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Category: Mercedes Benz

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Caught Our Attention! E500, M1, e-Tron, M4 GTS, 911, and more!

Time for another round of what caught my eye this past week! Although the M1 had an inline-six like other Bavarian creations of the time, little outside of the block shared any architecture with a series production model. The basic M30 block was modified into a racing unit with dual overhead cams and became the legendary M88/1 by fledgling skunkworks BMW Motorsport. But while Giugiaro’s design was the perfect eye-catching home for the motor, he wasn’t prepared to produce the M1 in series, nor was BMW, so the company commissioned Lamborghini to produce the fiberglass bodies and assemble the cars.

The late 1970s saw Lamborghini nearly close its doors and BMW was forced to coordinate body production from Italdesign, a tubular chassis from Marchesi and Company in Modena, and partial production at the Baur Karosserie and BMW Motorsport.

By the time the delay-fraught production was completed, the race series the M1 was intended for was gone, leaving BMW to envision their own one-off Procar Championship series. Despite missing the mark with its racing heritage it was, at the time, the Ultimate Driving Machine.

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Caught Our Attention! BMW 335is, Audi S8, Audi S4, and more!

I thought it might be fun to do a roundup of a few cars that caught my attention recently. Starting out is this slick Le Mans Blue 335is. In 2011, BMW reintroduced the “is” moniker to the top-notch 335 2-door. The new 335is differed from the regular production run in many ways. Replacing the N55 motor was the trusty N54, just like in the 1M. BMW remapped the engine to deliver 320 horsepower and 332 lb.ft of torque channeled through a short-shift 6-speed gearbox or you could opt for the dual-clutch DCT 7-speed from the M3 for repeatable 5.0 second runs to 60. Because it was turbocharged, you also have a 7-second overboost function that gives you another 40 lb.ft in passing situations (or, to show off). The 335is helped to mitigate this additional power with a revised cooling system and heavier-duty motor mounts. The additional cooling meant no fog lights for the coupe, though oddly they could be had on the convertible 335is. Typical M adornments outside meant revised front and rear bumper covers, and the 335is wore unique Style 313 forged wheels measuring a substantial 19×8 in front and 19×9 out back.

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Tuner Twofer: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SL Koenig Specials and 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe TechArt Widebodies

Crazy tuner mods didn’t stop in the 1980s….no, not by a long shot. Alive and well, they’ve continued on through today with deep pockets attempting to make expensive cars more expensive, unique, and…well, you can be the judge. I spotted this unusual widebody duo several months ago and have been waiting for them to disappear. Strangely, they haven’t sold. Is it the price? The looks? The…price? Or, is it the looks? Let’s dive in…

1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SL Koenig Specials Widebody on eBay:

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15k-Mile 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 US 500 Edition

Here’s a deep cut! When the IRL and CART split rocked the open-wheel racing world in the mid 1990s, CART resurrected an event to rival the Indy 500. Called the “U.S. 500″, it was run at Michigan International Raceway and brought back events that had run there from the mid 1970s through the 1980s. As Penske was one of the strongest supporters of the series, engine provider Mercedes-Benz loaned some 40 R129s to the event for use as parade cars. They were offered in three colors; red, white, and blue, and all included the SL1 Sport Package, which added AMG bodywork and 18” wheels. Also special were embroidered fender logos, floor mats, debossed “US 500”-logo headrests, and new-for-96 ESP. With only 40 of these cars produced, they are almost certainly one of the most rare modern Mercedes models:

15k-Mile 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 US 500 Edition on eBay

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