In every car community, there are “sleeper” cars – truly collectible models that seemingly fly beneath the radar. One of those, in my opinion, is the Porsche 944 Turbo S. These were limited to 1,000 models and featured numerous performance upgrades that enabled it to chase 911s on the street and potentially lap them on the track, given the model’s lap times. The Turbo S shown here is made rarer still for being one of the elusive “Silver Rose” editions, which featured a limited-production color scheme in addition to the mechanical upgrades. This one is a bit of a project but that hasn’t stopped bidders from pushing it to over $14,000 here on eBay with no reserve.

It’s funny: a friend of mine just snagged a 944 Turbo from a driveway in North Carolina where it had been sitting for several years. He unknowingly bought one of the 1,000 Turbo S cars ever sold, and quickly sold it for a very respectable profit, even as a non-runner. The Porsche market does know about these limited production performance models, even if it’s not the first car collectors mention when listing off their favorite Porsches. Whether it’s a 944 or a 911, however, if you mix a German performance model with actual performance upgrades and limited production, you’re likely to have a home run on your hands. According to Road & Track, the upgrades included “…(a) bigger turbocharger, a shorter final drive ratio, Koni adjustable shocks, chassis-stiffening frame brackets, wider tires, and four-piston Brembo front brakes taken from the 928 S4.”

Now, here’s what’s kind of nuts about where the seller has left this car. The Silver Rose 944 Turbos are extra special because of a distinctive interior upholstery scheme and the “Silver Rose” paint. The seller has begun the process of taking apart the interior to convert it to black. Now, I get it – many of us have been there, as black is seemingly the preferred cockpit color – but when you have a model as special as a genuine Turbo S Silver Rose, you leave that interior alone. And if you don’t like mauve, you buy a different car. The pictures show the black bucket seats and black carpeting, along with a black leather armrest, but I’d like to know if the original seats and surfaces are included with the sale, because this car should be put back to its original configuration.

The good news is the engine compartment looks mostly intact, with no evidence of half-finished projects under the hood. The seller reports that the 944 has been in his climate-controlled care for 10 years but it has not been recently run. He also reports that while it had no mechanical issues when parked, he would recommend doing the standard servicing and reconditioning before attempting to drive it, which is common sense for any vehicle that hasn’t turned a wheel in some time. The Turbo S is a very special sort of Porsche, and the must-have for anyone who likes the watercooled variety. Get the interior back to its original specifications and you’ll have a sound investment – not to mention a very quick front-engined Porsche – for years to come.