Yesterday I pulled up behind a lightly modded 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC in my Audi Coupe. It was interesting, having them parked together and considering that they were produced only 1 year apart, yet the target audience for each was so vastly different. The Audi, steeped in modernity and full of angles, appeared short and lithe next to the Leviathan Mercedes. It was the last of the 1970s dinosaurs that somehow was still roaming the earth in the early 1990s, shouting and stomping around the land that time forgot. Yet there’s an inherent appeal in these cars too; beyond build quality and luxury, even beyond the fluid design of the pillarless coupe. There’s just something that is right about the C126, and pop some period AMG bits on and roll it in the period drug of choice, all that is missing is the Miami Vice soundtrack and some rolled up white sport coat sleeves:
Category: AMG
Such is the pedestal AMG products are placed upon, perhaps it’s only Ruf that is better regarded as the leading tuning firm from Germany in the 1980s. Combining revised suspension, special exhaust and warmed over motors, AMG managed to straddle the line between outrageous and tasteful in the 1980s perfectly with wild body modifications that somehow worked just perfectly. Inside, they were the most opulent German cars you could buy with power seats and all the luxury items you’d expect from a top-tier luxury manufacturers. But the bad boys from Affalterbach, like the Ruf cars, managed to be more than the sum of their parts – a total package that is still stunning today. They didn’t just bolt on a bunch of bits to make a go-faster car. AMG redefined the packages of the car, bringing them to another level. Today we have two examples to consider from the end of AMG’s independence – which is the perfect creation from the 1980s for you?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300E AMG 3.2 on eBay
2 CommentsWhen it comes to cars of the 1980s, some may drool over the side strakes of the Ferrari Testatossa or the scissor doors of the Lamborghini Countach, but one of my favorite styling themes to emerge from this decade was the widebody look. Popularized on cars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo, other vehicles adapted this design cue to mixed reviews. One of my favorites though was the widebody Mercedes-Benz C126 AMG coupe. This 1990 560SEC AMG Widebody for sale in San Diego is the stuff dreams are made of for me, looking mean as ever on those color matched AMG Monoblock alloy wheels. The wheels aren’t the only thing that is mean, though, as the asking price is sure to scare off the casual punter.
Click for details: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody on eBay
3 CommentsThere are few offerings from Mercedes-Benz in the past decade or so, that interest me as much as the E63 AMG Estate. The SLS, C63 AMG, and because I have a soft spot for ridiculous things, the G55 AMG, are the only vehicles to wear the three pointed star that I’d actually want to own. The S550 is a modern marvel, but at the end of the day, I’m an A8 W12 guy. I’ll pass on the S-Class.
Mercedes’ powerful long roof is another story though. Where as Audi abandoned selling any sort of fast wagon back in 2008, Mercedes has hung in there, never leaving us without the option of a grocery getter that will leave sports cars in its dust. While I do prefer the look of the current E-Class, there’s something special about the slatted grille on this 2012. It adds an extra bit of prestige to the car, which further adds to its sleepiness, and covert craziness is what this car is all about. As far as performance daily drivers go, there isn’t anything that comes close to the E63 Estate. It doesn’t have any direct competition in the United States, not in its class anyway. Super SUVs like the Grand Cherokee SRT8, or cars like the S7, and Porsche Panamera GTS, are the kind of vehicles one might cross shop when looking at one of these, but none of them are as dynamic as the E63. One minute you’re dropping the kids off at private school, the next you’re getting a latte, and maybe after that you head to the drag strip to rattle off 12.2 quarter miles times. Blame all that caffeine for making you want to run the car at full tilt, but you know deep down that you just want to play with your toy, and who wouldn’t?!
CLICK FOR DETAILS:Â 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate on Cars.com
3 CommentsEven after all these years which I’ve been involved with GCFSB, a car will come across sometimes which I had no idea existed. Such is the case with this 1986 300SL with an AMG tuned 3.2 liter inline-6. First off, the 300SL is rare on US shores, as we only got the 560SL in our market from 1986 through 1989. Secondly, someone went to the trouble of optioning an R107 with an AMG engine and not much more to denote its bump in horsepower. The ultimate sleeper, then? You decide…