Andrew, Author at German Cars For Sale Blog

Coupe Week: 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series

Published February 15, 2015 by Andrew

465 lb-ft of torque, that’s a whole lot of twist. It’s stump pulling, Cummins diesel, father in-law impressing amounts of torque. The CLK63 AMG Black Series is more or less a street legal DTM car and it still baffles me that anyone with a valid drivers license and enough money can operate one of these vehicles. I know a couple people who have driven these cars and all of them get this particular look in their eyes when they talk about it, part fear, part respect, part lust. For a vehicle based on the rather bland C209 platform, the Black Series is a striking car that demands attention via its flared fenders and bonkers soundtrack.

Oddly enough the Black Series flies under the radar in the enthusiast community, it rarely comes up in conversation when discussing the most insane cars of the past decade. Perhaps it’s because Mercedes only built it for two years or because it came out around the time of the Audi S5. Though the S5 was much slower, I think it was a whole hell of a-lot better looking and the 8T3 platform interior was far ahead of that of the comparable Mercedes. The ergonomics of all the C209 coupes leave much to be desired, AMG goodies or not. I’ve been baby sitting a CLK 350 for the past couple weeks and the cabin completely disappoints me every time I get in it. The buttons feel cheap, many of them are exactly where I wouldn’t want them to be and the whole package seems to be phoned in overall. Â However, I’d be willing to put up with that lackluster interior in exchange for access to 507hp and I’m willing to bet you might be too.

Click for details: 2008 Mercedes Benz CLK63 Black Series On Cars.com

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Feature Listing: 1998 BMW M3 Sedan

Feature Listing: 1998 BMW M3 Sedan

Published February 14, 2015 by Andrew

The E36 M3 is the first M car that I can remember obsessing over. Ever since I got a die cast model of an E36 coupe race car in 6th grade, I’ve dreamtÂ of flying around a track in one of these legendary machines, S52 wailing away at the top of the rev range. While it may be a bit longer before I can fully realize that dream, it seems fate decided to throw me a bone because IÂ finally got some seat time in an E36 and it just so happens to be this very car.Â That’s right, the M3 which you see before you hath been drivenÂ by yours truly. The current custodian of this vehicle lives about 5 minutes away from me so naturally I had to lay eyes and hands on this vehicle if I was to write about it.

Honestly I was a little worried that the car wouldn’t live up to my lofty expectations. I have done my best to quiet the inner child in me that sees these vehicles as something extraordinary andÂ instead look at them as the elevatedÂ daily driver that they are. After all if you think about the lineage of the M3, it’s kinda crazy that BMW decided to build a 4-door version. Then again, this was the 1990s, a glorious time for sport sedans, when crossovers were but a tickle in a designers finger and car design was, restrained.

Click for details: 1998 BMW M3 on Los Angeles’ Craigslist

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Coupe Week: 1998 BMW 328is

Published February 14, 2015 by Andrew

Occasionally I’ll come across a car that at first glance seems dingy and hardly worth my time writing about. Such was the case with this E36 BMW 328is, but upon closer inspection of the photos I thought it worth posting. The rear seats appear toÂ be in fantastic condition, same goes for the front passenger seat. The drivers seat does appear to have a normal amount of wear for the vehicle’s age but no cracks, tears or other egregious blemishes are mentioned.Â The owner has added sport pedals and an M shift knob which are nice little touches.

If I have one gripe it’s that they didn’t put more time into properly photographing the vehicle. I know not everyone is a master of automotive photography but it’s pretty easy to copy what the professional listers on eBay do and apply it to your own post. Lack of photographs of a car from every angle will only make potential buyers concerned that something is being hidden, though in this particular case I think it’s just laziness.

Click for details: 1998 BMWÂ 328is on eBay

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2006 BMW M Coupe

Published February 12, 2015 by Andrew

The E86 Z4 M Coupe is one of those vehicles I never much cared forÂ until very recently. When it debuted in 2006 I remember being aware of its existence and that’s about it. I’d bet I’m not the only one with a story like this either, as the M was always in the shadow of the Cayman S and its design was divisive to say the least.

I think the years have been good to the car and its certainly one of the better designs from the Bangle era. Look at it long enough and lines that at first seem frivolous begin to soften and become pleasing to the eye. The most offensive visual issue I have with the E86 is that it can be kind of dorky looking from a head on perspective. The car appears oddly wide in the front before tapering off in the back. I blame this on the bulging fendersÂ that should have housed wider wheels from the get go. I’ve seen models with staggered setups and meaty tires that properly fill the wheel wells, giving the car a seriously badass, aggressive look. Were I to get one of these getting the stance right would be thing to do right away.

Beyond getting it setup to maximize the curb appeal, there’s not a whole lot you need to do with an M Coupe. The M didn’t suffer from the much criticized electro-mechanical power assist steering like the regular Z4’s and the high revving S54 engine is the stuff of legend. Known for its durability and the noise it can create, the iron block was given one piece aluminum head castings for reduced weight, modified camshafts and 87mm bore cylinders that increased displacement to 3,246cc. Suspension wise these cars were pretty hard edged in stock form and that has always been the major gripe about it in the automotive community. Furthermore,Â for about the same money you could get a Cayman S, which could be optioned with PASM, allowing you to choose when you wanted to realign you spine and when you wanted a more comfortable ride. Also the Cayman S is in my opinion is a much better looking vehicle but the M Coupe does have the edge on the Cayman in one very important category, the interior.

Having test driven a 2007 Cayman S just this past week I can tell you that the seats and the steering wheel left a lot to be desired, and those things shineÂ on the M Coupe. The wheel in the Cayman was large and thin whereas the wheel in the M Coupe is thick and just about the perfect size. The Cayman I drove did have the sport seats but they sure didn’t feel like it. I’ve only sat in the M Coupe once and boy I tell ya, those seats leave no question as to the sporting intentions of the car. I suppose that makes sense as from what I’ve read, the Cayman S is much more useable as a daily driver than the M Coupe, a conclusion that I find surprising. A Porsche that’s not as hardcore as a BMW? Just sounds wrong but the mid Aughts were a strange time for everyone I suppose.