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Black Series compared to my other cars ...

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Old 10-29-2008, 09:56 AM
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2008 CLK63 Black Series 2012 C63 Black Series 2014 SLS Black Series
Originally Posted by Tipo815
I've tracked my Stradale but never tracked the BS. I plan to take it on track next month to see how it does. I will keep you posted.

The Stradale is a very capable track car as far as a street car is concerned. It's obviously not a purpose built race car but it does a very admirable job when placed in that environment.

I don't expect as much from the BS. If nothing else it weights 1000lbs more than the Stradale. Power alone can't compensate for cornering loads, braking, etc. However, I might be pleasantly surprised. Only time will tell.
You will be suprised at how well the BS does on a track. It does not feel as heavy as it is. It gives up a little on the brakes to lighter cars such as GT2's and 430's, but seems to be able to carry more mid-corner speed and you can get back on the gas much earlier in the BS than you can in a GT2 or 430. The BS is pretty comfortable and predictable with the rear-end hung out at speed, something you can't really say about a GT2 or 430...at least with confidence and consistancy. Although I have never driven a Stradale on the track I have both driven a regular 430 and driven against 430's on a few tracks and they can't hang with my BS, especially where there is any kind of straight where I can stretch my legs. Only downfall to the BS is that it is nowhere near as exotic looking as the F cars, but put them on a track and the BS will shine. One other note, my BS is far from stock so I'm sure that has a little bit to do with the results I have experienced on track.
Old 10-29-2008, 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by wolfturbo
Chuck~

I'm flattered (I think!?!?!?!)

I must say I read this guy's post and thought it does have a certain "Prince of Darkness" aura to it. But alas, it is not me. Probably just another finance geek, a guy in the car biz.... or maybe even a guy who reads the Wall Street Journal and saw the cover story today about a record # of dealers going out of business.

I stand by my original economic thesis that I shared with you (and others on this board via PM's). I believe I will acquire one at the price we discussed by the end of the year, but in the interim I am seeing too many other exciting opportunities to deploy capital thanks to these crazy markets.

Fortunately, it appears you have the financial stability to keep your BS in the garage and continue to enjoy it. The unfortunate reality is that others with Black Series, Ferraris, Porsches (______ fill in the blank) don't and they will set the market for the rest of us as they de-lever.

Out where I live in Orange County, we refer to it as "all flash, no cash".

And if you still think this other guy is me posting under an alias, have the admin check the IP address and compare it to mine. I'll bet you any bottle of California cabernet that you want that there is still only one Prince of Darkness (sorry - inside joke with Chuck!! )
Rob, you have a new name..... PoD! Got your PM, explains a lot about why I thought it was you. Green789 did contact me about my car..... although his tone was completely different and his number seems to have gone down quite a bit from a couple weeks ago (to where yours wa$). Hope neither of you took association as an insult?

Sorry for the temporary highjack on Tipo815's thread. Carry on....
Old 10-29-2008, 11:00 AM
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No offense taken whatsoever. Just enjoying this thread.

"Prince of Darkness"
Old 10-29-2008, 01:08 PM
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2008 CLK BS
Originally Posted by Green789
Hey guys, I know three cars that have traded hands the last few days, one at $82k one at $85k, and one at $85,700. Some of you may have heard that the markets have been a little volatile recently. New car sales are tanking, resales are diving, and banks AREN'T LENDING MONEY TO BUYERS! Wake up, and smell the coffee. Remember, asking prices are a whole different ball of wax then selling prices.

I am waiting another month to buy mine in the 70's. Sure they are rare and unique, but guess what, people with cash are now rare and unique!
I don't think you're market analysis is new news to anyone here especially in this economic climate. I'm sure there will be an isolated case or two where you'll find a car at or even below wholesale. There will always be "exceptions to the rule" even in healthy times. That being said - these exceptions don't make a "market." Just because you find one desperate guy that sells his car for $78k doesn't mean the market is now $78k. If you're fortunate to be the recipient of one of these situations then consider yourself lucky and enjoy your good fortune.

Last edited by Tipo815; 10-29-2008 at 01:20 PM.
Old 10-29-2008, 01:08 PM
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Chuck baby, I like this Rob guy, we obviously share the same views. If you were looking to dump your BS, you should have jumped on the mid 90's offer! I promise you they are not going up, and you could have bought your car back in a 60 days for 15-20k less.

