Coming from a family with a history of Mercedes-Benz ownership spanning decades, it pains me to admit that few vehicles in the 2015 lineup impress me. Apart from the Geländewagen and AMG GT, the one car which stands out in the lineup is the car we see here: the E63 AMG S-Model Estate. Mercedes is on its third generation of bonkers AMG-tuned wagons, with this latest all-wheel drive beast cranking out 577 horsepower from the twin-turbo V8. That makes this five-door good for a sprint to 60 mph in under four seconds. A bit ridiculous for a family hauler, no? However, if you’re in a real hurry for that quart of milk…
Category: Mercedes Benz
The W116 has been a star on the rise in the Mercedes-Benz world; long unappreciated and forgotten, like most of the models in the company’s history a great recognition of the first “S” Class means that prices have been steadily increasing. The most valuable in terms of collectables really seem to be the 6.9 models, for obvious reasons. Perhaps the original bad boy super sedan, the 6.9 predated cars like the M5 by the best part of a decade. The recipe was simple: take a giant car and insert the largest possible motor. Due to low residual values in the 1980s and 1990s, though, finding a good one can be quite difficult – but today we have quite a gem:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 on eBay
6 CommentsWe used to run a feature called “Heap of the Week”, and while it’s something we decided we weren’t generally known for, it was a fun feature. It allowed us to look at vehicles that had potential or were potential struggles; rare cars or just cars that are rarely seen. It’s another expression of automotive enthusiasm – anyone can walk down to a Porsche dealership with enough money and buy what will certainly be a classic someday if you keep the miles low enough and condition good. However, to take something neglected and return it to pristine shape? That’s the domain of a different type of enthusiast, one who sees the potential through the years of neglect and anticipate a result that could be considered near impossible. There’s also a different sect of enthusiasts who appreciate patina; the worn perfection of years of neglect, but also the specter of countless stories. Throw a particularly rare model into the mix, and you have what could potentially be a show stopper:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 170 SV-D on eBay
Comments closedIs there such a thing as a “normal” Brabus? Perhaps not, but when Mercedes-Benz launched their Smart city car, I laughed out loud when I first saw the model with Brabus embossed wheels. The thing was, it was sort of cool, in that odd, semi-uncomfortable way. I was in Europe when these cars were first launched, and the site was stunning – a bit like rolling phone booths, they scampered about the streets of Stuttgart and seemed to genuinely be different than anything else available. But since the Brabus-kitted models launched, I’ve wanted to write one up as a bit of a joke, so when an extreme modified one popped up it seemed like the perfect opportunity. On the other end of the spectrum, the GL series is the largest Benz available, and of course in order to satisfy the Kardashians and other non-nonsensical families floating around imaginary-land they’ve made a Brabus edition. What better comparison than the smallest and largest Brabus you can buy?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2013 Smart ForTwo Brabus on eBay
1 CommentWhen I think of homologation specials, there are all sorts of models that instantly pop into my head. Of course, being an Audi fan, the Sport Quattro is a great example, but plenty more images pass through my mind, too. Of course, Group C spawned a whole series of special cars, from the RS200 and Lancia 037 to the Porsche 959. There’s the special 924 Carrera GTS, for example – a car few remember outside of Porsche circles, and one that’s often forgotten even by them. Then there’s the great period of DTM specials – the “Evolutions” of the M3, 190E and V8 quattro that proved Darwin was right. Of course, you can go back even further and look at one of the most special cars ever created – the original Ferrari GTO – to see a very special homologation of a race car. But outside of the big headlines, there are plenty of small production run cars that were created to jump through loopholes, and returning to my original Group B example, we can see one neat car that was created in order to run in World Rally. It’s not a car you’d expect though – it’s the quite heavy and long Mercedes-Benz C107. Mercedes took steps to make it rally worthy, including lightweight aluminum panels in front and back, and of course upped the power with a new all aluminum 5.0 V8:








