Archive for 2005
Q-Ship Benz – CL65 AMG
The term “Q-ship” comes from WW1 British Navy merchant ships that were unassumingly designed to lure German submarines to the surface but were also heavily armed with concealed weaponry allowing the Royal Navy to fire and sink the enemy.
The “Q” label has been passed along to the tarmac-version of a vehicular wolf in sheep’s clothing. Those of us from the Home of the Brave know the Q-car as a Sleeper.
One of my favorite examples of a Q-ship (and yes, I believe this Mercedes should be classified as a ship rather than a car) is the CL65 AMG. At over 16 feet long and tipping the fishscale at 4,800 pounds the CL is enormous.
In order to move this behemoth Mercedes took AMG’s hand built, 6.0-liter V-12 and slapped on two big snail shells. The result was earthshaking: 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet at just 3000 rpm. It’s said that big 12 could make 885 pound-feet worth but it would simply grenade the transmission so Mercedes had to limit it to 738. Speaking of limits, the CL65 is limited to a top speed of 186 compared to the typical 155mph limit we see on most German engineering. This of course didn’t stop dealers and owners from remapping the ECU which allowed these Silver Arrows to exceed 200mph.
Being one of only 194 built (W215-chassis) and originally having a MSRP of almost $180K makes this Benz look like the deal of the century. At a current bid of less than 40K not only do you get stupendous power and speed but unparalleled luxury and comfort of a flagship Mercedes-Benz.
I apologize for my word choice in this post but a big car calls for big words…and this is as big as it gets.
-Ben
2005 MINI Cooper S with RennTech Supercharger
The MINI Cooper has been hailed as one of the most fun and best handling cars for the money but many owners have been left wanting more oomph out of the tiny 4-banger. While I haven’t driven the JCW, I can imagine it offers a good bump in performance. An alternative to these straight-from-MINI upgrades is a RennTech package, which doesn’t quite make sense seeing that MINI is a BMW brand and RennTech is a Mercedes tuner…
Anyway, the RennTech package, which I couldn’t find any information on, consists of a RennTech Supercharger with larger Pulley and Air Intercooler. In addition, this Mini received a Race Short Shifter, Pagid Brake Pads with Red Calipers, Borla Exhaust and powder-coated 17’s which adds up to roughly $10K in upgrades.
This Cooper also carries the added significance of being owned and driven by Bob Snodgrass (1942-2007), President of Brumos Racing. The auction says Bob specifically made this car for himself and described it as “truly like driving a Porsche”.
With low miles, nice upgrades and the status of the previous owner, I doubt that this Cooper will get away for a MINI price…sorry it was just too easy.
-Ben
2005 Smart Roadster
After the introduction of the original Smart Car in 1998, Smart diversified their lineup by adding the Roadster and Roadster Coupe in 2003 and the Fourfour in 2004. The first generation Smart Car wasn’t officially imported to the US and neither was the Roadster or Forfour. Powered by a turbocharged, three cylinder engine mounted in the rear, this car was likened to a modern day incarnation of the cheap sports car popularized by UK marques such as MG and Triumph. With a low curb weight of just over 1,700 pounds, this car has a power to weight ratio normally found in many exotics. Sadly, due to warranty claims stemming mainly from leaky tops, the Smart Roadster was a failure for parent company Mercedes-Benz and production halted in 2006.
2005 Smart Roadster for sale in Hemmings
The seller states:
Here’s a rare one. A Smart Roadster with large Michalak wheels, low profile tires and a new tuned exhaust system. This sport roadster gets 50-60 mpg on the highway. Never imported into the U.S. and 1 of only 5,000 produced. Heres your chance to own a sports car that can actually save you money on gas!
This car presents an opportunity to be one of the very few in the US to own one of these. Even so, the $18,000 entry fee seems a bit steep. After sifting through eBay UK, the highest priced Smart Roadster I came across was a 2006 Brabus edition for just shy of £10,000 (about $15,000). Given there are probably zero others on the US market right now, the seller is obviously thinking he can name his price. The only lingering question I have regarding a car like this is how difficult it might be to register it in certain states.
-Paul
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