There's a 94 6speed TT supra for sale near me (https://www.supraforums.com/threads/...speed.1119726/) and I'm really tempted to get it and sell my C63. The supra has been my dream car since I could remember and now I'm fortunate enough to be in a position to get one. Would you guys get rid of your W204 C63 to get one? Note: I already have another daily so this wouldn't be my daily (even though I drive my C63 10x more than my "daily" )

Supra Pros:
-a LOT more modding potential for the Supra to keep me occupied researching and installing mods. For me, half the fun of having a car is driving it and the other half is modifying it. I've almost run out of stuff to do on my C63. I already have coils, wheels, secondary cat/res delete, tune, audio upgrades, and I'm just missing e85, headers, and supercharger, and maybe wide body. Besides that, what else is left??
-Manual transmission! I miss driving a manual car, even if I shift way slower than our trans, it is still way more engaging and fun to me.
-It's getting more and more rare
-Hearing the 2JZ-GTE turbo spool and BOV just makes me feel all warm inside
-Insurance is slightly cheaper
-No AMG tax, just to compare, headers are like $500 vs our $3,000 headers. Exhaust is a few hundred vs $1-2k for ours, etc.

Supra Cons:
-It's going to be hard going from a 2012 Mercedes to a 94 Toyota... the gf thinks it's just an old toyota
-Will I get bored of the Supra quickly too? Am I just getting antsy and bored due to shelter in place??
-I dislike red cars since they are cop magnets and if it didn't grow on me, I would get it wrapped. Normally I would just be patient and wait for a car with color that I like but Supra's are uncommon and don't go for sale often.
-Costs almost twice as much as my C63, in between a 996 and 997 turbo price. Both of which I am considering as well but I know mods for P-cars are a LOT more $ too.

Would you guys do it? What about a Porsche 996 or 997 turbo? I was also cross shopping a Nissan GTR but everyone says it is extremely boring and clunky to drive at low speeds.

Pic of my car:

 

I’ve never understood the Supra hype I get that you can make it go fast in a straight line but you can do that with anything with enough $$. Subjectively I find them pretty ugly and the only few I’ve been in I’ve left kinda shocked at how cheap and poorly put together the interior is. That’s almost gallardo or viper money so that’s what I would get but that’s just my .02

 

The interior is from a 90's Toyota so it is extremely cheap compared to our W204s and that will take some getting used to. Supra's/2JZ's seem to hold the power a lot more reliably than with other cars and that's a huge factor for me. Gallardo's maintenance would be too much for me to drive comfortably and vipers/corvette's have crossed my mind but I want to try a FI car as my next toy.

 

I suggest you post this question over on https://rennlist.com/ or https://www.mkivsupra.net/ and see what response you get, lol. And if it meets your expectations, buy it! Of course, it always boils down to condition, Carfax etc, service records, etc.

If you got that itch, then by all means, scratch it! Keep in mind this vehicle has already been through the depreciation curve and going up. Back in the day, the MSRP for these was around 43-44k, IIRC. Nice ROI.

For example: visit Hagerty for current valuations, but for some reason, the coupes are more valuable than the Sport Roofs: https://www.hagerty.com/apps/valuati...urbo?id=170757

 

Personally, I would not do it. Your C63 AMG is a more practical car.

 

Maybe a 997 no chance on the ugly fried egg headlight 996 - good car but could never love it because of the looks, would always pay more and go 997 - Supra would be a fun toy but no chance would have it instead of the c63.

 

I understand the supra hype and can relate. I "might" consider selling for a supra with the right mods/setup, but definitely not for the one you posted. The thing looks rough. Also supra prices are hugely inflated atm, not worth it.

 

I get the want for sure, I grew up on Japanese cars and the Supra Turbo was always a 'legendary' status car for me. However, prices have risen to a point where it is really hard to justify the costs. That and I think modified ones with mileage such as the one you listed are inflated a bit at this point, just my take.

Turbo 996 would be a far better value (I don't have a problem with the front end, but understand most hate it). They've begun to creep up in price a bit, but I think they remain underappreciated and will likely provide a better experience and value than the Supra.

 

I drove my friends MKIV and it was amazing. But I don't think I would sell my C63 for it

 

No on all of those...... just not an improvement in refinement, even if they're potentially "beastier"....... as a DD no way. and while the P cars are refined to an extent..... not all that.

my short list of step-outs from a 204 would be :

212 or 213's ..... frankly the 212 2012/2013 RWD apeaks to my new stupidty since i live it TX and don't have snow like I did in Maine whe Quattro ruled the house....
CTSV wagon...... such a sleeper....
RS7 - sexy and great interior if you can keep the motor from imploding.....

