Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
It often pays to be first. There certainly is true in the car industry as well. Especially when it comes to rare limited-production models that everyone wants but not a lot of people can get. The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is turning out to be a perfect example of how much difference a year makes when it comes to pricing. Let’s take a closer look.
Sometimes you see a car and say “Remember when they made that?” I had a brief moment when I saw this 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series. Of course I remembered the car, but with only 175 of them in the US, it’s not like you see them for sale often. This thing is every way bonkers in the power department as sinister as it looks with 661 horsepower with 738 pound-feet of torque. Also bonkers, the price tag of nearly $300,000. Pricessurprisingly dipped pretty hard considering they only produced 350 for the entire world, but now it seems like now is the time to snatch one up as the death of the V12 is near.
This example up for sale in Miami comes in with just under 11,000 miles and looks every bit the part. Prepare to pay though, as prices are getting stronger.
I would have loved to have been in the meeting when the bosses at Mercedes and AMG came to the conclusion that the SLK would be the car to launch their Black Series line. Just to refresh, the Black Series was launched in 2006 as a “purist” and “ready for the track” model line that took a few of their AMG offerings and turned them up to 11. They started the with R171 SLK55 of all things, then moved on the CLK63, SL65, C63 Coupe, SLS, and soon to be released AMG GT. That is it. Six models over the past 15 years. Thankfully the American market was blessed with all those models, although a bit watered down, except for today’s car, the 2007 SLK55 AMG Black Series.
Only 100 examples were made and you have to wonder if it was just some sort of test run to see if the people would actually buy them. After all, Mercedes priced this car at €107,300, which is just over $130,000. You can probably understand why the US market didn’t get them now. AMG didn’t skimp on the extras for all that money as you got a bunch of more aggressive body work, some weight savings, cool cloth seats, and a bump to 400 horsepower. As you might have imagined, people like that stuff. That surely explains why this example up for sale in The Netherlands is much more than $130,000 dollars now.
One of the most interesting modern Mercedes-Benz models ever to hit to the United States, at least in my opinion, is the CLK63 AMG Black Series. I never quite understood why the W209, a model that is as pedestrian as it gets, was blessed with Black Series treatment along with the R171 SLK55, R230 SL65, C204 C63 and of course, the SLS. America got all of those models except the SLK55, which again, is surprising seeing that only 349 CLK63 AMG Black Series were ever imported. We didn’t get cheated on these cars as they look much different that the regular CLK63 with massive fender flares, a DTM-style steering wheel and side bolsters on the seats large enough to make the new Honda Civic Type-R jealous. Throw in 500 horsepower, a limited-slip differential, bigger brakes, adjustable suspension and a different exhaust, and you have a car that the market believes will stay expensive for a very long time. This example with a little over 17,000 miles for sale in California, is no different.
We live in a world where the show rarely matches the go. But when those do match up, it’s a wonderful and almost certainly a very expensive thing. That’s what the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series is: show, go and expensive. With an increased track width of 3.8 inches up front and 3.3 inches in back, 661 horsepower with 738 pound-feet of torque all wrapped up in a price tag of near $300,000, this thing is as bonkers as they come from Mercedes-AMG. So let’s take a look at this SL65 Black Series across the pond.
