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Author: Andrew

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2007 Audi S6

I have a bit of a funny relationship with the C6 style Audi A6. On the one hand it is a good looking car that bestowed upon us the option of having a motor with Lambo DNA in a luxury sedan. On the other, it added heft to the most beautiful Audi design of all time, and it didn’t come to our shores in S6 Avant form. For a number of years I have simply found the latter unforgivable, especially since Audi did offer us the C5 S6 Avant. However, Audi crushing my dreams is nothing new, they’ve been doing so with reckless abandon for a number of years now, and frankly their more recent choices have turned me off to the idea of ever getting a new one so long as I’m living in these United States. No manual S4, no manual R8, no hatchback A3/S3?! I understand why these decisions make good business sense, but they’re a blatant FU to the core Audi audience that helped the brand achieve the success that they’re currently enjoying. While I find some of the new cars pretty, and their performance impressive, I can’t help but think that they’ve lost some of the inherent traits that made them special in the past. An RS7 will blow the doors off pretty much anything, and look damn good while doing it, but you’ll need to shell out $120k to have the opportunity to do so. The lower level Audis have just become uninspired, bland, devoid of emotion. That’s why instead of getting a new S4 like every other 30 something that just got a promotion, you should consider picking up an S6 with a 10 cylinders under the hood that only live to please.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2007 Audi S6 

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2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate

When discussing rare cars of the recent past, something I often find myself doing with friends, one has to mention the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate. Quicker, more dynamic, and slightly sharper looking than the E55 that it replaced, the 2007 E63 is on many an automotive enthusiast’s bucket list, including my own. To have such great power on tap, in a relatively non-imposing package that is also very practical for day to day life, well it’s a drivers dream come true. The only problem is that Mercedes only saw fit to bestow 67 of them upon us in 2007, a fact that this seller, and many others surely relish. Since there is no direct competition for the car in the United States, and it was sold here in very limited quantities, Mercedes essentially guaranteed buyers of the E63 that their car would retain a decent amount of value. It’s not BMW 1M or Boxster Spyder levels of value retention, but for a big Merc wagon I’d say that the drop off hasn’t been nearly as bad as other W211 models. Only time will tell if it can hold on its current collector status once the glorious day arrives when we can import the C6 RS6 Avant, and E61 M5 Touring. Until 2032, we’re stuck with just the E63, and I don’t think anyone has any complaints about that. It’s a car that is laughably quick, and in spite of itself, a complete sleeper. Until you stomp on the gas and leave everyone around you wondering what just happened, the E63 AMG Estate is just another wagon roaming the streets looking for a Pinkberry.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate

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1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Cabriolet

When talking import convertibles from the 1990s, the conversation has to start with a Mercedes-Benz. Whether it’s the SL, E-Class, or even the SLK, Mercedes ruled the luxury droptop market from the day MC Hammer told us we couldn’t touch this, to the day we all realized computers could in fact count past 2000. Neither Audi, nor BMW had a competitor for the SL or E-Class, the closest competition came from Sweden in the form of the SAAB 900 convertible. As is usually the case with SAAB, the car was popular within a niche market, whereas Mercedes’ convertibles cemented themselves in pop culture again and again. As wonderful as the R129 SL is, I’ve always favored the W124 cabriolet over it, and I never much cared for the SLK. Among the many great drop tops to come out of Stuttgart, I’d place the ’92-’97 E-Class in the top five. It perfectly embodies what Mercedes was all about when they were at their best, comfort, luxury, understated style. Nothing about the W124 cries out for attention, the design simply draws you in because it’s timeless. Mercedes hadn’t offered such a car since the ’71 280SE, and the return of a two door, four seat convertible was welcomed by consumers with open wallets. Now here we are 20 years later and the W124 cabriolet is still turning heads, still commanding a pretty premium. This Brilliant Emerald over Parchment leather example look to be a very solid example, but is it worth classic 911 money?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 on eBAY

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1988 BMW 635CSi

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Our intrepid editor here at GCFSB sent over this listing when the 968 I was going to write up sold. Though it’s an entirely different style of vehicle, the purpose of the E24 is quite similar to that of the last four cylinder Porsche. Both were geared towards upwardly mobile citizens who wanted to spice up their lives and make a statement with what they drove. Make no mistake, the E24 is a statement vehicle, from the 628 CSi all the way up the M6. It has mountains of curb appeal from any angle, which is what makes it one of the prettiest cars of all time. The spacious cabin has a airy greenhouse feel, something sorely missed in modern car design, which has become a study in minimizing blindspots while raising belt lines. Everything about the E24 is balanced, it’s just the right amount of luxury, just the right amount of sporty, it’s BMW at their best. While the current 6 Series is a brutish grand tourer that I admittedly have a soft spot for, especially in Gran Coupe form, it doesn’t come close to matching the beauty of the original 6. It’s incredibly difficult to produce a car that manages to draw all the right kinds of attention. The 968 is a fun car, but in its heyday it was seen as a car for those seeking attention.  The E24 on the other hand was for those folks who just wanted to go about their business, but wanted to look damn good while doing so.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW 635CSi on eBAY

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1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

I’ve been meaning to write up a W113 SL for some time now, and with it being Labor Day weekend, I thought there’s no time like the present. The “Pagoda SL” is the perfect convertible and every time I see one in person it stops me dead in my tracks. Doesn’t matter if the hardtop is on, the convertible top up or down, the car is beautiful in any of its 3 forms, and even the U.S. mandated bumpers can’t ruin the look of the thing, it’s just so damned pretty!

The W113 had a good run from 1963-1971 with 19,440 sold here in the States, but it was the ’68-’71 280SL that really captured people’s hearts. More than half of the 23,885 280s built came to America, though the majority of them were fitted with an automatic transmission. In addition to the really cool color combo on this example, you’ll also find a 4 speed manual, which is the key to making your classic grand touring fantasies come true. As summer turns to fall, imagine spending an evening out with this car on a quiet two lane stretch of blacktop, cool air all around you, the M130 straight six humming away. You come up on a perfect lefthand sweeper with a little camber, downshift to 3rd, turn in, nail the apex, shoot out of the corner, and shift back up to 4th. That sequence right there is why you don’t bother with an automatic transmission on a car like this. Unless of course you just want it for a show piece vs a means of achieving moments of automotive nirvana.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL

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