E

 

I second that RS7, my friend that also has the MKIV has an RS7 and that car makes me want to throw up how fast it is.

 

Personally no, I wouldn't get rid of my C63 for a supra, but I believe you just answered your own question right here.
Dream cars are dream cars man, the C63 became my dream car when this vid birthed on YT: (Not condoning anything in the video, it just always will be a bada** video IMHO). If I were in your position, I would scratch that itch and go for the supra solely because it is your dream car. I scratched my itch, haven't looked back since.


Also, no offense but if your gf has a problem with riding in an "old toyota" then you're with the wrong gal, if I had a girl who only liked me for the Benz then it's bye-bye.

 

I have another daily driver so practicality is not a huge factor for me at this point.

I agree, 996 headlights look ugly. Some led taillights on either 996 or 997 makes it look the rear look a lot more modern.

Do you think the prices will ever go down? There were only around 4,000 6speed TT's made in the US from 93-98 so I don't know if the Supra bubble will pop anytime soon. I could definitely be wrong though since the Toyota heritage program is coming

RS7 seems boring to me, I'd rather get a W212 E63 than a RS7 tbh.

I never said she only liked me for my benz, I didn't even have a "nice" car when I first met her. She actually really dislikes riding in the C63 as well because of how bumpy the ride is


I appreciate the replies. I'm not leaving just yet. Perhaps I need to do a track day to fall in love with my car all over again...

 

The last year and this year I saw people selling Supras for 100k+ in anticipation of the new Supra. That phase hasn't ended yet but I'm sure it will drop soon. I also think with the upcoming years of the R34 being legal to import, the supra price will prob rise as well. Not saying I agree with peoples logic, but who knows?!?

 

I'll do my best here to give you a point of reference since I own a MKIV. Lets start with 60k$!!!!! while that maybe the current going market rate for one in that condition it is way too much. The MKIV is not that of great to command that price, (clk black series money by comparison). Sure if it's a museum piece that's different but for a driver you should be in the 40-50k range which is still more than it should be valued at based on what it has to offer. That car in the link while may have a clean title definitely has had some body work. The driver's door does not match fender at all in one of the pictures. The odometer is very easy to swap between cars so be careful. Lots of cars having games played with odometer swapping from n/a to turbo to increase the value. If you have the means, I'd much rather see you consider buying a jdm imported supra. Should be closer to the 30k range which is a much more reasonable price for what the car has to offer. The jdm model is nearly identical other than having ceramic turbos which cant be pushed as hard as usdm stock twins, but we both know you'll single swap it anyways. They are also speed density stock rather than mass air flow, which when you go standalone fuel management you'll end up going speed density anyways. Supra's are a lot of fun but don't be fooled into thinking 1000hp cars are daily driven and reliable. Just like the 1000hp lambos, and gtr's you will pay to play no doubt. Also don't be fooled by seeing cheapo parts. $500 header lol. AMG tax lol. Those are words and thoughts from the uneducated. It's simple supply and demand dynamics. There's about 12000 usdm supras. Half are auto, half are manual of each of those Half are turbo and half are N/A. While the 2jz itself maybe in many other cars and have a lot of generic interchangeable parts between models. tje supra only parts are not cheap. Good quality parts that are built properly and designed professionally are not inexpensive. A decent turbo manifold will run you $1500 easily, Nice shifter $3-500. If you use cheap garbage parts your car will be garbage. Maybe a fast piece of garbage but nothing i'd want to drive. Tons of aftermarket support for the supra are available that's no lie. I'm shocked how you guys ragged on the interior. It's probably the nicest interior for a 90's car I've ever been in. Design and build quality is great, As long as the targa bolts are fresh and tight they are pretty quiet on the inside too as far as plastic squeaking etc... They tend to hold up really well other than people cutting holes in them to mount stupid bs and gauges. I suppose most of ya'll have been in ragged out p.o.s. supras that haven't been cared for. Which is typically what i see at most car shows / meets. Usually N/A auto and 5spd cars with wheels, body kits and mostly falling apart remainder of a car. haha. Plenty of "fast" higher hp supras that are still falling apart piles of garbage. Definitely get someone to look over the car that knows what they are doing. Most of these cars are due for an easy $10k+ in maintenance neglect to be a well rounded proper driving car. Overall they are great cars. Supra's handle great. They have double wishbone suspension front and rear. Most people think they are only highway cars. That's b.s. When setup properly they are monsters on the road course. However most people build them to 1000hp straightline only cars. They are super reliable if you stick to stock ecu / fuel system , in the 450whp range. (easily done with a small single turbo, exhaust, boost controller, fmic) any further and you will be sacrificing something somewhere overall. I daily'd mine for 6 years and it was nearly trouble free other than the fact that it was 93' making it a 15yr old car at the time and sometimes old stuff goes bad. That's truly the worst part about owning a 25-30yr old car now. Everything rubber needs to be replaced, if it already has been. It needs to be replaced the second or possibly 3rd time. Parts availability is shakey on some stuff because of the age, however it's looking like toyota maybe adding some support to that. I do love mine and never really plan on selling it, but it's a state of disarray at the moment. Too many parts to change out and no time while it's in pieces lol. Lastly the biggest pitfall is the previous owner and "mechanic's" repairs. Lots of terrible shotty work and shops that people go to. Their standards for a good driving car are comparable to a 2jz swapped hacked up to hell 240sx. I also think it's worth mentioning most people don't know or realize the SC300 and SC400 of that generation are nearly identical mechanically other than the body. Ton's of shared parts between drivetrain, suspension, electronics etc... So if you want a poor mans supra that's the way to go.

