pas

Thanks for sharing the trip looks like a lot of fun. If my buy my next Benz brand new I will do Euro delivery for sure. One question though will they take the 155 governor off while you are there?

Kevin M.

Very cool, yea the view was spectacular! I didn't know that about the wine cellar.

zoink

Congrats and nice trips!!!! And good write up also... it reminds me when my parents and I visited the factory... we were not there for delivery (we wish )... just regular tourists... but somehow the receptionist allowed us to get into euro delivery tour (it was a longer and more thorough tour) after she saw the key of our rental car (S280 ).

The tour was awesome... we also visited Porsche factory... but somehow if my memory serves me right, it was different from your pictures... could be because I went there in 1998 (man, almost 10 years ago... ).

Anyway, congrats!!! And enjoy the beast...

If you don't mind sharing, is the bottom-line out-the-door price (all costs, taxes, freight, etc. included till you receive the car at your door) cheaper or more expensive than if you buy outright from US dealers?

I certainly plan to take this route also for my next car... couple grand more expensive is way worth it... enjoying euro highways w/ your own supercar plus lots of non-US-like scenery is certainly priceless

JLP

Nice write-up, the pictures are great and your car and wife are pleasing to the eye to say the least. Thanks for sharing now I think I'm going to have to take my wife to Europe very soon, you gotta love the landscape and architecture! Very nice

Kevin M.

Thanks Zoink!!
Actually its cheaper, if the car is on the Euro delivery program that is.
You still buy it through your local dealer, he becomes the middle man, another words MBZ pays them a flat fee for brokering the deal. The car doesn't come fromt there normal monthly allocations. Now originally we ordered a CLS 500 with Euro Delivery, at that time the CLS was on the Euro Program, meaning it didn't qualify for the 7% off of MSRP discount. Although we negotiated the price as if we were picking it up locally, we got about 6% off of sticker. Then a few weeks later MBZ added the CLS 500 & 55 to the Euro prorgam, hence a automatic 7% off MSRP plus we don't pay the $760 destination charge. So with that in mind, getting almost $7k off of a CLS 55 was a no brainer, so we cancelled the 500 and changed it to the 55. In addition MBZ puts you up at a nice hotel for one night in the city of your choice, and they also give you 2 taxi certificates, airport to hotel, and hotel to factory. Also a 85 euro certificate for lunch or breakfast. Only downfall is you must pay for the vehicle buy lease or purchase 30 days prior to arrival, and of course you are now waiting 6 weeks for it to be shipped home, so your making payments while its gone, other then that, its a great experience.
Also incidently Porsche charges MSRP plus a additionaly $3-4K for Euro delivery.


Thank you JLP

zoink

I agree.... if you lease, then euro delivery may not be a good idea 'coz you'd lose at least 2-3 months... but if you purchase, it's not a difference.... only time and unbearable excitement waiting for the car to arrive

I certainly look forward to one... I haven't bought new cars for quite a long time... just hate to see 1st year depreciation... I always bought <1 year-old low-mileage car.... guess I could use the $$$ for Europe trip... but I don't think it's worth the money to rent an exotic there

Anyway, enjoy the beast... meanwhile, you could vent your excitement w/ your 996... LOL

Which country / city did you like the best? I've never been to Florence and Rome... For Italy, I only went to Milan (you know - big-brand bags + bring girls = Milan is a must ).

You should've gone through the mountains' backroads in Austria.... it should be a thrill driving a CLS55 over there The last time I went there only driving VW Polo

2K6E55

Hahahaha... That's WRONG!

On a serious note, nice car and great write up. Looks like the trip was a blast. I need to look into that for my next Benz purchase.

jsloan01

Kevin,

Awesome write up and pictures. Looks like an amazing time and you definitely sold me on the Euro Delivery.

synchronictyii

wow, Kevin. do you mind me asking what you do for a living? you are a very fortunate individual. also, where are you from originally? did you get to open the engine up fully even though you're under the break-in period. that would be my only concern on that bliss of a 3 week vacation you had. really, congradulations.

Co 55 AMG

Very nice.

Kevin M.

Sorry Jam I missed your post, its is cheaper if the car is on the Euro Delivery program with MBZ. 7% off MSRP, also no $760 destination charge

Kevin M.

We enjoyed Lake Como as far as the beauty of it, and Rome the best as far as the history and overall things to see and do. I wish I had the extra time to do the Black Forest area but we were there for 20 days so I had to pack it all in

Kevin M.

TV business, born in raise in Fresno Cali. Yes I did get to open it up, break in periods are merely a suggestion, I did wait a few hundred miles before doing so. I race a Vintage Porsche, our break in for the motor is 2-3 sessions on the track then nothing but 8K reving. And the motors hold up well. Also all the engines are tested at a very heavy load prior to installation. I did observe the rule of not keeping the same RPM's for a while. I would just drop down to 4th every once in a while, or punch it

Ynot

Thanks for sharing, those are some awesome pics, your wife *drool* lol.. oh yeah, the CLS is pretty too. That's the same lady that delivered my SLK, she's very nice and knowledgable.

Stiggs

Those Germans sure do breed them big and strong!LOL

Germancar1

Quite likely the most entertaining thread here. Pics, narrative the whole deal. Very nice!!!

M

MB AMG

Very very cool!!

dencoop

Kevin, congrats on the new toy....

a few questions - I have done ED before using the BMW program.....I was able to work with a US dealer to purchase my car....We worked the deal $xxx amount over the European delivery Invoice. (BMW has the 7% off the MSRP deal too....But I never purchase off MSRP...I only work up from the Invoice)....

My Questions are:

1. Is there a place on this site or any links where I can get the European Delivery Invoice Price Information?

2. If you lease BMW will pay your 2nd payment since the car is in transit for 4-8 weeks....does MB have the same deal??

3. Is there a place here (links??) where you can get the Monthly lease info like MFs/Res...? (trunk Money???)


Thanks in advance....

Kevin M.

Thanks! Here is the link for EDP http://www.mbusa.com/edp/index.do
They worked of the MSRP, and just deducted 7% from that, along with no $760 destination charge. They also give you one night stay at a hotel of their choice, which was nice, two taxi certificates, airport to hotel, hotel, to Factory, and 65 Euros for lunch at the factory.

I didn't lease so I can't answer that, but I don't think they give you 2nd month free. My salesman would have mentioned that.
Lease info should be on that site as well.

Also here is a number for the EDP program. 800-243-3876

NY C32

Nice right up! Taking European delivery and then touring of the best of Europe in your new AMG ...How much better can that get?

Did you manage to eat at Louis XV in the Hotel de Paris? Anything Alain Ducasse does is truly a world class experience

vb26

Hey Kevin,

I didn't know you took advantage of EDP. If you don't mind me asking, did the money you saved on European MSRP vs. Domestic MSRP cover the entire trip and how long were you in Europe for. I apologize if you mentioned it already.

Thanks,
Dean

Kevin M.

No we didn't eat there, the hotel was beautiful though!



Hey Dean, no the savings was about $7k off MSRP. We were in Europe for 3 weeks, so the 7K paid for half of the trip, excluding airfare, used miles to fly Virgin Atlantic first class.

We ordered the CLS in February, at this time my dealer was getting 10K over sticker for the 55. So to get MSRP plus the discount was very good.