josephpampliega

If anyone is interested please let me know price. Thanks.

jbondox

yes, but it comes with the car....$130K...

josephpampliega

If S63 first came out when S550 did, I would of bought it immediately. I just couldn't accept the year in a half body life loss as I always order my cars before launch in order to recieve it immediately once out with no mark up.

My plan was to trade in my car last month for the S63, but when I had the car looked over for trade in, the three dealers I went to were only offering $50k and my car is immaculate with no flaws other than it had 54,000 miles on it.

Back in early 2006, the S600 had no AMG sport package and had the older 3-valve/cyl. motor, S65 didn't come out till later in 2006 and also had the older 3-valve/cyl. motor also. I wish I never heard that a 4-valve/cyl. AMG motor was coming out, I probably would be driving a S65 at this moment.

I paid $109k for it before taxes and with no mark up. Since it's free and clear, a $59k depreciation is not worth giving it up. I'm not rich where I can just close my eyes and let it go. I might as well keep it and try to bring it to S63 specs by adding a supercharger, headers, upgraded brakes, and S63 mufflers and diffuser for the look. I already started by purchasing the S63/S65 front bumper and fog light kit.

Doing all that I'll still have $40k left over to put on another new vehicle.

The only thing that I feel bad about is that I don't have that AMG status but oh well this always happens to me everytime.

So if anyone wants to rid their S63 muffler set let me know. Thanks.

WSH

Don't know whether AMG conveys any meaningful "status"....

Am also a car nut and often get latest/greatest new MB/AMGs....ranging from 550 to 65, dpdg upon what's interesting....and, like you, like to get cars early in launch process....

But would observe that many billionaires in NYC are driven around in rather nondescript blk S550s....a well-known tech billionaire in SiliconValley just gets a new, silver SL55 every 2yrs or so (and never bothered getting a 65).....so IMO, hard to really claim any "status" really correlates vs 550/63/600/65....

To each his own....I'd always rather save my discretionary car funds to get a pristine, new car more frequently than to spend addtl and/or aftermkt dollars on any existing, well-worn/torn car....my car ADD/OCD is beyond treatment....

Z356

joseph: It's sobering what you tell us your MY07 S 550 with MSRP of $109K is now worth to these dealers you talked to. It makes a case for leasing new vehicles or buying wisely used ones.

But it is one of your statements (see quote) that I find most interesting: "I wish I never heard that a 4-valve/cyl. AMG motor was coming out, I probably would be driving a S65 at this moment." One of the most useful things to me about this Forum has been the on-going debates among our members between the new AMG 6.3 engines vs the older Biturbo V12 motors in the model 221 (S) or 216 (CL) bodies. Back in May of 2006, I was driven at speed in a S63 by a MB factory driver at the Untertürkheim test track near Stuttgart. I was positive this AMG model was going to be in my next large Mercedes purchase. But now, over six months later and much research & test drives, I opted for the older Biturbo V12 but in the new body style. In the end, I realized that what I really enjoyed best was NOT the knowledge that my motor had the latest, 4-valve AMG technology. Rather, it was the tactile experience of feeling the mighty TORQUE of the legendary MB V12 motor, admittedly older technology, but which moves the great mass of a S600 or CL600 like a military projectile. Same holds true for the S65 & CL65. In an increasingly PC world where we might soon find these gas-guzzlers V12 outlawed (although the AMG V8 is not frugal), I couldn't resist experiencing in my lifetime the thrill of one of these great powerplants, along with the comfort, luxury & gadgets of the new MB top-of-the-line chassis. Z356.

PS Joseph: I remember the great buy you had in Ebay on the S65 bumper. Congratulations and good luck with your project.

WSH

Z356, your comments re: poss demise of 600hp+ V12s were so scary that I almost called my dealer to order a CL65!

But do recall as a small kid in early '80s seeing/reading avidly about the underpowered 380SELs, etc of era and thinking I'd never be able to drive interesting, new, high-powered cars by time I had a license...let alone earned some dollars....doubt anyone would have predicted back in early '80s that, in '07, guys would be casually commuting around cities in 600hp+ luxury coupes like 65/599.....

As much as many focus on deprec, would observe that the rather underpowered SL500 of ?'90 costed some $100K, in the midst of a US recession and in a climate of much higher interest rates/onerous lease terms.....amusing how cheap are today's cars vs cars of 15-20 yrs ago, esp after adjusting for inflation, cheap leases, and advances in perf/tech/safety.....

We certainly are living in a golden era for brilliant perf cars...let's hope it lasts....but it's advisable to consume and enjoy these great new cars as if it might not....

cjf_moraga

Z356 - that was very well put... I felt exactly the same... the knowledge that I might have 4 valves per cylinder nowhere near compared with the actual "experience" of what the V12 can do... And I stll don't get this thing about it being an "old" engine... the TT M275 only dates from 2003 (based on the 1999 NA 3 valver) is hardly THAT "ancient" (Sorry WSH!)