But don't feel bad, I just sold an Aston (V8 Vantage) that I had for barely a year, and took a 28k bath on it. I have owned a bunch of cars, and rarely (read accidently) made money. It's the price we pay to play, but why not buy as low as we can?!

I agree with Rob, dealers are crashing, market is softening, and I am buying a BS for less than 80k....
Old 10-29-2008, 01:11 PM
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The market is trending down. Look at the auction results, graph them month versus price, use as many cars for comps as you want.... Then see what the prices are doing. Hey, it will shallow out of course at some point, but who knows that number. It WILL be below 80k.
Old 10-29-2008, 01:14 PM
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And as for definining a market, the market IS what the last car sold for. Being in the housing business (hence my time to irritate you poor guys on car prices) I can tell you that it doesn't matter if you sold 39 homes at 300k, and the 40th sold for 250k, what do you think the 41st should sell for?.....

In these times, unfortunately, the low side does reflect the market, and it continues to weaken. TIPO, enjoy your car, it's gorgeous, and it doesn't matter what you paid because I know you won't sell it soon anyways...
Old 10-29-2008, 01:19 PM
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2008 CLK BS
Originally Posted by JT55
Wait... over a 1.5 Mill. in cars and you were waiting for the price to come down 40K? Am i missing something? Thats like your monthly fuel bill dude.
As fickleone stated below your post - it WAS a matter of common sense AND perceived value. I felt that the car - at MSRP - was WAY overpriced for what it was. There was simply no way I was going to pay $150k+ out the door for a CLK-based car regardless of how good it was. Common sense told me to be patient and wait for the hype to die down. At current levels and given the opportunity that was presented to me - I decided it was time to pull the trigger. I'm glad I did!
Old 10-29-2008, 01:24 PM
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2008 CLK BS
Originally Posted by chuck z
Sorry for the temporary highjack on Tipo815's thread. Carry on....
Chuck - No worries. Keep it going since it adds some diversity to an otherwise slightly boring section.
Old 10-29-2008, 01:36 PM
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2008 CLK BS
Originally Posted by Green789
TIPO, enjoy your car, it's gorgeous, and it doesn't matter what you paid because I know you won't sell it soon anyways...
Thanks. I do plan to enjoy it. It won't be a garage queen like some of my other cars!

It's heading to Simon at Evosport for some minor mods. Nothing too drastic.

Last edited by Tipo815; 10-29-2008 at 01:38 PM.
Old 10-29-2008, 01:46 PM
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Jeffrey,

Do tell us what mods are in store at Evosport. After all, I have a vested interest in this project, right?!?!?!?
Old 10-29-2008, 02:44 PM
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08 SL55
Originally Posted by Green789
And as for definining a market, the market IS what the last car sold for. Being in the housing business (hence my time to irritate you poor guys on car prices) I can tell you that it doesn't matter if you sold 39 homes at 300k, and the 40th sold for 250k, what do you think the 41st should sell for?.....

In these times, unfortunately, the low side does reflect the market, and it continues to weaken. TIPO, enjoy your car, it's gorgeous, and it doesn't matter what you paid because I know you won't sell it soon anyways...
I disagree with you on this one. Unlike the housing market, prices buyers actually pay for cars are not readily available to the average "Joe" so the last car sold does NOT necessarily set the market for all future sales. Asking prices are more accurate reflection of where the market is headed. Most car buyers do not have access to wholesale cars or what the last car sold for.
Old 10-29-2008, 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Green789
Chuck baby, I like this Rob guy, we obviously share the same views. If you were looking to dump your BS, you should have jumped on the mid 90's offer! I promise you they are not going up, and you could have bought your car back in a 60 days for 15-20k less.

But don't feel bad, I just sold an Aston (V8 Vantage) that I had for barely a year, and took a 28k bath on it. I have owned a bunch of cars, and rarely (read accidently) made money. It's the price we pay to play, but why not buy as low as we can?!

I agree with Rob, dealers are crashing, market is softening, and I am buying a BS for less than 80k....
I wasn't actually looking to dump the car, fortunately not in that position. I've actually made money on a bunch of Porsches over the years. I didn't buy this car (or most lately) thinking they were good investments. At this point, I'm glad I didn't sell it. I've kept my autotrader and cars.com ad up.... I'll change the pictures and raise the price periodically and do my part to move the market the other way... Perhaps more should do the same???

