I test drove a black one yesterday and a TT Porsche today, the MBZ is hands down more fun for me and it looks better to boot.

I currently have a RS4, 550i and FJ Cruiser but I want this car, I think.

My question and I have read the entire board this afternoon, are any of you leasing this car or did you all buy it? I live in Newport Beach and there are 6 in stock locally with a dealer calling me today offering me a white one for 131k or a black one they bought for 136...both are marked up far beyond that on their showroom floors...go figure!

I had a C43 and C32 and both depreciated at a rate that would rival a Dodge truck, while certainly not an investment my argument to my wife is that if I buy it it won't be worth 50k in 3 years. The SL version is now slated and the dealership said they were at some MBZ/AMG meeting that said BS will be made of 3-4 of the cars in the coming years.

To those who one I apprecaite your time answering the question and envy your car, for now

Thanks.

 

lease it... lease it .. lease it! depreciation will kick your ***
i myself am waiting for the SL BS though

 

arent these things supposed to be limited edition ???

 

Which dealer is it that has 6 of them??

 

also which one is offering 131 for a white one, i would jump on that! lease it if your self employed and write it off!!! where in newport do you live, i just bought one, and i am local too, the only one i know of that is available is the black one at fletcher... the car is worth it, but i would try to negotiate it down, because it will not hold its value

 

Fletcher actually has 3 on-hand currently with 3 more arriving. Black, and two silvers currently there with 2 blacks and a white arriving very soon.

There is a dealer in Texas who this morning emailed me with a counter-offer of 129,995 for a white with 181 miles on the clock.

I'm going to Homecoming today but will drive it again tomorrow and see how this plays out. I really appreciate the comments. I'm an officer in a corporation so no write-off for me, I do get a generous car allowance but not enough to pay for this My only concern is the fact they have a price of 180k for the public to see and a simple boo gets them to drop their pants to the tune of 50K is a concern.

 

I thought they were only building 300 or so for the US. That's less than one per dealer.

 

With the exception of garage queen Ferraris, everything depreciates. The longer you keep it, the worse it is. But, the longer you keep it, the better it gets on an annualized basis. I don't think the depreciation matter that much if you think you will like the car for 10 years, because at that point it costs as much as leasing a 5 series BMW every few years.
The measure for me is the question, "what can I get that does the same thing, and what is that price?" With the BS, everything comparable costs more, and even if the % depreciation is less, the total depreciation will be more, if the car is driven.
Dealer bull**** is just that. Porsce dealers used to do that when demand exceeded supply, and Ferari dealers still do. If you get the car, you will enjoy it. Good luck with your decision. AS

 

Thank you, that was insightful.

So the question I guess is will this car still delight me in 10 years, at my current pace if I can keep a car 2 years it will momentous! My problem is I want everything, I want looks, electronics and performance. The RS4 delivers on it somewhat but needs to be 350 pounds lighter! ...and 2 less doors. I would like a R8....but in my lifetime.

Right now its turbo, a targa 4 ( great deal they want it sold) and the BS.

Thanks again.

 

Any cars today are fairly tech-intensive....so their product life cycle is more akin to smartphones/laptops/flat-panel TVs, etc....these aren't Pateks/Petrus....who the hell wants to own/use a ?$1000 Moto StarTac from '97????

And, unlike consumer tech, >1-2 yo cars have important safety issues/unknowns (where else in life are affluent guys so often at risk of health/life-altering events, often through no fault of their own, within a matter of secs???).....airbags lifespan is 10yrs; but what is decay curve?....and have no interest in speculating re: shape of decay curve of tires/wheels/brakes/seatbelts, etc.....what is incremental active safety advantage of increasingly active/smart/fast stability controls, chassis damping, brakes, etc???

Typically get new cars every 6mos; $0-down lease (have never bought a car before)....all cars (except 599/430), likely depreciate 35-50% in first yr of use (no matter mileage).....cost of enjoying maximal latest perf/safety w/no mtce hassles/downtime/oppty cost.....view rapid turnover of latest-tech high-perf/high-safety cars as cheap insurance vs own health/safety....

