BMW Buyer's Guide

Navigate your way through the buying process effortlessly with the facts at your fingertips! From the exotic M1 and 850Csi to the popular 3, 5 and 7-Series sports luxury tourers, this all-color Buyer's Guide points the way through the full history of the BMW marque, and offers valuable specifications, production numbers, investment advice, and more. Take the "ultimate driving machine" out for a test drive before you buy!

Illustrated Porsche Buyer's Guide (Illustrated Buyer's Guide)

This classic guide has been completely revised and updated by Randy Leffingwell. This updated 4th edition is filled with Porsche models from 1948 through the new 1997 Boxster, including the 959, 968, the newest 911s, and several others, plus remaining third edition material on the 356, the early 911s, 914s, 928s, 924s and 944s. 4th ed.

This book provides good, general information about the Porsche line of cars from the first 356 up to the '97 Boxster. Information is generally more detailed about the earlier cars (pre '80) and then the author(s) seem to run out of steam, adding only brief paragraphs to describe modifications during the more recent years. This is perhaps understandable, as all Porsche cars are evolutionary, with small changes being made over the years.

The book will be useful if you are just starting to think about buying a used Porsche, and aren't even sure which model interests you. If you have already narrowed your search to a particular model, then there are other sources of information. For example, there is a great webpage of the evolution of the 911 which contains most of the information contained in this book on model changes. The Early 911 FAQ website also has a lot of detail on individual model year changes, plus some performance information and a great section on the possible trouble spots.

This book will not provide enough information for the final selection of a good used Porsche. It warns of the most obvious troublesome Porsches (ie. 2.7L 911s) but lacks the details for some other common problems that are smaller, but potentially very expensive if overlooked. Consider the book a good primer, but definitely look elsewhere for detailed pre-purchase advice.

PT Cruiser Performance Projects

This book includes 30 how-to procedures. The projects range from appearance modifications, such as the application of a flame decal kit or customized gauge faces, to wheel and tire selection, suspension modifications, and a turbo or supercharger installation. Other projects introduce the reader to the unique PT Cruiser lifestyle that's sweeping the nation.

Illustrated Buyer's Guide: Modern Sports & GT Cars Under 20k

If you're in the market for an affordable sports car, this is an invaluable guide. Read complete background information on popular sports and GT cars, including quotes from auto magazine tests, "for" and "against" comments, and a report card rating system for everything from performance and reliability to resale value. Showcased cars include the Mazda RX-7 and Miata; Toyota MR-2 and Supra; Pontiac Firebird; Ford Mustang; Honda CRX and Prelude; Alfa Romeo Spider; BMW 3-series, and more.

Review:
I am constantly dabbling in the idea of getting myself a sporty car that I can have some fun with but like most of us, I don't happen to have a large disposable income to blow on the hot new Ferrari 575. That is why this book is most fabulous for even the most fund-deficient of car enthusiasts that just want to have a pedal stomping, gear shifting good time.

There is a large collection of moderately priced sports cars that have been rated for various attributes. Each car has a few pages dedicated to the pros, cons and specs of the car, along with pictures and some history behind the car. I felt that this book covered a very nice variety of domestic and imported sports cars and offered almost all the basic information anyone would want in narrowing down their search for a new toy. I still haven't gotten myself a car yet, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming.