Tag: 2010

2010 Porsche 911 GT3

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The 997 Porsche 911 GT3 is sort of in the middle of an interesting phase right now. They aren’t new enough where buyers are desperately demanding them as the latest and greatest, but not old enough where it would be considered a classic. On the flip side, one could argue that these were timeless cars from the beginning and would always be in demand from the first day on the lot until 50 years from now. I don’t disagree with that, but I’d argue that Porsche spit out so many different GT cars after launching the 997 GT3, that these are sort of overlooked when it comes to shoppers who are willing to spend north of $100,000. The interesting part is that some early 997.1 GT3 examples are selling well under $100,000. The make it even more interesting, you can find 997.2 GT3s for under $100,000 if you are willing to compromise on color. However, today’s car probably isn’t going to be a compromise for anyone.

This 2010 GT3 up for in Colorado is finished in the lovely Speed Yellow and has a ton of options like Carbon Ceramic brakes, the Sport Chrono package, hardback yellow seats, yellow gauges, and a bunch of little things that all add up to a very big price tag. It comes in with just 27,000 miles on the odometer and looks every bit the part. Thing is, are you willing to spend a premium on the now two generations old GT3?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 at Porsche Colorado Springs

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2010 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

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In one of the more bizarre models in Porsche history, we have the Cayenne S Transsyberia. What the heck is it? The Transsyberia Rally was known as a “raid rally” that ran from 2007-2009 that started in Moscow and ended in Mongolia. No big deal, right? Well considering you had to drive through Ural and Altai mountains, the Mongolian plains, the Gobi Desert, and whatever else Siberia could offer up it wasn’t so easy. The route was roughly 4,500 miles long and needless to say not every vehicle that started ended up finishing. Some stages we so dangerous they would just end up getting cancelled all together. Porsche offered assistance with a handful of Cayennes – 25 of 34 registered teams drove them to be exact – all being slightly modified production vehicles. After realizing that this marketing event really didn’t appeal to anyone, Porsche pulled the plug on factory support.

However, someone sitting in a cubical in Stuttgart came up with the brilliant idea to slap a few stickers and extra paint on some Cayennes and call it the “Transsyberia Edition”. Thankfully it wasn’t just some cosmetics, it did feature the 410 horsepower engine from the GTS and some extra skid plates for all the gravel parking lots at the soccer fields. Porsche made 600 of these in total, with 102 coming to North America. Four colors were offered, black with orange accents, silver with orange accents, black with grey highlights, and grey with silver highlights. Today’s example up for sale in Alabama of all places, is the least offensive of the colors offered: grey with silver highlights.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia on eBay

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2010 Mercedes-Benz S550

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As fun and quirky as my two daily drivers, a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD and 1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D, are to have, they are borderline miserable to drive in the northeast during the winter months. Since I don’t own a four car garage, they sit in the driveway 99% of the time while my W210 E55 AMG sits under a cover in my garage with empty boxes piled on top of it. As a result, it is always a surprise to see if the locks or door handles are frozen when I walk outside in the morning. From there, the 240D is pretty good about starting in any temperature but the 300SD isn’t having it unless the coolant heater has been plugged in for a while despite me just replacing the glow plugs a few months ago. Once I do get one of them fired up, really hot heat is a pipe dream in the 240D while it’s a crap shoot in the W116 because of the god forsaken Chrysler servo system. Compare all this to a normal car that you simply press a button on a key fob, put it in gear and drive away in total comfort. This all has me dreaming about a more modern daily driver and when you comes to dreams, you know what they say, dream big.

