5 interesting cars to watch out for in 2023!
Every year brings with it a new definition of what it means to be a collector car. Sometimes it’s a no-brainer that a car would finally reach the widespread appreciation it has always deserved, while others take the market by storm. Would you have expected 90s Silverados and similar trucks to sell for upwards of $20,000? If so, let us know what next week’s lottery numbers are.
Our own Keith Koscak tried his hand at automotive clairvoyance on our Instagram recently, and we thought we’d give you a more in-depth dive into what each of those cars is and what sets them apart from the rest.
Lamborghini Diablo – The Diablo was the car that brought Lamborghini into the new millennium. It was also the first production Lamborghini capable of going over 200 mph, a major step up from the outgoing Countach’s 185 mph. The original Diablo was designed by Marcello Gandini, the same mastermind behind the Miura, Countach, and other wedge-shaped beauties of the time, like the Fiat X1/9 and De Tomaso Pantera SI.
Diablos have been slowly climbing in price over the last few years, with a low-mileage VT and a VT Roadster selling at Mecum Monterey 2022 for $275,000 and $330,000, respectively. With 2,884 Diablos produced from 1990 to 2001, Lamborghini’s devil will likely see even more growth this year, especially considering that the next generation of car collectors likely grew up with a Diablo on their wall as their dreamy poster car.
Porsche 996 & 997 GT2 – The 996 generation of the 911 produced from 1997 to 2006 brought about a time of change for Porsche. It was the first new platform the company had created since the original 911 and also served as the departure from air-cooled engines to a more modern water-cooled one. As with the 993 generation that it replaced, the 996 had its own GT2 version produced from 2001 to 2005. Porsche decided to focus on GT3 class racing rather than GT2, meaning the 996 GT2 was primarily developed to be a road car rather than a homologation. It was powered by a twin-turbo 3.6 L flat-six engine with 456 hp and reportedly little turbo lag. Only about 317 cars were produced from 2002 to 2005.
The 997 superseded the 996 in 2004, with the most notable changes being new interior and exterior styling, including the replacement of the “fried egg” headlights with more traditional “bug-eye” ones. It continued the tradition of having a GT2 version, with the same twin-turbo 3.6 L flat-six configuration now putting out 523 hp. Only 205 cars were produced from 2007 to 2012. Being low-production, high-performance GT cars, the 996 and 997 GT2 have all the right factors for appreciation.
Saab 9-3 Viggen – Here is one some of you might not even know about! Saab’s first generation 9-3 was an updated and more rounded version of the 900. It was available as a three or five-door hatchback or a two-door convertible depending on your taste. US market cars initially used a turbocharged B204L engine with 185 hp, with later revisions upping that number to a maximum of 205 hp.
From 1999 to 2002, Saab created the 9-3 Viggen, a high-performance version named after the Saab 37 Viggen aircraft and developed with input from Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) Group. It used an even more powerful version of the 9-3 engine dubbed the B235R with 230 hp and a number of other performance upgrades like a better intercooler, ECU, exhaust, gearbox, and suspension. A total of 1,641 Viggens were produced for the US market, all with manual transmissions. How could one not want something like that?!
Subaru WRX STi – The second generation of the Subaru Impreza lasted from 2002 to 2007 in North America and saw two facelifts along with its own WRX STi variant. The 2004 to 2005 model years were the first facelift from the initial “bug-eye” and were dubbed the “blob-eye.” The second facelift came from 2006 to 2007 with the “hawk-eye” cars. The WRX STi versions of this generation initially used a 5-speed manual transmission with a 6-speed coming later. The engine was a 2.5 L 4-cylinder that put out around 300 hp. These have lots of room to grow, and low-mileage examples that have either not been modified or are lightly modified are the ones to look out for.
Jaguar XJ220 – The Jaguar XJ220 was the fastest car in the world at the time. Produced from 1992 to 1994, it was powered by a 3.5 L twin-turbo V6 engine that put out 542 hp and reached a record-breaking top speed of 212.3 mph. This would later be broken by the McLaren F1 in 1998. Jaguar developed the car with the help of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) Group, and the two created a new company dubbed Project XJ220 Ltd. specifically to develop and build the XJ220.
Only 282 examples were ever produced, with collector-grade ones selling for $500,000 to $600,000. It is very likely that a car of this caliber will someday break the $1 million mark.
Do any of these cars pique your interest? We have years of experience sourcing cars from all over the world for clients, and we would love to help make your automotive dreams become a reality. With our years of experience and knowledge, we can find the best examples, handle all the paperwork, and have the car show up at your door in a hands-off and hassle-free manner.
Drop us a line and let us know how we can work together!
Written By: Gabriel Ionica