Some situations in life you do even when you know it is a bad idea and you will probably pay for it later. Like going back for that second piece of cake or buying a 15 year-old Mercedes-Benz with 738 horsepower and 840 lb-ft of torque. Okay, so maybe not too similar a set of examples, but you get the idea. What I’m trying to say is if a 2005 CL65 AMG with a RENNtech tune came up for sale that had enough power to spin the rear wheels at 60 mph, would you consider it? I think that answer depends on what your needs of a car is, do you have the budget, and are you currently under the influence of psychedelics? Still, my chest gets tight when I have to break a $100 bill, but this car is just so much for so little. How little?
Month: July 2019
Over the past year, there’s been quite a bit of buzz about the Volkswagen Arteon. These reviews tend to focus around two main points; that the Arteon is quite nice, and that the Arteon is quite expensive – at least, for a Volkswagen. The model starts at $35,000 and if you add a few options it’s not hard to crest $40,000. I did manage to find a SEL 4Motion under $40,000 but it has few options. The 2.0T is rated at 268 horsepower in base form, and you can select front- or all-wheel drive variants and a ton of tech as the price climbs, but initially they’ll all be offered only with an 8-speed ZF automatic. Although outwardly it looks a lot like an Audi A7, and indeed features the same hatchback configuration, like the previous few Passats and Passat CC it is based on the Golf MQB platform.
All this got me to thinking; is it really that radical a departure from the last CC?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2013 Volkswagen CC VR6 4Motion Executive on eBay
Comments closedLast week Carter took a look at a US-legal C5 Audi RS6 Avant that in terms of “super wagons” is right up there, and now that they are over 15 years-old, serious collectible vehicles. Thing is, you don’t get these amazing long bodies without some serious creative engineering and doing things like twin-turbocharging an already big V8. Mercedes-Benz is never one to be outdone, so they jumped into the game with the first-generation E55 AMG Estate and then went nuts on the W211 chassis with the supercharged E55 and 6.2 liter V8 E63. Today’s car is is the latter E63 that is just 1 or 62 examples produced for the 2007 model year for the US market. However, just like the RS6, big power means big issues, and judging by this car’s history, the E63 is not immune to that.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate on eBay
3 CommentsThe C5 Audi RS6 was the first full-fledged RS model to head legally to North America. It was the stuff of instant legend, too, with a 450 horsepower twin-turbocharged V8 and enough tech to get you to and from the moon. And despite its relatively limited run, it’s been no stranger to these pages – thanks in no small part to the plethora of used examples on the market at any time. Indeed, just a month ago I counted no less than 10 for sale when I wrote up the unique 6-speed converted sedan:
That car’s asking price has been reduced to a much more enticing $20,000 today. Yet for some, including this author, the fact that there was an Avant form of the RS6 that was left out of our market has always been a sticking point. Well, a few enterprising individuals have eliminated that need:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 Audi RS6 Avant on eBay
4 CommentsIf you thought Mercedes-Benz couldn’t make a car any cheaper for the US market than the CLA/GLA, oh do I have a treat for you. The new A-Class are at dealers and I honestly thought when looking at this photo above that someone left a Dodge Dart on the lot on trade in that they didn’t get around to throwing in the dumpster yet. It’s bland, it’s uninspiring, it does nothing all that well, but it’s literally $35,000, so get ready to see these things absolutely everywhere. The race to the bottom is a competitive one, and Mercedes has a strong contender with the A220. The reviews are a mixed bag because there is a level of expectation with a $35,000 Mercedes, but from everything I’m reading, it isn’t all that bad. Still, it’s $35,000. They had to cheap out somewhere, right?