If you are feeling déjà vu, you are on to something. Last month I checked out a 1998 Mercedes-Benz S600 7.0 AMG and now a month later, we have the brother 1998 CL600 7.0 AMG. It is probably safe to assume these both came out of the same collection, and believe it or not, this one checks in with over 100,000 kilometers on the odometer. Long live the M120!
About a month ago I took a look at a 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG that you wouldn’t think to be all that rare, but was actually just one of about 750 cars for the model year. Keeping with the rare Mercedes-Benz coupe thing, I wanted to rewind the clock back to the mid-1990s and check out a car that is even rarer — the S600 Coupe. Towards the end of the W140 run, Mercedes really cut down production on the V12 cars for North America much more than you would think. This 1997 up for sale in Georgia is just one of 348 for the model year. The lesser S500 Coupe was nearly triple that number with 933 cars imported, while 3,510 S500 sedans were sold in 1997. Now that these are reaching full-on classic status, demand for them is high and so are prices for the low-mile cars.
“I don’t think it is necessary to explain to those who understand.”
That’s the only description from the selling dealer for today’s car. Granted, that was translated from Japanese, but it is the general gist of it. If you know you know, if you don’t, this isn’t the car for you. The iconic W140 Mercedes-Benz S600 punched out to 7.0 liters by AMG Japan and equipped with a bunch of other little special touches. In terms of 1990s sedans, this is up there. The price? Well, if you have to ask…
Long live the V12! In all seriousness, I’m not breaking any news here saying the V12 engine is not long for this world. The return just isn’t there for companies with the emissions regulations and you can make comparable power with turbochargers, superchargers, and electric batteries. Thankfully we have roughly 30 years of them to choose from and they seem to be aging reasonably well, all things considered. My favorite V12, the Mercedes-Benz M275, can be had across various of platforms and it seems the secret is out about them. Today’s car, a 2014 SL65 AMG, came with a giant sticker price of over $215,000, but that doesn’t mean you are going to be snagging this one for $48,000 some eight years later. Not even close.
Fresh off the craziest Porsche 911 color combo I’ve ever seen, today we have a Mercedes-Benz that is ready to join the party. This 1993 600SL looks innocent enough on the outside, but once you open those doors, the 1990s slap you right in the face. The dealer in Germany is claiming this is a one-off pre-merger AMG and while I’m normally skeptical of any dealer claim, I think I am buying this story. Although that is the only thing I’m buying once you see the asking price. Hold on.
I’m not exactly breaking any news here, but if you want an R129 Mercedes-Benz 600SL/SL600 at somewhat of a reasonable price, don’t sit around too much longer. The cream of the crop is already selling for a ton of money, and the very nice examples have quickly risen to a level where you really have to love these cars to spend the amount of money they are demanding. Thankfully there still are some not-so expensive ones out there on the market, but I think it is very clearly becoming a “you get what you pay” situation on them. Today’s example, a 2000 SL600 up for sale outside of Boston, sure seems to be one of those cases.
If you say “aging twin-turbocharged V12 engine” to any sane car person, they’ll probably reply along the lines of “You couldn’t give it to me for free.” They probably wouldn’t be too far off, but it all comes down to expectations going into something like that. Is it going to be cheap and easy? Probably not. Is it going to be a total disaster of Maserati Biturbo proportions? Hopefully not. In all seriousness, the Mercedes-AMG M275 engine is about the best you can ask for in terms of what they made and how much reward you get from it, which is 604 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Much to everyone’s surprise and now delight, these engines have been proven to be anything but a rolling disaster. However, does that mean it is worth rolling the dice on one when the price becomes attractive enough? Let’s take a look with this 2008 with an impressive 80,000 miles on the odometer.
For every bland S-Class that Mercedes-Benz produces to lease to some eye doctor in Ocala, Florida, every once in a while they’ll mix up something special for the ones in the know. Today’s 2008 S65 AMG is one of those. This is a “Designo Graphite Edition” that I did not even realize existed and probably wouldn’t believe either outside of seeing it listed on the window sticker for a cool $9,765. What is it? Graphite paint, Corteccia and Charcoal AMG leather, a heated steering wheel, matte natural oak wood trim, and an Alcantara headliner. All in addition to the loads of goodies that already comes standard on a 2008 S65 AMG. Add it all up and you’d find a sticker price when new of $210,265. Bonkers.
It is very clear to me that the death of the V12 is near. It was certainly inevitable, as outside of a few very select manufacturers it just isn’t in the cards anymore. What does that mean? Go buy a V12, of course! I guess I’m not alone in thinking this as prices of the somewhat more common V12 cars have started to creep up. A prime example is the R129. For a long time, these hovered in the teens, but now the very best ones are selling for strong money and the pack of average ones is starting to catch up.
This 1997 up for sale in Florida has an interesting story. It was not only offered once, but twice, and ended at a reasonable value. However, this seller seems to have other ideas.
Sometimes you see a car and say “Remember when they made that?” I had a brief moment when I saw this 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series. Of course I remembered the car, but with only 175 of them in the US, it’s not like you see them for sale often. This thing is every way bonkers in the power department as sinister as it looks with 661 horsepower with 738 pound-feet of torque. Also bonkers, the price tag of nearly $300,000. Pricessurprisingly dipped pretty hard considering they only produced 350 for the entire world, but now it seems like now is the time to snatch one up as the death of the V12 is near.
This example up for sale in Miami comes in with just under 11,000 miles and looks every bit the part. Prepare to pay though, as prices are getting stronger.
