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One of the most interesting things I want to see in the next 5 to 10 years is what happens to the cars that were extremely expensive when new and offered a ton of things, but no one really wants anymore because they’ve become very dated. It is tough to compare that the to path the cars of the ’70s, ’80s, and now ’90s because they were all relatively straightforward in what they were and now are. Something like a 1992 S600 Coupe or 1993 BMW 850Ci was at the top of the food chain in the mid-’90s, but as soon as something new came out, they were dumped for the latest and greatest. Now 20 years later people are clamoring for clean examples of those because sometimes the the latest isn’t necessarily the greatest.
Case in point, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG. At the time, this and the CL65 were the top of the range big coupe in the Mercedes lineup and had everything and more when it came to a car. Extreme power and the best tech, but now there are much faster cars and the tech isn’t really the best anymore. The thing is, this car isn’t bringing back feelings of nostalgic for probably anyone. These cars burn fast and hot, then are forgotten about given all the other ways we can spend a pile of money on a fun car. What does that do for prices of these? Straight down.
I’m fortunate enough to work from home or basically anywhere I have a halfway decent internet connection, so a traditional commute for me really isn’t a thing. When I think about it, the only time I actually have to be somewhere at an exact time is when I go to the dentist or get a haircut, but if I buy today’s car that can be eliminated because it might turn me into a penny-less bum who lives on the street. This a 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and it’s a giant sedan that does 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and sounds very mean doing it. One of these new would run you close to $135,000 in 2008, but now 11 years later, it is worth less than 20% of that. Why? Because it is a high-performance luxury sedan from a German manufacturer. The only thing that depreciates faster is the timeshare your crazy uncle bought on the Florida coast that gets leveled by a hurricane twice a year.
One of the most interesting modern Mercedes-Benz models ever to hit to the United States, at least in my opinion, is the CLK63 AMG Black Series. I never quite understood why the W209, a model that is as pedestrian as it gets, was blessed with Black Series treatment along with the R171 SLK55, R230 SL65, C204 C63 and of course, the SLS. America got all of those models except the SLK55, which again, is surprising seeing that only 349 CLK63 AMG Black Series were ever imported. We didn’t get cheated on these cars as they look much different that the regular CLK63 with massive fender flares, a DTM-style steering wheel and side bolsters on the seats large enough to make the new Honda Civic Type-R jealous. Throw in 500 horsepower, a limited-slip differential, bigger brakes, adjustable suspension and a different exhaust, and you have a car that the market believes will stay expensive for a very long time. This example with a little over 17,000 miles for sale in California, is no different.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Mercedes-Benz has only graced the United States market with one AMG estate car. Thankfully, it was more than one generation starting with the S211 E-Class and continuing with the S212 and now up to the current S213. Of course, we got AMGs in every SUV, including a R-Class for whatever reason, but when it comes to regular estate cars, the E-Class was it. No C-Class estates, no CLA shooting brakes and certainly no CLS shooting brakes either. Even with the multiple generations of E wagon AMGs, good luck finding one for a reasonable price as even the most desolate ones still bring close to $30,000.
Today, I came across a really nice W204 C63 AMG Estate up for sale at one of my favorite dealers in Europe that is as clean as all the other cars I feature from them. This 2009 painted in Palladium Silver Metallic has all the right lines and curves to keep that aggressive AMG stance and have future classic written all over it. I just wish they brought them stateside.
Now that everyone is in holiday shopping mode and searching diligently for a good deal, I’d thought I’d throw this one out there. This is a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG for $12,000. No, it isn’t smashed in the rear and you just can’t see it like some tricks some other eBay auctions try to pull. This is a perfectly functioning 6.2 liter V8 monster that normally trades around the $20,000 mark. Yes, it is $12,000 for a reason, but the pluses for this car might just outweigh the minuses. Let me explain.
