alundo

I ordered my 2004 C320 6 spd manual sport sedan for European delivery last month. My car's production time was the fastest my dealer has seen. Exactly 6 weeks from the official 2004 production start date of July 1 (the earliest date 2004 orders were accepted from dealers). I'm scheduled to pick it up in Germany on Aug 28 from which I will embark upon on a driving frenzy on the infamous autobahns pushing the limits of my brand new Benz. The rumours floating around on the forums reguarding the discontniuation of 6 speed manuals does not apply to sport sedans. My order and delivery confirmation proves that point along with the brand new 2004 C-class brochures. Every dealer nationwide should have them by the end of next week as per MB USA. I'll post pics as soon as I get it in the mail from MB USA.

I hope to exploit after market opportunities while I'm in Germany. A new exhaust, speed governor removal, modest suspension improvements, and 18" AMG rims are all on my list.

Let me know if you have any questions on Euro delivery as I will try to find answers on my trip.

WC68

Alundo, what dealer did you order your car from? I am in Seattle!

p010sp0rt8

Out of curiousity.. couldn't u order the 18'' AMG rims with your car and spend less, (since you won't have the stock rims) rather than purchase them over there after your car has been built?

i have always wondered about this... so any insight on it would be good

alundo

I ordered my car from Wilson Motors up in Bellingham. They are a great dealership and you get the lower sales tax. Rick Wilson himself helped push this deal through for me on the Euro delivery.

amdeutsch

Euro delivery is ordering an American spec car. You don't get any different choices. If you want those you'll have to be in the military stationed in Germany. Then it might be possible to order a US spec car but utilizing the German option sheets thru an approved German dealer.

Be forwarned that you might encounter some difficulties with that. You are welcome to try but my bet here is that the car won't be able to be modified with your schedule and/or parts availablity. In addition to that there most likely will be import restrictions as well as custom problems. Remember that you are picking up an US spec vehicle and that the shipper MB uses and the US custom will know exactly what is supposed to be imported and what not. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if it would be converted back to spec with a hefty additional bill added on. And that would be the best scenario.

Not a flame. Just preparation. If you can pull it off let this forum know.

alundo

Buying rims from a dealer is probably the worse deal you can get. The contrast between between dealer and aftermarket pricing on wheels is huge. I'm talking upwards of $500 to a $1000 and you don't even get to keep the original wheels. My plan in Germany is to just simply see what's available and get the inside scoop from the folks at the source. I've got a pretty good idea on aftermarket pricing on the rims I want here in the states so I'll be making the comparisons while I'm abroad.

In addition 18" rims aren't even offered by Mercedes on the C class. They only go as high as 17" making aftermarket your only option for 18" rims.

alundo

You bet!! I've read some ealier concerns posted in this forum reguarding options added on European delivery. I'm going to network my tail off while I'm over there to see what I can and can't do. Since I'm active duty military, I'll have access to any of the military benefits if they apply in my case. For starters, I know not to mess with the catalytic converter since that is a big U.S. spec requirement.

ffejalink

I live in Oregon. No sales tax for me! I'm curious if the prices most people are quoting on the forum include the tax or not. If not, they may be paying closer to sticker than they realized. Hmm...

jpb5151

That looks great, whether or not you can get all the aftermarket stuff done. I'm betting you'll at least get the limiter removed before cruising that infamous highway over there.

steffen

Just be careful with the break-in period while you're cruising the Autobahn. Here in the US, the break-in period is pretty meaningless since we can't ever open the car up full-throttle except for short periods of time. But when I picked up an Audi in Sindelfingen I remembered it was tough going slow for those first 1000 miles, while everyone was passing us at 100 mph!

--Steffen

alundo

Ahhhh....the break in period. Yes, it will be tough keeping the speeds under control on the autobahn. MB will be providing a personal introduction to my new C320 by a factory representative as part of the Euro delivery package. I'll be sure to find out what my driving limitations are during that break in period. Will I be able to say no to 140mph? We'll see.

Thanks for the heads up!!

Lynn

You won't have a problem staying under 140. A US spec C320 can't go that fast.

totita

I took the European delivery for my C 230 last June. I did not exceed 4000 rpm which translates to 100 miles/hour on the Autobahn. Also you will start crying when you will fill up the tank (65 euros), now with the weak $ it's even more. I put more than 2000 miles on my trip driving through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. I stayed in a hotel Lausanne for 2 nights courtesy of Mercedes, highly recommended. You’ll have a lot of fun, enjoy!

tifosiv122

There were no rumors that MB discontinued the Stick on the sport models, its only on the non-Sport models...

