Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The low mileage Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 Limited Edition we featured last October is back up for sale, the seller having lowered the price by another $2,000. Not many of these Limited Edition W201s left in this condition, but how far will the seller have to go to find a buyer?
The terms “hot rod” and “luxury sedan” seem mutually exclusive, but there’s been a few nice attempts to meld the two genres together over the past couple decades, the likes of which include the W124-based Mercedes-Benz 500E/E500, E39 BMW M5, Audi S8 and even some non-German examples such as the Pontiac G8 GXP and Cadillac CTS-V. The granddaddy of them all, however, is this car here, the Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3. When Mercedes developed the M100 V8 engine for use in the 600 Grösser, some boffins within the company thought it would be cute to drop this hulk of a powerplant into the 300SEL to create a sedan that could embarrass purpose built muscle cars at your local drag strip. It’s engineering exercises such as this that prove the Germans have a sense of humor after all.
I give a lot of credit to Mercedes-Benz for sticking it out with one conspicuous model in their lineup: the E-class AMG estate. “Sport†is an understatement with this vehicle, given the amount of power lurking under the hood. For three generations, Mercedes-Benz has offered an AMG-infused estate, with US customers gaining access over the last two generations. While AMG has lent its name on the tailgate of many of their SUVs, this fast five-door has the mettle to back up the aggressive stance. With a lower center of gravity and a lusty, naturally aspirated V8 under the hood, entertainment will ensue for the serious driver. This 2007 E63 AMG estate for sale in California has just over 62,000 miles and should give the kids a bit of a laugh if you decide to hoon a bit.
I don’t think many people would consider Brabus to be a particularly conservative tuner. However, something interesting has occurred since AMG was brought in-house by Mercedes-Benz; Brabus has rather turned into what AMG was in the 1980s. Just like AMG used to offer, Brabus turns up the Benz models to the next level with power increases, suspension and brake modifications and plenty of special details to help set their cars apart. And while at times they may have been garish compared to some of the more sedate AMG cars were, they’ve even become attractive – with just enough flare to make their modifications stand apart without being outrageous. Of course, there’s one major difference; AMG started with stock Mercedes-Benz models, while Brabus is standing on the shoulders of the already turned-up AMG models. The result is supercar performance from an unexpected package, such as this R230 SL55 K8:
We’re in the midst of planning another Wagon Week here at GCFSB, but until then, let’s take a look at one of our favorite 5-doors, the Mercedes-Benz W124 estate. Long before SUVs like the ML, GL and GLK roamed the earth, Mercedes’ mainstream utility vehicle was their mid-sized estate vehicle. While a few coach builders produced estate variants after World War II, Mercedes’ first in-house effort was the W123 estate of the late 1970s. This car has become the darling of the biodiesel set, attracting folks looking for a bit of panache with their free motoring. The W124 estate did an excellent job of picking up where the W123 left off, combining the classic hallmarks of Mercedes-Benz style with a good balance of luxury, utility and durability that kept customers coming back to the showrooms. This W124 estate for sale in Florida has escaped the ravages of hard duty, showing just under 80,000 miles on the odometer.
