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Today I wanted to look at a 2016 Mercedes-Benz … SL400? Yes, that is a thing. Back in 2015, Mercedes-Benz introduced the SL400 with a 329 horsepower 3.0L twin-turbo V6 paired with a the 722.9 seven-speed automatic. The whole reason for this is that the base price was $85,000, which meant it was $23,000 less than the SL550. For legacy SL buyers, that is a big deal. You still get your SL with all the toys, but save a bunch of money if you don’t ever use 430 horsepower. This was true in a lot of households as these cars are used as Sunday cruisers and rarely get full throttle. A win-win for both Mercedes and buyers as more cars were sold and buyers save a little bit of coin. Now five years later, these could be a bargain, right?
Outside of some exceptionally rare or select AMGs, I don’t really feature a lot of new Mercedes-Benz cars. One big reason is that while this stuff is cool and all, they aren’t all that interesting to me. Another big reason being is that they are all quite common and you can just head down to your local dealer and dodge sales representatives until they figure out you can’t afford anything. After they realize that, their brain tuns to them saying ”Have you ever considered leasing a car?” while you scurry away. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with these newer cars, but for me, I enjoy my aged vehicles.
Today, I happen to come across a newer, non-AMG, C-Class that peaked my interest because of two things. First being it offers surprisingly great performance numbers and second, it’s amazing depreciation for being only a few years old. This 2015 C400 up for sale in Connecticut is probably the best bargin W205 on the market right now, if not the best bang for the buck newer Mercedes. Let me explain why.
The W124 500E/E500 was a tough act to follow, but Mercedes-Benz stepped up to the plate well with the new AMG collaboration W210 E55 AMG. The M113 power plant generated an impressive 350 horsepower and 391 lb.ft of torque – more than had graced that legendary W124. In its own way, the E55 AMG became a legend, too – subtle looks offering a velvet wrapper on one hefty hammer. So when it came to replacing it again in the new W211, AMG was forced to turn the dial up a few more notches. It was forced because the market had moved on, and the W210’s power output was no longer competitive in the early 2000s. So forced it was, as in forced induction. The M113 now featured an IHI supercharger, and power increased dramatically. This was no small step for man, this was a giant leap for Mercedes kind. The W211 E55’s power output leaped to 469 hp and it now 520 lb.ft of torque. Of course, it needed those numbers because the competition from Audi in the 450 horsepower twin-turbocharged RS6 and the outgoing benchmark BMW M5’s 400 horsepower S62 V8. Going nuclear on the power level meant AMG needed to upgrade the rest of the hardware, as well. Airmatic adjustable suspension with sport tuning gave the hefty E55 poise in the bends, while 14.2″, 8 piston calipers hidden behind huge split 5-spoke AMG wheels with 245 and 265 section tires kept grip and speed in check. The results were palpable: in a 2003 Car and Driver comparison against its nearest rivals, the new E55 AMG simply outpaced everything in a straight line. 0-60 was dispatched in just 4.3 seconds. 100 came only 5 and a half seconds later. The quarter mile was done in 12.5 seconds. Forget sedans, those were numbers that challenged the Corvette Z06 at the same time, and close to a decade and a half later are still very impressive:
As some of you noticed, a few weeks ago we asked for submissions for some new authors to both help to diversify and bolster our content here at GCFSB. We were truly overwhelmed by the responses – many dedicated fans who were interested in joining the ranks wrote in and offered a glimpse into how much enthusiasm there is surrounding our site. We’ve tried very hard to keep consistently good and interesting daily posts out there, but there was no denying that at times we’ve been shorthanded over the past year. To help remedy that, we are very excited to have two new authors joining our ranks! The first of these authors is Andrew, who joins us with quite a bang in this E63 AMG Wagon. Please join me in welcoming Andrew on board!
-Carter
When it comes to W211 E55 and E63 wagons, they are quickly approaching cult status in the Mercedes circles and beyond. This E63 wagon located outside of Washington D.C. has everything you could ask for if you ever feel the need to drive home from your Home Depot trip like your house is on fire.