This 2010 S550 4Matic up for sale in Brooklyn might be one of the nicest W221s outside of any S600 or AMG variety. Painted in Designo Magno Platinum Matte Finish on the outside, the inside is even better with Designo Sand Leather seats with Oak Grain Designo Natural Matte wood sprinkled about. Add in some other neat options like the rear seat entertainment package and you have a really loaded up S-Class. But even with the depreciation at around 25% of its original cost, is it worth it?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S550 on eBay

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Double Take: Riviera Blue Porsche GTs

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I think most of us by now are familiar with Riviera Blue. Though only available since the introduction of the 993 it has become perhaps the most iconic of all the Porsche colors. Among Porsche’s deeply vibrant non-metallic blues it only is rivaled by Mexico Blue, which has a full twenty years longer existence than Riviera. When it comes up as a PTS option Riviera always attracts notice. And very high prices.

So when I came across two pretty similar PTS 997s in the color I figured I’d throw them together for a post. I’ve come across a decent number of 991s in Riviera Blue, but if we go back just one model they become far more rare. I can’t say I know how many exist, but it doesn’t appear to be very many. At the very least, opportunities to purchase one are fleeting. Here are two such opportunities: a 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 and a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. For me these are two of the best looking 911s produced and especially in the case of the GT3 RS I tend to prefer their looks over those of their successor. In Riviera Blue both look phenomenal.

Let’s look at the GT3 first:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 on Classic Driver

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2010 Porsche 911 GT3

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Update 10/15/18: This 911 GT3 sold for $135,000.

In truth I wasn’t sure I should post this Speed Yellow 2010 Porsche 911 GT3. I just posted a Speed Yellow GT3 a couple days ago so this is a little redundant. However, that was a 996, while this is a 997 and this one just looks so good that I was finding it hard to move on to other options. I figured if I was this interested, then others might be as well.

The other reason I ultimately chose to feature this one was in terms of market. As we’ve seen prices for the 996 have moved up. In some cases those prices even eclipse what you’d be asked to pay for a 997. So anyone looking at a GT3 would do well to consider both options. This is up for auction without reserve so it should give us a nice window into where the market stands. (We also don’t have to worry about an ultra-high reserve, more on that below.)

The 996 still is reputed to be the more pure of these two models, while the 997 is undeniably the better looking car. I like the 996 GT3’s looks, but there is a way in which that is relative to other 996 models. The 997 GT3 and especially the 997.2 like we see here is on another level. This particular example shows off its good looks incredibly well.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 on eBay

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Cream White 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe

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Do I like this color? I realize that’s a strange way to begin a post, but it’s my primary thought when looking at this 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe. As noted in the title the color is Cream White. I can think of few times, if ever, I’ve seen it. Or, at least, few times I recognized it. Normally a subdued white would not be my thing. Yet, I’m really attracted to this 911. I find it quite striking and dare I say beautiful. I’d love to see it in the flesh (were I a prospective buyer I’d have to see one in the flesh before committing to the color) because I’m curious how it looks up close and under various lighting conditions. White 911s can look very good. These cream or off-white options have long been offered by Porsche and this one reminds me of Ivory, which can be very pretty on the 356. But this is one of the few times that I’ve really liked it on the 911.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Cream White 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe on eBay

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagon Golf R Conversion

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While Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have all given us superb performance wagons (yes, even in the U.S.!), the German manufacturer with “Wagen” in its name has managed to skirt a really the opportunity to engage 5-door fanatics of ‘Freedom’.

But wait, you say, what about the Passat W8 4Motion Variant 6-speed?

Yeah sure. It was a really cool concept, and with the sport package BBS wheels it even looked really neat. But it wasn’t really a performance wagon. The follow-up 3.6 4Motion Variant actually did offer a bit more sport, but only came in automatic form. The more serious R36 never came here.

However, a few years ago Volkswagen launched an even MORE potent option – the Golf SportWagon R. With a 300 horsepower version of the 2.0 TSFI linked to the 6-speed manual or DSG dual-clutch box and utilizing the same Haldex all-wheel drive as the regular Golf R, the result was no surprise – a slightly bigger Golf R equaled a small performance wagon with few peers. 0-60 could be topped in 4.5 seconds and the quarter was gone in 13.3 seconds with the DSG, it topped out at 155 mph and yet would return 30 mpg on the highway. Eat your cake and have it too, indeed!