It's certainly good enough (In M285 form) for the Maybach!

Chris

Z356

Chris: I am also very interested in what MB is planning re: updating the current V12 Biturbo engine. I have followed your musings on the subject with great interest. I was particularly heartened by what you recently said that even if MB improves the V12 for MY09 or MY10, the current engine on the '07 and '08 has the potential to easily keep up via a rather simple ECU upgrade. And I do agree with you that MB has many other fishes in the kettle that better deserve the costly investment of technology, rather than a new V12 (the current one works great & is now very reliable) for these limited production models!

On this subject of 'what is next', I had an interesting conversation with an AMG MBUSA executive I met last August during the CLK63 Black Series road drives in Quail Lodge (Carmel). He mentioned to me that AMG is now seriously 'working/testing' the new 4Matic awd for an AMG application. The improved 4-Matic was recently introduced in the MY07 S class for its non-AMG & non-600 models. As you may know, this improved 4-Matic tranny is more compact, lightweight and fits nicely (no bulge in passenger footwell area) in the existing transmission tunnel. My gut feeling is that AMG needs to take a page from Porsche/Audi and realize that greater HP & Torque (like those already generated by the S65 & CL65) are meaningless without better TRACTION. WSH has been harping on this subject now for sometime, re: the lack of traction on the S/CL 65 models & its inherent dangers. So I expect that the next real innovation from AMG in the S/CL 65 models will be in the way (manner) power is delivered to the road via an innovative new transmission..the world already knows AMG has mastered the art of getting incredible power and torque from these engines! And kudos are rightfully given. But they now need to do more in this other important area. Hopefully this 4-Matic technology (beefed up to handle power & torque of V12s) will trickle down to the S/CL 600 too. Z356

PS WSH: What a great age in motoring we are privileged to live in...but will it last in our increasingly 'green' world political climate!

WSH

As a former owner of '07 CL600 and '07 SL65, each car has my respect, no matter which I accuse of having ancient-tech, excessively heavy motors....

On certain dry, smooth, empty stretches of 280 fwy, no car in world matches overall tq delivery (esp in context of a car w/superb safety) of 65....

65's weakness is seen on normal CA fwys which have occasional poor pavement (and occasional winter rains): non-confidence-inspiring traction....in fact, I'd prob risk-adjust my driving style such that I'd drive my CL600 as fast/faster than I drove SL65....CL600 had excellent traction...

Agree...63's tq is just adequate for 280 fwy driving....

In my case, some of my favorite wkend driving is up in the mtn twisties, where 63's better tq/traction balance; chassis balance; and playful exhaust note truly shine....(and I realize it's unconventional to use a 4600lb coupe as one's favored wkend twisties car)...

Great fun to debate nuances of each of these brilliant cars...

cjf_moraga

Hi Z536 ....also yesterdays 35 mpg bill in Congress was hardly auspicious for the traditional V12 long term... perhaps there is time for one more V12 generational upgrade before 2020... but given the importance of the US market to Mercedes (especially with these higher end models) this was hardly a major inducement for MB... (Or BMW)

BTW: If you are interested in the rare and great V12 tradition there is an excellent book called "The V12" Engine...

http://www.amazon.com/V12-Engine-Tec...8210419&sr=1-1

It is pretty up to date and in the latter chapters includes some interesting information on the design lineage of the new generation of Mercedes V12's that came in from the 1990's onwards... (Plus the BMW, Audi, and Jaguar V12's and W12's etc)

The current (and last post 2003) S600 M275 is essentially a "de-tuned" version of the Maybach's 550 bhp and 665 lb-ft M285, minus one air conditioning compressor, a somewhat lower turbo boost pressure, and other minor differences. So the engine can certainly take that amount of stress... and with independent tuners getting another 100hp or so... and the 5-speed having plenty of reserve capacity to take the additional torque... well there is plenty of unused potential when our next personal HP crisis kicks in....

I do love the above books description of the M285/M275 engines... "The result was an awsome power unit by any standard, a motive force that left no doubt that the vee-twelve was still a king, even an emperor amonsgt 21st century engines."

Much recommended!

WSH - I drove the length of the 280 today! Now thats a wide open freeway! The natural home for any S/CL600...

Chris

Z356

Chris: Thanks for the heads up on Ludvigsen's V12 book. Believe it or not, this guy wrote one of the most interesting book in my library, ''Excellence was Expected'. I have been a Porsche fan since my college days (University of Pennsylvania '68-'72) and I read his book when I was in the Bankers Trust training program in Wall Street in the late seventies. I had already owned a '68 912 Targa in 1973, but his book changed the way I looked at sports cars from that point forward. I have been a life-long Porsche fan ever since, and Ludvigsen's book was an important part my education. I have now been to the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen about a dozen times and have owned many their models over the past 30 years...but I still feel the excitement from reading Ludvigsen's book that many years ago in my 'youth'. His original Porsche book is now a classic and commands a huge premium in memorabilia circles. Z356