Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Hard to believe one of the craziest and most bizarre vehicles in the car world, let alone from Mercedes-Benz, is now over five years old. These made enormous noise when they first came out and despite only around 300 made, they really aren’t hard to find if you want one. However, just because there are plenty on the market doesn’t mean they are all that inexpensive.
Back in April I took a look at the fan-favorite E28 535iS – a car that struck a great balance, with most of the performance and look of the M5 at a cut rate:
Today I’m back with another in one of my favorite shades – Royal Blue Metallic – and inside is a treat as well, with Llama (209) leather upholstery. With higher mileage and some modifications, is this one a good deal?
I pretty much covered all the Maybach models that have launched since the brands rebirth except the biggest, baddest, and most expensive one of them all. It wasn’t for the lack of desire, but rather there are reportedly only 22 examples in the world so finding one for sale wasn’t exactly the easiest task. What is it? The 62S Landaulet.
In 2002, the S6 Avant returned to U.S. shores, and it was even more powerful than the C4 Plus model had been. Now with 5V technology, the BBD 4.2 V8 cranked out 340 horsepower. Like the A6 4.2 sedan offered before it, the flares were widened and door blades made the stance more aggressive – as well as adding aluminum bodywork. Special interior details abounded; sport seats and steering wheel (comfort seats were a no-cost option), an Alcantara headliner, and carbon-fiber trim let the driver know they were at the wheel of a special model. Audi’s signature Avus wheel design appeared in 17″, but uniquely 8″ wide and in lower offset than either the S8 or S4 models’ wheels. The 1BE sport suspension was 20mm lower and 30% stiffer than the standard models. And though it looked like the rest of the subdued, understated early 2000s lineup, the Avant scooted; 0-60 was gone in 6.5 seconds, the standing quarter mile in 14.5, and the S6 could pretty effortlessly brush against its electronically limited 155 mph top speed. Reviews and owners alike chime in with the same song: like the E39 M5, this is a car that does everything, and does everything well.
So why the hell didn’t we buy them? Audi claims it sold around 900 2002s and just over 200 2003; compared to the Allroad, those numbers probably didn’t even justify AoA’s effort and probably were a large part of the reason that the S6 Avant disappeared and has still not returned (granted, we’ve now got the RS6, but still…). Let’s take a look at a nice first-year model:
In the long list of Audis I don’t really consider particularly appealing, the U.S.C2 is pretty high on the leader board. A design befuddled by Federally mandated bumpers, perhaps its redeeming quality is that it introduced us to the characteristic inline-5 thrum that would hold over until the end of C4 production. Of course, what really made all of those cars sing was forced induction, and so within the C2 range, the model that ostensibly is the most desirable is the Turbo. And it was, when in ‘5T’ Euro 200 form. However, the U.S. cars were turned down, weighed down, and solely opted with a 3-speed automatic. Interest in this post has, at this point, waned nearly as much as the surviving examples have.
There was also a diesel and turbodiesel version the C2. While they make frozen molasses heading uphill look brisk, they’ve at least got the diesel clique going for them. That leaves the normally aspirated Audi 5000S third in desirability in my ranking for a chassis I wouldn’t intentionally seek out. Not high praise, and this is coming from a pretty strong defender of the ringed corner of our world. But you could get a 5-speed manual, at least, and when a clean one pops up they are pretty cool to see.