Of course, it hasn’t come here. But since it’s a VW and VW enthusiasts are swap-happy….

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagon R on VW Vortex

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2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

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The GT3 RS. The king of the naturally-aspirated 911s and the personal favorite of many, myself included. As an individual model it’s been around only since 2003, but the RS has roots all the way back to the 1973 Carrera RS and we may even take that further back to the extremely limited 1967 911R or the 356 Carrera. Regardless of which model we see as the progenitor it’s clear these run deep in Porsche’s roots.

The version we see here is the penultimate example built for the 997 featuring a 3.8 liter engine delivering 450 hp to a 6-speed manual transmission. While not the top dog – that position falls to the very rare GT3 RS 4.0 – these still produce plenty of power and provide plenty of road and track ability. This Carrara White with Red graphics example is in near flawless condition and sits with only 3,400 miles on it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS on eBay

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Right Hooker Week: 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLC180

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The next Mercedes-Benz up for our Right Hooker Week is a total odd ball that never made it to North America and thank goodness it didn’t. This is a 2010 CLC180. Mercedes calls it a ”SportCoupé” that was an evolution of the W203 hatchback coupe that we (unfortunately) did get in North America. Naturally, when you look at this car you’d think it was a just W204 hatchback coupe. Not the case. In fact, it wasn’t even made in Germany. Let’s dig deeper.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Mercedes-Benz CLC180 on eBay.co.uk

Year: 2010
Model: CLC180
Engine: 1.8 liter inline-4
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 89,000 mi
Price: GBP 4,990 ($6,469 Buy It Now)

All Finance Facilities Available, AA 5* Warranty Available, 12 Months AA Breakdown Cover Included Free, All Major Debit/Credit Cards Accepted, 1 Former Keeper, MOT 26/10/17, Service History, Previous Receipts and MOT’s, HPI Certificate Supplied, 16″ Alloy Wheels, Park Distance Control Front/Rear, Parktronic – Audible and Visual Parking Aid, Electric Windows, Electric Mirrors, Multi-Functional Steering Wheel, Bluetooth, iPod Connection, Radio/CD, Climate Control, Air Conditioning, Speedtronic Cruise Control, Split Folding Rear Seats, Automatic Headlights, Brushed Aluminium Interior Trim, Tinted Glass All Round – Green, Alarm System, Remote Central Locking, Isofix. 4 seats, Calcite White Half Black Leather, £4,990

This isn’t a W204, it is still a W203. Mercedes did everything in their power to make you think it was a new chassis, but it wasn’t. They tacked on a front and rear clip to make it look like a (then) new W204 but the majority of this car is still the old W203, especially inside. Yes, the car got a slightly tweaked suspension and a bunch of parts bin stuff for the interior, but it is still largely the same old car that launched over 10 years ago in 2000. What is even more interesting is that these were built in Juiz de Fora, Brazil where Mercedes has a factory that built the A-Class and you guessed it, the W203 C-Class. Powering this CLC180 is the M271 1.8 liter supercharged four cylinder that made a disappointing 143 horsepower. Not exactly something to write home about, but then again that wasn’t the goal with this car.

As for this specific example for sale in Surrey: it looks fine. Yeah, it has some stains on the seats and has a brand of tires tyres called Tigar that are made in Serbia, but it is what it is with this car. This is a seven year-old Mercedes for 4,990 ($6,469) and this is what you get. This was a first Mercedes for a lot of buyers and the brand was willing to take the hit on these to have the owners come back in three to five years to move up to buy an E-Class or ML-Class. The thing is, it worked pretty well. Mercedes said over 40 percent of buyers of these actually came back to move up to other models and frankly, I’m surprised. Personally if one of these were my only Mercedes experience, I’d want nothing to do with the brand after owning this thing, but then again maybe the opposite happened and people couldn’t wait to jump into an E-Class as soon as they could.

