Will You Take a Chance on This Mysterious 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo Slant Nose on Copart?

It’s cheap, that’s for sure. Is it real? That’s the question.

byNico DeMattia|
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Someone is about to make either a brilliant financial decision or a terrible one. There's currently a 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Slant Nose on Copart with a current bid of $29,500, and there doesn't really seem to be much wrong with it.

For those that don't pay too close attention to classic Porsches, the 911 Turbo Slant Nose is a hugely desirable car among the Porsche faithful. Only 591 factory Slant Nose 911 Cabriolets came to the United States in 1988, making them incredibly rare. The unique shape is so sought after that many 964-gen 911 owners will buy Slant Nose conversion kits. However, factory Slant Nose 911s will easily fetch six figures at auction, with some pristine examples cresting a quarter of a million dollars. So when we see one on Copart for the same price as a new Honda Accord EX, it widens our eyes.

Is the Copart car a pristine, six-figure example? No, it's a bit rough around the edges and is in desperate need of a good wash but it doesn't seem to have any structural damage or visual signs of a crash. However, the Copart listing says it has damage to its side. It doesn't say which side, nor does either side look damaged. The listing also claims the car runs and drives, so why is it so cheap?

That low price might have something to do with its mysterious nature. For instance, its seats, steering wheel, and shift knob all look aftermarket, and it has a couple of tack-on gauges on its A-pillar. Its wheels aren't factory 911 Turbo wheels and look like Hartmann three-piece turbo twists. A free VIN check says this car is a 1988 Porsche 911, but not whether it's a Turbo, so this might be a standard 911 with a widebody/Slant Nose kit. The free VIN check also claims there's an accident in its history. If it was in an accident and the airbag deployed, that would explain the aftermarket steering wheel.

The car is currently in Georgia, and the auction ends in less than 24 hours, so whoever wants to take a chance on this car doesn't have long to determine if it's worth the risk. A more thorough VIN check could shed some light on the mystery and maybe help any potential buyers decide. Whoever buys it will either have an incredibly rare, highly valuable classic for cheap or a damaged fake. So who's willing to take the chance?

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