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I was rather surprised when I got a call from my father while on business in South Africa telling me that he had sold his trusty 2000 C280 for a 2014 C300 4matic. Almost 17 years on, that W202 was practically a family member at this point. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. So this W204 marks the ninth Mercedes to pass through the Henriques household. Curiously, it was built at Mercedes’ East London plant in South Africa. So between my penchant for Western Cape wines and this Mercedes, we’ve been doing our part to fly the South African flag. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, then.
When the W204 debuted in 2008, you could specify a 6-speed manual in the US market. This option would disappear after the 2012 model year due to a low take rate. But for the more sporting driver, these manual transmission equipped W204s make for an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous 3 series sedan.
The year is 2012. You really want a W204 C-Class. But not just any C-Class. You see dozens of them on your morning commute. How about the AMG? Yeah, that’s better. But still, a C63 is a little too plain for you. Too common. You need the C63 AMG Black Series Coupe. You walk into your Mercedes dealer and plop down over $115,000 and walk away with one of the most unique and sinister C-Class’s ever made. If that is what you are thinking four years later in 2016, then this C63 AMG Black Series Coupe for sale in Minnesota is ready to go.
Funny how the passage of time works when it comes to the automotive world. It seems like just yesterday that I looked at the C63 AMG as a completely unattainable car, the kind of ride that only Euro club bros with frosted tips and too much of dad’s money to spend would be be able to afford. However, thanks to our old friend depreciation, the smallest AMG worth owning is under the $30k mark, good news for those of us without a Scrooge McDuck vault of money to swim in.
$30k is the high mark for what I would consider a reasonable amount of money to spend on a car give or take a couple grand. These days you can get a whole lot of car in this price range, 1st gen Cayman S, E90/92 M3 and of course this lil hot rod from Stuttgart that houses a hand built motor. While I’ve long been a bigger fan of the M3 because of the availability of a 3rd pedal, a C63 AMG sedan always turns my head when one rolls by. Sadly they’re often piloted by people who should probably have the keys taken away, for their safety and the well being of the car. This example down in Texas has made it 86,199 miles, still looks quite fresh and I hope someone with a real appreciation and respect for the powertrain takes it home.
Let’s be honest; when thinking of tire shredding, redline rattling track weapons, Mercedes-Benz does not immediately come to mind. After all, Mercedes-Benz is more often associated with luxury – the type of luxury that petrol heads more or less immediately rip out of their track-bound cars. This is a bit strange, since on paper Mercedes-Benz is one of the most storied racing firms. Since their beginning, the company has been deeply entrenched in racing and is just off celebrating what many consider the crowning achievement of racing; a Formula 1 double championship with complete domination. But be it F1, Prototype racing, Touring cars and even the occasional rally, Mercedes-Benz has been there. When it comes to the road, though, they don’t seem to have many track-ready weapons. That is, of course, until the C63 AMG Black Series launched:
Right near the top of the list of car that will cause me to lose my license, the C63 AMG is one car that I…