Surprised to see FD rx7 love. I used to own one of those too. ya'll think a supra interior is junk, yikes.... run from an rx7 then lol. I love the layout and seating position. Car was a blast to drive for being so slow stock. Stock twin turbo rx7's are not torqueless. Rotaries are pretty awesome. Naturally the have compromises... 1.3L engine making 230hp in the 90's. You don't even see those numbers today with modern 4 stroke engines. Everyone thinks rotaries have no torque, and these are people that have never driven or been in one. In stock form the first turbo come to life around 1500-2000rpm which then runs out of steam and transitions to the second turbo around 3500rpm with a big spike in torque and power which holds till around 5500rpm and then it's out of steam. Shocked the hell out of me too. Rev it any higher and it's just out of steam / turbo etc...Biggest issue with rotary reliability and bad reputation is down these facts. It's old, old stuff needs love to stay on the road. Rotaries don't like heat and make a **** ton of it. Cook it and it'll need rebuilt. Not an ideal daily driver, they dont like quick short trips. They need warmed up and dont really like the cold. sub 40*. And lastly the main reason they all go kaboom other than bad tuning, the stock fuel system is tapped out from the factory. It's not like the other jdm 90 super cars. Add any combo of full exhaust (downpipes catless exhaust), intake and boost controller and you'll quickly pop it with out upgrading to a bigger fuel pump, injectors and proper tuning for them. Mine made 227whp 235wtq (mustang dyno) with a fresh new bigger fuel pump, cat back exhaust, bigger intercooler and some filters.

996 turbo are cool, under appreciated and priced for sure, but they do have a multi tape deck storage compartment entering the 2000's if that tells you anything about where the engineering came from.
997 turbo, even faster than the 996 and newer ofcourse. but porsche 6 cylinders sound horrible unless you're at 5000rpm or higher. Not a porsche fan in general, but all the turbo models are worth a test drive no doubt. Carpet on the door panel or other interior paneling is something for 80's cars. just saying.

R34's are already in the $100k range in japan and not legal in the u.s. yet. they will only go higher as they become legal. U.s. supra prices will continue to climb as well. Some people just dont want a RHD car.

Supra bonus trivia as well. Most jdm models are hardtop. Most usdm are targa top. Hard top is much more rigid and ideal if you actually want it to handle great.

lots of rambling sorry guys. Hopefully someone learned something in all of that.

Bottom line I'd keep the C63 and just add a jdm supra to the fleet.

 

Appreciate the long thought out response roadtalontsi! I'll pm you in a bit for some specific questions. I actually had a 93 5speed sc300 before my C63 and I just didn't like how the rear of the car makes it look so dated. I'll pass on this Supra for $60k as it is definitely a bit more "beat up" than I'd like. The owner said his front fender was replaced and the odometer was replaced too so it is actually 135k miles.

I just drove my C63 from San Diego to the Bay Area yesterday and my car made it a fun drive with lots of practicality. A straight piped Lambo Urus even gave me a thumbs up

I'm definitely going to keep my car for a while longer and can possibly add a weekend cruiser to the fleet if the perfect supra/997 Turbo pops up for sale.