– Andrew

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

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Mercedes-Benz made a hybrid S-Class? Mercedes-Benz made a hybrid S-Class. The W221 carried on the S-Class name proudly in the late 2000’s and when everyone jumped on the hybrid hype train, so did the Sonderklasse. Mercedes-Benz really had no choice, the 7-series, A8 and Lexus LS all were launching hybrids as well so it only made sense competitively for a hybrid S-Class to be offered as well. The result was the S400 Hybrid, a mild hybrid (gas engine working in parallel configuration with an electric motor) that returned 19 city and 26 highway miles per gallon. Compared to V8 S550, that was a slight improvement over the 15 city and 23 highway but you also gave up 87 horsepower and 117 lb·ft of torque. So why in the world would you buy one of these?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid on eBay

Year: 2010
Model: S400 Hybrid
Engine: 3.5 liter V6 & 3-phase AC magneto
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Mileage: 52,690 mi
Price: $23,500 Buy It Now

You are viewing a stunning 2010 Mercedes S400 HYBRID. It has only had two owners from new (both in Austin, Texas) and the 60k service was just performed at Mercedes of Austin. It is in excellent condition inside and out and has always been dealer serviced here in town (records are available with dealer).

This car had basically all the options ticked when sold new and had a sticker over $100,000. The options list is below:

Premium 1 Package: Headlights: Bi-Xenon; Headlight control and active headlights; LED day time running lights; Driver and front passenger seat front seat heated, ventilated and climate-controlled

Premium 2 Package: Driver and front passenger seat front seat active/massage and active seat bolstering; Smart card/smart key with keyless entry includes keyless starter; Card key power locks; Front radar parking distance sensors, rear camera parking distance sensors; Parking assistance: guidance display for rear parking

Sport Package: Front spoiler; Side body skirts; Front and rear alloy wheels: 19″; Front 255/35- and summer tires, rear 275/35- and summer tires

Rear Seat Entertainment Package: Entertainment display screen located in back of front seats; Two sets of wireless headphones; Two remote controls

Driver Assistance Package: Overtaking sensor; Adaptive cruise control; Lane departure warning; Requires: [P02] Premium 2 Package

Power Rear Side Window Sunblinds

Panorama Sunroof

There are no mechanical or electrical issues and everything functions as it should. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve been on ebay since 1998 and have an excellent feedback record during my almost 20 year history here.

Title is in hand and I can assist the buyer with shipping if needed.

The most interested thing about the S400 Hybrid is that it was the cheapest S-Class you could buy in the United States. BMW and Lexus made buyers shell out a premium for their flagship hybrids but Mercedes-Benz actually gave consumers a $3650 discount along with an $1150 federal tax credit to take home the S400 over the S550. Before anyone gets too excited, the MSRP still started at $88,825 and with stuff like the P1 and P2 packages like this one for sale in Texas, you could get to $100,000 without much effort. Of course, there is also the “smugness factor” buyers reap when purchasing a hybrid vehicle and other more practical things like HOV lane access, although some states put an end to that practice.

For $23,500, this price is low enough to make you consider the S400 — at first. In terms of increased complexity, the car is setup with the standard M272 V6 engine but with a electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack placed between it and the 7G-Tronic gearbox. It sounds great, although there is a “but” here and I wish I could put that “but” in size 72 font. When this battery fails on this car, which it will, the Mercedes-Benz dealer will replace it for $21,000. Doing the quick mental math here, you can see how this isn’t ideal. It’s not like you can run the car without a battery either. Some owners have lucked out and had their battery die within the original warranty period to prompt a week long celebration of relief and joy while others have went ahead with their bankruptcy filings. There was some talk of a 10 year and 150,000 mile warranty on the battery if the S400 was sold in certain states, but confirming that hypothetical situation was difficult to say the least. You can actually buy a replacement battery for around $2,000, but unless you were trained by Mercedes on how to actually replace one of these, is your life worth it?

– Andrew