Lots of interesting stuff in early-mid CY08 w/SLxx BS, Scuderia, Dino, and revised 997TT coming......isn't competition great???....Ferraris are obviously high-risk cars, given their primitive safety; but CLK BS is based upon an ancient platform w/lackluster safety and non-optimal-for-street tires.....perhaps SLxx Blk or 997TT 2.0 will be more interesting.....

High-end car mkt is fairly soft....upside: discts/cheaper leases on many interesting, new cars; downside: trade-in values will likely be rather weak....

 

In the arena of wine, some are for sampling, others are for saving. Cars can be viewed the same way.
To me, Audi products generally are samplers- good daily drivers but the allure wears off quiclky. I haven't warmed to the looks of the R8, and its numbers aren't that impressive.
In the area of Ferrari, the 599 looks like a long-term keeper, but you really wouldn't amass 100,000 miles. The rest of the Ferrari line is samplers
Some of the early Mercedes convertibles are keepers, but the rest with the exception of the Black Series, are samplers.
I've been a car nut a long time, and I don't think we are going to see something as extreme as the BS very often. The new Nissan GTR seems like a fast but tamed compromise. As a 996tt(X50) owner, that car is also 'softer", as is the 997tt. I don't see the new sporty Lexus being as hard-edged. So unless you want a ZR1 Corvette or a Viper, I think it comes down to a BS or 599. The 599 really isn't available, so by default.... AS

 

Thank you both for your replies.

The BS or TT would represent the most expensive car I have owned either via purchase or lease. Obviously many of you are doing far better than and I and to that I tip my hat!

I have bought 6-7 BMWs in the past 8 years and have done ok in parting with them sooner rather than later, I do have a E30 M3 with 11k moles on the clock that is better than new that I now fear to track because of its condition ( double-edge sword really)

Living near the ocean is another problem as I have a 3 car garage and the community I live in strict with parking on the driveway ( oh yeah, Orange County!) So I cannot expand my fleet very much. I have the E30 in a nearby storage garage.

I have the Ohlins ( Stasis) on my RS4 would any of you say that for a daily in decent roads the BS would be a good daily driver ( less than a 1 mile commute) The other fear I have is just parking the car anywhere, I did mention this would be the single most expensive thing I have ever purchased other than my house and my wifes ring for our tenth last year...so I am paranoid.

Heck I am paranoid with my RS4!

Thanks much.

 

I don't mean to monopolize this thread, but you're asking questions I have had to struggle with as well.
To extend the wine metaphor, in order to serve good wine to your dinner guests, you need to pretend that each bottle cost you one dollar. Otherwise, your mental calculator is computing the cost of each sip around the table.
My personal feeling about cars is along the same line. I view the car as a utensil, not a work of art or investment. Small dings, scrapes, and windshield starbursts are relatively easily repaired, and those repairs don't really subtract materially from the resale value. It depreciates nearly as much if you hardly use it, but you have only a fraction of the satisfaction of usage.
Case in point: I fretted similiarly over the purchase of a BMW 850CSI in late 1994. That car stickered for $104,000 dollars at that time. Most people kept them as garage queens, and you can still see them for sale in the 40K+ range, with very few miles. When people ask 50K, they linger forever.
In contrast, mine was a daily driver (winter too on dedicted rims/snows). I put 161,000 miles on the car. Due to hitting a racoon, then an ice chunk, then a parking divider, I replaced the front splitter three times. I replaced the windshield due to hail damage, repaired squirrel-chewed wiring myself (parked outside), and had the dealer fix the few things that broke. I sold the car for $28,500 in 24 hours. Depreciation cost me about 47 cents a mile. The barely-driven cars invariably cost more than $1.00 per mile. Lots of Porsche 996 tt owners with low miles cars have absorbed more than $5.00 per mile.
My advice, if you buy, is to use it every chance you have, and periodically fix whatever gets dinged. The car isn't your kid or your wife. Use it up and enjoy it. AS

 

Hey Alex,

I agree... and have always said to others... who garage keep and never use their vehicles... "Who are you saving it for".

