There is always something satisfying about the Mercedes-Benz W123 chassis. Even more so when it is preserved like today’s example. This 1979 240D up for sale in Florida is finished in the wonderful Caledonia Green with matching hubcaps and a light beige interior. The odometer says 68,000 miles but I usually only trust these odometers as far as I can push them; though, all things considered, this one might actually be a low-mileage car. It’s all roses until you see the price.
Tag: Sedan
One of my favorite Mercedes-Benz nerd “fun facts” has to do with the 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E. This chassis is quite possibly the most basic model you can find, but it is still loved by many due to the fact it will go for nearly forever as long as you take care of it. So what is the trivia about it? Well, in 1993 you could buy the 300E with an M104 2.8-liter inline-6 or an M104 3.2-liter inline-6. Back when numbers on badges meant something, this was a big deal. Not to mention a little bit of a horsepower difference as well.
Today, we have one of those 1993 model years with not the 3.2, but rather the smaller 2.8. M104 is M104, right?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E 2.8 on eBay
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Developed by BMW Individual, the ZHP Performance Package added $3,900 to the price of your 330i model. That sounds like a lot, but you got some meaningful upgrades. M-Tech body pieces adorned the car front, sides and rear and blacked out trim replaced the chrome. So too were M-branded special Style 135 18″ wheels, with tires to match the width of bigger brother M3. Lower and stiffer suspension was met with more negative camber, special reinforcement, and revised control arms. The engine was upgraded too, with unique cams and a revised engine map resulting in 10 more horsepower, but the ZHP was more than 10 hp quicker off the line thanks to a shorter final drive and a 6-speed manual borrowed from M.
These are fan favorites, and can draw really big bids – indeed, some sell for more than M3s. Let’s take a look at this Imola Red example and see where it falls:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 BMW 330i Sedan ZHP Performance Package on eBay
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Want a really rare E9x M3 and don’t want to pay crazy Individual prices? The M3 Sedan might be the answer. Not only is it more practical than the coupe counterpart, it’s really rare to see one. That’s because only about a 25% of total E9x M3s imported were the four-door variant, and today finding a nice one can be pretty tough. Here we have one of the 483 pre-LCI Silverstone Metallic (A29) Sedans with NDH2 extended Novillo Fox Red leather and the all-important third pedal. What are these trading for today?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan on eBay
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The success of the Motorsport derived versions of each generation of the venerable 3-series mean that it’s both easy and a natural choice to concentrate on them in the used market. But BMW has also offered some pretty special non-M models in the 3-series lineup, and that’s especially true of the 2003-2006 330i. Much like the M3, the 330i was available in 2-door coupe and convertible; no surprise there – but the 330i was also quite popular as a sedan and the E46 M3 never came in that configuration. If you ticked the ZHP Performance Package box, you paid an additional $3,900 on top of the premium for your top-of-the-line 330i. While that was no small amount of change, what that amount resulted in was actually quite a bargain.
Developed by BMW Individual, you got a plethora of performance details throughout the package. Outside, M-Tech body pieces adorned the car front, sides and rear and blacked out trim replaced the chrome. So too were M-branded special Style 135 18″ wheels, with tires to match the width of bigger brother M3. Lower and stiffer suspension was met with more negative camber, special reinforcement, and revised control arms. The engine was upgraded too, with unique cams and a revised engine map resulting in 10 more horsepower, but the ZHP was more than 10 hp quicker off the line thanks to a shorter final drive and a 6-speed manual borrowed from M. Performance wise, the ZHP split the difference between the 330i and M3 in acceleration and cornering, so it really was a performance package to live up to its name. Inside, too, many special details adorned the ZHP – from small items like lightly revised gauges with special needles to unique shifter, steering wheel, seat fabric and eggcrate dash trim. Just like the S-Line Titanium Package Audis, these more potent 330is have a cultish following who proudly claim they;re not only special, but one of the most special BMWs made: