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?
Author: Andrew
Last 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 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?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A220 on eBay
6 CommentsPlease note: We have corrected this post to note that it is fitted with a 4.3L from the factory, not the 5.4L. Our apologies for the mistake. -dc
“Buy one now while you still can.”
How many times have you heard this over the years? We’ve seen it with all the cars that used to be not-so expensive and now are basically so crazy that it is cheaper just to build and buy replicas. Case in point, the E30 M3. I remember back in the early 2000s, staring into a monitor that was so heavy it would bow my desk, only dreaming of how I could get together $9,500 to buy one of those. Now? A 1988 with that’s been painted twice, has a non-original motor, and 240,000 miles sells for $30,000 all-in. Same goes for the 190e-16v. One used to be able to snag a decent one for under $10,000 without issue. Now, anything in that $10,000 range is going to be a serious project. Carter just featured a non-original Quattro that’s very much the same case. These cars come in waves as the years go on, only that wave never crashes and just stays high the entire time. Today’s car, a 1998 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG, is starting to jump on a wave.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG on eBay
6 CommentsFor some reason I’ve been really itching for a Porsche 911 of late. I’ve done all the scenarios in my head from a G-body all the way up to an early 997.1. Naturally the most cost effective way to get into a 911 is a 996.1, but given their less-than-beautiful looks and dreaded IMS issues that the internet compares to a same amount of severity as a tsunami, it might not be the most enjoyable car to buy. However, bump the budget up another $10,000 and you can slide right into 996 Turbo looks without 996 Turbo cost or of course, power. The C4S in my opinion is a great looking car given what you want to work with on the 996 body, and I love they went with a heckblende across the rear like generations past. Today’s car, a 2004 C4S up for sale in Washington state, is painted in the always nice Guards Red and even has a handful of nice little options on the inside.