I'm confused about who is who here? Rob, Jeffrey and you? Rob knows Jeffrey, Rob says he knows you (in a PM) and you make it sound like you don't know Rob.......
Old 10-29-2008, 03:02 PM
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2008 CLK BS
Originally Posted by wolfturbo
Jeffrey,

Do tell us what mods are in store at Evosport. After all, I have a vested interest in this project, right?!?!?!?
Rob - I might decide to hold onto this one for a while and suspect you will come across a deal long before I decide to part with it. It is a stupendous piece of engineering that has exceeded my expectations thus far. I'd have to say that I'd probably part with one of my two Stradales before saying goodbye to the BS!

As for Simon and Evosport - the mods are all suspension/handling related.

Last edited by Tipo815; 10-29-2008 at 03:09 PM.
Old 10-29-2008, 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by chuck z
I disagree with you on this one. Unlike the housing market, prices buyers actually pay for cars are not readily available to the average "Joe" so the last car sold does NOT necessarily set the market for all future sales. Asking prices are more accurate reflection of where the market is headed. Most car buyers do not have access to wholesale cars or what the last car sold for.
Chuck - I agree with you on this one. There ARE isolated deals on cars and I don't believe one or two "low ball" sales truly reflect the market. Wholesale is also not readily available to the market as a whole as you indicated.

Rob is a good friend of mine. I bought a Stradale from him almost three years ago. He has expressed an interest in acquiring my BS when I get sick of it. He thought I would probably keep it for a few months and tire of it. Unfortunately ... it appears that AMG has built a superb machine which has exceeded my expectations. Parting with it is the last thing I am thinking about doing right now.

Last edited by Tipo815; 10-29-2008 at 03:11 PM.
Old 10-29-2008, 03:08 PM
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Now I'm confused!!!! Wolfturbo is Rob (aka Prince of Darkness). Tipo is Jeffrey. Not sure who Green is but really don't care, unless he's somebody I PM'd about prices in the past under a different name.

Could be a troll, could be legit but seems to be a bear on prices.

For the record, I'm not bearish on just the BS prices, I'm bearish on all high end toys as inventories stack up, dealers lose their flooring lines and banks quit financing buyers. Anybody remember that movie about the really, really big wave???? Oh yeah, it was called the "Perfect Storm"
Old 10-29-2008, 03:09 PM
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08 SL55
Originally Posted by Tipo815
Rob - I might decide to hold onto this one for a while and suspect you will come across a deal long before I decide to part with it. It is a stupendous piece of engineering that has exceeded my expectations thus far. I'd have to say that I'd probably part with one of my two Stradales before saying goodbye to the BS!
....now this says something about the caliber of this car! I have not owned an F car, I know a lot of people here have and do so all I have to compare the BS to is other German machines. Far and away most capable car I've ever owned. Impressive statement Jeffrey!
Old 10-29-2008, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by chuck z
I disagree with you on this one. Unlike the housing market, prices buyers actually pay for cars are not readily available to the average "Joe" so the last car sold does NOT necessarily set the market for all future sales. Asking prices are more accurate reflection of where the market is headed. Most car buyers do not have access to wholesale cars or what the last car sold for.
Asking prices do NOT determine the market! I can ask for a million dollars for an old chevy truck, but this does not mean it's worth that. Selling prices determine the market, because a market is a "willing buyer, and willing seller", asking prices just don't figure in. That's like saying "offering prices determine the market". So if I offer you a dollar for a BS, according to your logic, that is the market?
Old 10-29-2008, 03:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Tipo815
Chuck - I agree with you on this one. There ARE isolated deals on cars and I don't believe one or two "low ball" sales truly reflect the market. Wholesale is also not readily available to the market as a whole as you indicated.

Rob is a good friend of mine. I bought a Stradale from him almost three years ago. He has expressed an interest in acquiring my BS when I get sick of it. He thought I would probably keep it for a few months and tire of it. Unfortunately ... it appears that AMG has built a superb machine which has exceeded my expectations. Parting with it is the last thing I am thinking about doing right now.
I have owned a Stradale, and am in the list for a 430 Scuderia, among a bunch of other cars... Drove a BS, actually went to drive the M6, but and there was a BS there. Obviously no comparing the two. The BS is so impressive, fast, elegant, low profile, low maintenance, it's a hell of a car. Honestly never thought I would be a Mercedes fan until that experience....

