The Daily Vroom

Good Morning Vroomers,

There are so many cool, rare, and downright eclectic cars running through the auctions right now that picking just a few feels unfair, but today’s lineup deserves the spotlight.

A RUF-inspired Beetle that channels tuner nostalgia, a first-gen 996 GT3 that kicked off Porsche’s modern GT era, and a 1995 Mercedes-Benz E500 Limited AMG 6.0 that united Mercedes, Porsche, and AMG in one of the most legendary sedans ever built. Three cars, three flavors of rarity, and each one reminding us why the market’s never boring when passion and provenance collide.

Plus a sale of the day that I’d never imagine writing about…

The Pontiac Aztek Just Had Its Revenge

The headline says it all. On the same day a 2003 Pontiac Aztek sold for $16,400, a 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo with 41,000 miles and a clean history brought $13,800. (yes the interior was a little messy) The SUV that built Porsche’s modern era just lost to the car that nearly ended Pontiac.

The first generation Cayenne Turbo deserves respect. It is still one of the best all around SUVs ever made, with 450 horsepower, real off road ability, and a driving feel no luxury truck has matched since. It saved Porsche and redefined the performance SUV. Even now, a good one feels tight, fast, and expensive in all the right ways.

But this one was far from perfect. The mileage was fine and the service history solid, but the interior showed its age with worn leather, tired trim, and a sagging headliner. It looked like a well used example of a great car. The Aztek, on the other hand, looked like it had been sealed in glass.

That was the difference. The Pontiac was not a better car, it was a better artifact. One family since new, just over 5,000 miles, bright yellow paint, and all the quirks that once made it a joke now made it irresistible. The Cayenne offered performance. The Aztek offered purity. And in this market, condition always wins.

The legend pays better not because it drives better but because it survived better. Nostalgia rewards what time forgot. The Aztek is living proof that even the most ridiculed designs can find redemption when the story is right and the example is perfect.

It was once the punchline. Yesterday it was the headline.

Rare Auctions To Keep An Eye On

We’ve all seen RUF Porsches, surgically tuned 911s that rewrite what’s possible with Stuttgart DNA. But a RUF Beetle? That’s new territory.

This 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo S, wears the RUF name like a mic drop. Built in collaboration with RUF Auto Centre in Texas, it’s a turbocharged 1.8-liter, six-speed manual Frankenstein of enthusiasm - Recaro seats, RUF alloys, Brembos, coilovers, billet everything. Even the steering wheel bears that famous RUF crest. It’s absurd, meticulous, and somehow completely endearing.

Underneath the shaved bodywork and Reflex Silver paint sits a full suite of serious hardware: Eibach sway bars, APR exhaust, RUF-tuned ECU, and big brakes on all four corners. You can almost feel the old-school tuner energy oozing out of it when “collaboration with RUF” didn’t mean a press release but a phone call and some receipts.

But there is a problem. The seller isn’t helping their own cause. Questions about emissions, documentation, and build provenance are piling up, and silence is killing momentum. Cars like this thrive on engagement, buyers need reassurance, not radio silence. When you’re auctioning something this niche, participation from the seller matters. And this isn’t a one-time seller. This seller has a near perfect record in selling his listings, so we’ll just see how this one goes.

The internet loves weird. This is peak weird. Now the seller just needs to lean in and finish the story.

So many great Porsches to admire across the auction sites this week, but my eyes went straight to two on PCarMarket, a 1992 964 Turbo and a 2000 996 GT3. Both black, both rare, both important in their own way. The Turbo has the pedigree and polish, the kind of car that makes collectors nod in approval. But the GT3? That one pulled me in for different reasons, emotion, rarity, and perfect timing.

This 996 GT3 is the first of its kind, the car that launched a dynasty. Never sold new in the U.S., it is just now legal under the 25-year rule, and it arrives with proper heritage. Originally owned by World Rally Champion Petter Solberg, finished in black with factory Recaro buckets and a roll cage installed through Porsche Exclusive at Werk 1, this is Porsche motorsport DNA, not marketing copy.

Powered by the 3.6-liter Mezger flat-six shared with the GT1 and 962, this GT3 represents the moment Porsche rediscovered its racing soul. It is raw, mechanical, and beautifully unrefined in the best way. The current owner imported it this spring, making it one of the first examples to officially cross into U.S. soil. That alone makes it a milestone.

The 964 Turbo, by contrast, feels complete, pristine, elegant, and expected. It is a collector’s dream, no question, but it is not surprising. The GT3 feels alive. It is the beginning of the modern GT era, the car that redefined what a driver-focused Porsche should be.

The Turbo will always command respect. The GT3 earns something rarer, connection. And that is why, of all the Porsches on the block right now, this one is the story worth telling.

After covering a RUF themed Beetle and a first generation GT3, it feels right to stay on the unicorn path. Enter the 1995 Mercedes Benz E500 Limited AMG 6.0, the ultimate version of what many still call the best Mercedes ever built. This one is not just rare. It is the intersection point where Mercedes, Porsche, and AMG all said yes to the same car.

Start with the foundation. The 500E and E500 were hand finished at Porsche, sharing production space with the 959. The E500 Limited was the final chapter, a short production run with two tone interiors, black birdseye maple trim, and a subtle flex in every panel gap. Only 951 were built. That alone would be enough for most collectors. This one goes further.

It began life as a Limited, then went to AMG Japan for the full E60 treatment. The standard 5.0 liter V8 was replaced with a 6.0 liter AMG tuned M119 good for roughly 375 horsepower and 428 pound feet of torque. The package added AMG valances, Aero III wheels, an AMG exhaust, and a stance that looks ready to move small mountains.

The documentation makes it even better. This car is one of only two known to have been completed new by AMG Japan and registered that way in 1996. It comes with Japanese export papers, a Montana title listing it as an E60 AMG, and just 48,000 kilometers, or about 30,000 miles. Everything about it is period correct and mechanically sorted, from the self leveling suspension to the four speed automatic and the original birdseye wood trim.

Where the RUF Beetle was pure eccentric fun and the GT3 was raw emotion, this E500 Limited AMG 6.0 is measured brutality. It is understated, built like a vault, and quicker than any executive sedan had the right to be in 1995. This is what happens when every great German performance brand of the era collaborates on one car and somehow loses money doing it.

It may not shout, but it speaks fluent rarity. And among this trio, it might just be the one that defines what “unobtainium” actually means.