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Month: May 2019

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GCFSB Alumnus: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300CEc

GCFSB Alumnus: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300CEc

Published May 31, 2019 by Carter

One of the biggest challenges we face when contemplating cars from a distance is that it’s difficult to judge a book by its cover. We’re at the mercy of the images and what the seller is willing to disclose in order to form a judgement. I’d like to think that most of the time we get it right and spot items that are perhaps warning signs to a larger problem. But, perhaps inevitably, we definitely have gotten some wrong. That brings us to today’s car, which Andrew wrote up back in 2016:

1993 Mercedes-Benz 300CE

Andrew felt at the time that it was a very clean example with a reasonable price. And, as luck would have it, one of our readership took the plunge and bought the car without a PPI. But it didn’t go quite as one would hope the story would, as it turned out there were some undisclosed problems which popped up. Today the car is back for sale with a lot of the heavy lifting done and some more stories to add to its pages:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300CE on eBay

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2006 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate

2006 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate

Published May 30, 2019 by Andrew

I don’t think a lot of people saw this coming, but the Mercedes-Benz AMG estates from the mid-2000s are firmly holding their values. The results don’t lie, none have traded hands under the low $20,000 range that I can find and most are above $30,000. Great news if you own one, maybe not so great if you want to buy one. Although if the values keep holding strong, I guess buying one isn’t the worst idea ever as you are basically parking your money. However, there is another way to get your big V8 AMG wagon fix if you don’t want to pony up $30,000.

The only W203 worth buying, the C55 AMG, actually was made in wagon form in 2005 and 2006. They didn’t make many of them, less than 2,000, and exactly zero came to the United States. Not exactly a common car to find and even less so as it is rumored a lot of them went to Japan and other Asian countries. However, you can still find a handful for sale in Germany at any given time and they actually look pretty darn cool. We just have to wait until 2030 to import one to the United States. Canada however, get your chequebooks ready!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2006 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG Estate at Mobile.de

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1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6

1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6

Published May 29, 2019 by Carter

After its unceremonious and unexplained exit from the U.S. market with the introduction of the third generation Golf in 1993, the GTI came roaring back in a big way for the 1995 model year. Sure, it was bigger, bulkier and well…roundier, but it came with a bunch more gusto thanks to the addition of the VR6 motor as seen in the Corrado and Passat models. The single-overhead cam, twelve valve head lacked the race-bred feel of the Mk.II 16V, the new motor more than made up for it with the addition of two more cylinders. Good for 172 horsepower and 173 lb.ft of torque, it swept the hot hatch from 0-60 in 7.1 seconds and produced a 15.5 second quarter mile at over 90 mph. But much like the original, the GTI was more than the sum of its numbers, with drivers enjoying the great 6-cylinder soundtrack which accompanied the waves of usable torque.

Of course, like all VWs from the period, it was expensive. Really quite expensive. A base GTI VR6 rolled out the door in 1995 at $18,875, and with a few options it wasn’t difficult to breech $20 grand. Yet that was still only a little more than half the money it would take you to grab a same-year M3, which offered only a bit more motivation and cornering prowess. Catch the pesky BMW driver off-guard, and they’d be unlikely to easily out-drag you. So you could either look at this model as a really expensive Golf or a really cheap BMW. That was what the legendary GTI had always been about, and this was a resounding return to form and continuation of the brilliance that was the GTI 16V, even if they felt (and, looked) completely different:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6 on eBay

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2001 Porsche 911 Turbo

2001 Porsche 911 Turbo

Published May 28, 2019 by Andrew

A few weeks ago I took a look at a 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo that was totally normal on outside, but then when you opened the doors things took a left turn. Judging by the comments, I wasn’t alone on this thought. Surprisingly, it sold for nearly $52,000, which I think is a premium for a 2002 Turbo, but it did have only 29,000 miles on it. Today, I came across another 996 Turbo, but as you might have noticed the unusual color is on the outside this time. This 2001 up for sale in New York is painted in Forest Green Metallic and shows nearly 65,000 miles. Problem is, it is much more expensive than the car from a few weeks ago.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo at 6 Speed Online

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1988 BMW M5

1988 BMW M5

Published May 27, 2019 by Carter

The M5 might not have been the original super sedan. It wasn’t even the first hot 5-series. But just like the GTI is synonymous with the hot-hatch segment, the M5 became the standard by which all other super-sedans were judged the moment it rolled onto the scene in 1985. Power seemed other-worldly; 280 plus horsepower from the race-derived M88/3 hunkered down with beefy suspension upgrades and huge (for the time) alloy wheels linked with a limited-slip differential. At a time when “fast” cars had 180 horsepower, BMW’s first M-offering in the sedan range might as well have been a space ship.

BMW promised limited production for the U.S. market, too – and, indeed, only 1,239 were produced for the U.S. with the slightly de-tuned S38. Unfortunately, that was 700 more than BMW had promised to make, and that led to a lawsuit. It also wasn’t very long before the M5’s power reign was eclipsed; first by its replacement E34 model, then by the whole range of new V8 models emerging on the market, from the 1992 Audi V8 quattro to the 500E. Values quickly fell as these old-looking (even when new) boxy rockets fell out of favor, and they remained there for quite some time.

But recently there’s grown a much greater appreciation for all things 80s M, and though the E30 has grabbed the headlines as the market star, outside of the M1 it is the E28 M5 that was brought here in fewest numbers. Even fewer have survived, and finding clean, lower mile examples can be tough. This one appears to tick the right boxes:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW M5 on eBay

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