Erik

maguzma

About 15 years ago I bought my SAAB via tax-free diplomatic sales in Sweden. The good news is that the SAAB came with the catalytic converter in the trunk. So my 900 SPG with 99% premium octane gas and no converter was a rocket through out Sweden, Denmark and England. When I got off the ferry in England I saw some Americans with new Volvos, MBs and Porsches. We were lucky to speed through customs and talk about our purchasing experiences. We also freaked out the English drivers because we were sitting in the wrong side/seat of the car. I met this Swedish girl (in the ferry) attending college in England so I gave her a ride to her flat. When we drove down the English roads I had her hang out of the window of the car and I would turn the car which scared the drivers because they thought she was driving. And when they would pass us and look inside the car with glares, she would hold up her hands or close her eyes even making matters worse. Great experience especially when you get lost in a country where English is their second language (and in the middle of Feb). So maybe you can get your MB without the converter until you get back to the states. Enjoy!

Davidta

If I were you I would talk to the AMG in Germany, they do alot of upgrades in their factory they will not do here, so that could be a good option for you.

alundo

Thanks for that advice. That was just the sort of thing I was hoping to do since I know shops like that are in the neighborhood. I'm thinking AMG modifications are more likely to slide through customs as long as they don't infringe upon U.S. spec requirements.

I'll be laying off the high speeds for a while to break the car in.

I don't think speed governors are required in the U.S. so having it removed shouldn't be an issue. Of course, 132 mph is plenty fast, unless you're on the autobahn. I can recall living in Germany before, and watching Porches, and other able vehicles dominating the left lane with incredibly high speeds. Experiencing that opportunity at least once in a vehicle that is designed for it makes for an adventure.

alundo

65 Euros? Ouch!!!! I guess that translates to around 80 or 90 bucks a fillup. That's gonna get old real quick. I guess the idea of feeling up with liters vice gallons creates a false perception of value.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm getting the rally package which covers 6 nights in the hotels of my choosing. I'm planning on hanging out in southern Germany for most of my stay and heading into Austria two of those days.

66 Roadster

Hey Alundo and others - Talked to my dealer and my car will not be built until September. Is there anyway I could speed the production date up?

Going to Germany to pick your MB up - NICE!

amdeutsch

Good luck. If you think it'll work you better get started and try to get an appointment for when you are there. They are just like shops over here. Drive ups may or may not get worked on.


Hope you have money and lots of it. I doubt it'll be as easy as reprogramming an EEPROM. Even if it might be they may not tell you or have the correct tools to do it then and there.
Yeah driving fast like that is fun. Judging from what you stated you know the rules of the road and won't be touristee so to speak.

You might want to play your military connections to see what you can set up, can do and can get away with.

Not a flame. Not trying to burst your bubble. Just advise. Yes I know you get a lot of suggestions on here. Look at examples from those that have done what you want and their experiences.
Good luck.

alundo

Thanks for all the info, I'm all about advice.

alundo

You raise a good point on making prior arrangements. Messing around with my car isn't my sole purpose for my visit. I plan on seeing as much as I can while I'm there. So I'll be limiting myself to items that can be added or changed in a specific time frame. Any parts I can acquire however, can be shipped via U.S. mail from a miltary base to the U.S. if I can't have them installed there. (more lax customs screening) That's looking more and more like the ideal scenario.

alundo

I've got a pretty good idea how much my aftermarket options will cost in the states. If it cost too much there, then I'll just have to wait. This is all new territory and I'll be happy either way.

amdeutsch

Whatever you do see if you can get a military voucher to avoid the VAT. If you can't then save your receipts and try for reimbursement once you get back. Unless you are in a hurry and want to deal with the airport offices and their fees.

Good luck to you. Considering the EURO vs the DOLLAR you may not get all at a price that you'll find over here. Its been known that these kinda currency fluctuations are sometimes absorbed, to a certain extend at least, by the company. Local shops won't comply since they will most likely deal in EUROs only. Or if they are next to a Base the excange rate won't be favoritable.

alundo

I'm not sure how the dealers work this issue, but I know that MB has an allocation program that puts certain clients on a priority list. If you are ordering a popular model, your production time would obviously take longer. Not too many people out there want a C320 6spd manual. They all want the C230. I made random inquiries with dealers nationwide during my research, I found that some dealers (or salesmen) were more ignorant than others. In addition, MB USA is not the best entity to work with. You can call them four different times and get four different answers. In my particular case, the owner of the dealership got involved since he felt there were too many question marks during the transition from 2003 to 2004. My case may have involved some backdoor maneavering that your average salesmen may not be able to do.

You can beg and plead with your dealer to perform a miracle. With this allocation program, I would think that the squeaky wheel gets the greese. Perhaps the folks in AL are just too laid back and not pushy enough. Just kidding.

If you want, you can contact http://www.wilsonmotors.com/en_US/ and ask to speak to Julian (the salesmanager) and tell them about the guy who's doing the C320 manual European delivery. He might be able to better answer your question.

Good luck.