 

Update after 2.5 years

Aug 2020: Bought beat up Lexus LS460
Aug 2020: Bought pristine Lexus LS460L (single owner, perfect condition, had to get it as I was originally going to fix up the beat up LS460)
Sept 2020: Sold daily Lexus ES330
Sept 2020: Sold beat up Lexus LS460
Aug 2021: Bought BMW E36 328 (manual)
Oct 2021: Sold BMW (seller lied about some things, didn't want to keep the car)
June 2022: Sold LS460 (I added air suspension, sound system, powder coated wheels that I took apart and resealed, that was fun). I was in a position to buy a manual 997 Turbo so I had to get rid of the Lexus
Nov 2022: Bought 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo 6 speed

 

Unfortunately, the C63 had to give up the garage space for the Porsche, but it will be my new daily now. I am also going to ceramic tint the windshield a very light tint to protect the interior.

My 911 came with upgraded VTG turbos, 1300 injectors, intercoolers, full exhaust, stage 2 clutch, a TON of suspension parts (all the Tractive arms and coilovers) , E85 tune, methanol kit, and a few more. The 911 is my first turbocharged, let alone forced induced car, and let me tell you, when the turbos start to spool, it is fast and scary.

Now that the C63 is my daily, I appreciate how smooth and easy it is to drive.

 

Holla to the AF fam, ask Freddie about the one 996tt build from 15yrs ago that got the CGT headlamp assembly.

 

I saw this thread pop up and said man, I bet im one of a few supra and c63 owners.... then saw my post and re-read what I wrote. I think I nailed it. That LS is one of very few id rock. Glad to see the 997 turbo. Alot more technology and the added traction of awd is hard to beat. Sounds like that one is in the 7-800whp range. Just becareful with e85. For longevity and ease of maintenance you may want to consider get a 93 tune for it as well. Ethanol does not store well long term, e85 is rarely consistent on mixture if you dont have a gauge or the ecu doesn't have a sensor to make corrections in mixture and timing. You'll enjoy it for sure.

 

@magictoilet
Nice 911 Sounds like a beast. Any Dragy #s? Will you be tracking the 911? I daily my 911 in the spring/summer/fall and try to get 3-4 days at the track.

I went from a C63 to an E63s and still miss the smaller C63, but the AWD in the winter makes up for that feeling. The C63 still sounds much better than the M157.

To the OP, I would only consider a MKIV TT as a 2nd summer vehicle as others have mentioned it would not be a car that I would take to a track, but would gladly take to the 1/4 strip. But I still have my 93 RX-7 and refuse to sell it as I grew up on Best Motoring videos and wanted a fleet that included the 3rd gen RX-7, MKIV, GTO etc.

 

Haha I definitely will ask him next time. I live close by and have them work on my VIP cars.

I got a Protomotive 91 tune right away and am using it right now. It is noticeably slower but I'll take that for reliability and not having to plan out my drives around gas stations with E85.

Once I get all the maintenance stuff out of the way, I'll get some numbers and compare it against the C63. I want to track it and need to just bite the bullet and sign up (with track day insurance of course).

To keep the post related to Mercedes, in my last 4 years of ownership with the C63, I've only had to do oil changes, a battery, oil temp sensor, and a gasket. So <$1k for non wear and tear is not bad at all... Granted my car is a 2012 and only has 64k miles, but I'll be keeping it for a while.

 

Congrats on the 911! Sounds like a beasty setup.

 

Tracking the car definitely is $$$.

I get a few track days (5-6 sessions x20 min) and DD for a few thousand miles (less than 4-5k on the street) out of a set of Cup 2 tires. The rears wear 2:1 fronts, similar to that of the C63.

I killed the rear pads (from 95% to 5%) in 1 day of tracking with the traction control on. Turning the TC off dropped the rear wear to negligible. I always thought I was quick on the track (dozens of track days) until I took a 1 day track session with Porsche. In retrospect I was just driving on the track with other slow drivers! hahaha

Once I applied my 'lessons learned' I killed the rears in 1 session. WTF?!?!?!

So I am upgrading to Endless MX20 pads with the stock rotors, and with the TC off I am hoping to get a LOT more life from the rear pads. The fronts show minimal wear.

Goals for this year are the 2 day Porsche track lessons where you get to beat up on their cars and try to get faster.

Eventually will do suspension to allow me to dial in more negative camber and even our the wear and gain more traction.

Enjoy the 911. It is additive.