A "few lowball" sales, do set the trend for a market. I agree, some grandma sells her dead husbands car for half of market, that is an uninformed isolated event. But when a few people start selling low....watch out boys!
Old 10-29-2008, 03:49 PM
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08 SL55
Originally Posted by Green789
Asking prices do NOT determine the market! I can ask for a million dollars for an old chevy truck, but this does not mean it's worth that. Selling prices determine the market, because a market is a "willing buyer, and willing seller", asking prices just don't figure in. That's like saying "offering prices determine the market". So if I offer you a dollar for a BS, according to your logic, that is the market?
According to my logic? What somebody offers has nothing to do with anything. I didn't say asking prices "determine" the market I said asking prices "reflect" the market. Legitamate asking prices are a pretty good reflection of where the market is heading. I agree that selling prices ultimately determine the market over the long run, my point is/was there is no credible source for reporting or recording selling prices on cars like there is for real estate. Therefore, the last sale does NOT necessarily determine the market value of any car. In most cases who ever really knows what a car sold for unless it gets posted on a forum such as this and then who really knows if its true or not? NADA, KBB and others are pretty much worthless. You're looking to buy, can't fault you for working the deal......
Old 10-29-2008, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by chuck z
According to my logic? What somebody offers has nothing to do with anything. I didn't say asking prices "determine" the market I said asking prices "reflect" the market. Legitamate asking prices are a pretty good reflection of where the market is heading. I agree that selling prices ultimately determine the market over the long run, my point is/was there is no credible source for reporting or recording selling prices on cars like there is for real estate. Therefore, the last sale does NOT necessarily determine the market value of any car. In most cases who ever really knows what a car sold for unless it gets posted on a forum such as this and then who really knows if its true or not? NADA, KBB and others are pretty much worthless. You're looking to buy, can't fault you for working the deal......
Exactly my point Chuck, what someone offers, has as little to do with the market as asking prices. Look at H1's, they are many advertised at 50k, that you can buy at 35k. So is the market 50 or 35? If you answered 35k, you are correct. Now, if someone offers 20k, what is the market? If you answered 35k, you are still correct!

My point being, you talk to a friend or two who has bought a car in the last week or two (these days the market is very dynamic, no one can argue that) and that is a great indication of the market. Everyone on this conversation is a car savvy person, and we all have friends who have purchased a BS. If your friend bought one three months ago, and another bought on last week, I'd pay attention to the price last week...
Old 10-29-2008, 05:00 PM
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08 SL55
The market has gone way down now...... New market on the BS has been established!



..... I know, it's a bogus ad. Probably the same person who had my car on ebay this morning for $85k?
Old 10-29-2008, 05:10 PM
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Would this be a bad time for me to say I just ground that seller down to
$56K?!?!?!?!

Wishful thinking even for the Prince of Darkness!!!!

Like Jeffrey said, I hope more people will keep chiming in here. This is the most fun I have ever had on this board!
Old 10-29-2008, 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Green789
Exactly my point Chuck, what someone offers, has as little to do with the market as asking prices. Look at H1's, they are many advertised at 50k, that you can buy at 35k. So is the market 50 or 35? If you answered 35k, you are correct. Now, if someone offers 20k, what is the market? If you answered 35k, you are still correct!

My point being, you talk to a friend or two who has bought a car in the last week or two (these days the market is very dynamic, no one can argue that) and that is a great indication of the market. Everyone on this conversation is a car savvy person, and we all have friends who have purchased a BS. If your friend bought one three months ago, and another bought on last week, I'd pay attention to the price last week...
Problem is, only asking prices are available to most potential buyers. My guess is very few buyers actually know somebody who bought (or owns) a BS b/c the market of 350 cars is so small compared to even your garden variety F cars? The group of truly informed buyers/sellers is very very small. Even this group is a very small sample and probably only affects sales of a couple cars. If I recall from previous posts, people here are reluctant to say what they paid publically (except Mar-Tay of course.....). Lot's of people (most are buyers or hoping the price goes low enough....) telling everyone what the market is..... When my car was on ebay I got a good portion of my offers from dealers, some were in the low to mid $90k's.
Old 10-29-2008, 05:12 PM
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08 SL55
Originally Posted by wolfturbo
Would this be a bad time for me to say I just ground that seller down to
$56K?!?!?!?!

Wishful thinking even for the Prince of Darkness!!!!popcorn:
now THAT was funny. Probably means more to me than most but that was damn funny!


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