are looking to purchase one of these machines.

Please see these other articles on BMW E46 M3 and the BMW E36 M3

So it would seem that Porsche has answered Captain Curts age old demand “We Need More Power”. The new Porsche 911 (997) Turbo is claimed to produce 480 hp and 457 lbs of torque from the legendary 3.6 liter 6 cylinder. Porsche claims that their new AWD monster will rocket 0 – 62 in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 193 MPH.

The new Turbo is expected to hit the market in July 2007. It will be offered with either a 6 speed manual transmission or a 5 speed Manumatic transmission. Most likely coming in at about $130,000, the new Turbo is a bargain in terms of its peers. The new Porsche 911 ( 997 ) Turbo is nothing short of beautiful and the performance will no doubt demonstrate that Porsche is truly one of the most desirable sports cars in the world.

For several years Audi produced a station wagon with super car proportions for the rest of the world. This station wagon ( Avant ) was known as the Audi RS4. This all wheel drive monster has returned, but now in sedan form. Audi will be releasing this year an all new designed RS4 with a V8 power plant pumping out a whooping 420 hp and weighing in at 3637 lbs.

Claiming 0 – 62 MPH sprints in 4.8 seconds, the new AWD Audi RS4 will no doubt show its true colors on the twisty mountain back roads. The styling is absolutely stunning both inside and out.

I will say on a personal note, I kind of miss the station wagon form of the RS4. Ever since its inception of the Audi RS4 in the rest of the world I had dreaming of owning one of those monsters, the true wolf in sheep’s clothing. Oh well, still none the less the new RS4 is stunning (in my opinion).

For 2007 BMW will be returning to production a legendary model that has not seen production since 1989, the BMW M6. The 2007 BMW M6’s body is based off of the new E63 645 coupe. The M6 will share the same V10 500hp engine as the new E60 BMW M5.

BMW claims the new M6will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The braking should be anything less than steller with high-performance brakes with cross-drilled compound brake discs. For 2007 the BMW M6 will only be available with a 7 speed SMG gearbox which is also the only option currently available in the M5. There are talks of offering a 6 speed manual in the future.

BMW has also taken care to cut the weight where ever possible by including a carbon fiber roof. Actual numbers speak louder than words and I look forward to experiencing the return of this legend.