MachC5

 

MBCC residuals at 24 months on the BS is at 50% ... yes only 50%.


So with an MSRP of 138k minus GG tax you are at 135x.53 (10k is a 3 pt bump) which leaves the residual at 71550.

Lets say you get the white one at 130k, your depreciation over 24 months is 58450 or 2435 per month plus the dreaded lease money factor at MBCC of .00390 (might be a tad lower if you are over 760 fico on trans union). Your finance charge will be (130k plus residual times .00390) which is 786. Add that to your base of 2435 and times OC sales (7.75%) and you get a whopping 3470 per month payment give or take a few dollars for rounding up.

This is a not a car the leases well at all. No other banks were offering residuals on this car when I was doing my research.

 

Vic,
This car is for those with discretionalry income so many will buy it out right. Lenders are taking a beating due to the easy qualify anyone days, so they are looking at this car based upon 130K plus models that have tanked on depreciaion so their tightening the qualifications. I'm betting this car isn't the case. Why?
Limited production (350 units) and thats all. Fast as hell, handles like no other AMG and it is an incredible car that's an alternative to a porsche. I've talked to seven owners and all say its a keeper. Drive this car and it will change your mind about amg/mercedes.

Several owners I spoke to were going to lease the cars and buy it off the lease from their company. To them that made sense.
Jimmy

 

I was simply answering one of his questions about leasing and not really questioning the value or why MBZ devaluates the lease so much. I know its not for everyone but if he was inclined to lease, he might not be anymore. If cash is no problem then I am sure he will buy it or maybe he can lease it and write off the payments?

As for driving it, I have and I agree with all that is said on this board about its incredible experiences that come with such an exclusive car.

I also edited some of my numbers they were slightly off, the payment is less than my original number by about 100dollars.

To the OP, I wish you luck and either way enjoy the car.

 

Vic and everyone else who posted, many thanks.

While I could buy the car outright the cost in buying my wife something to offset this purchase would be a slippery slope.

I have decided on a 2008 Porsche TT, the deal was great and the numbers were much, much better. I got a fully optioned white/beige that someone backed out of for 16k off MSRP and with our 840FICO we found a lease that was only 1489 plus tax.

I wanted the BS but unfortunately it did not line-up for me this time, perhaps I will buy one of yours when you grow weary of being so cool!

I really appreciate all the time you guys took, this is a very nice community.

-Jon

 

I find it real hard to believe you got a NEW turbo for 16k off???Where

 

x1

 

Congrads on your turbo, a "fully optioned model" is a little vague given the the almost limitless amount of carbon and leather you can pile on a turbo never mind the composite brakes and chronos package. I've seen several with MSRP's in the $140 plus range that I would consider lighthly optioned. Even if you got a 16k break on an 08' you must of put a boat load of $ to get the lease payments that low as the money factor isn't what it was 30 months ago.
Maybe I missed class that day on how you can lease a porshe turbo for almost half the price of CLK 63 BS. What is your secret?
Jimmy

 

...not doubting that he's paying what he says...just want to know how he got it

 

He didn't. Saw a post on 6speed and said he bought an M5.
Jimmy

 

Exactly. It was Circle Imports that offered me the deal on the 997tt.

While this is the internet I really had no reason to embellish the pricing because it serves zero purpose. At the end of the day I did not like the 997 turbo enough to buy it regardless of price...well 60k would have done it.

The M5 will serve its purpose for 2 years until some other interesting cars present themselves or one of you tire of your glorious machines. I know this is not much different than my RS4 but I have a dedicated track car ( E30 M3) but wanted something to commute in that did not require a clutch, LA traffic is brutal. There was just nothing of interest at this point except the R8 with DSG...then again not.

Thanks again everyone and enjoy your cars in good health.

 

your the man For the price that the dealer offered you for the black series I would not think at all. Ill buy it. $128k new? Thats almost 30k less than what I paid for mine a month ago.