SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: discontinued SL55 ????
05-20-2003, 06:35 PM
#26
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sl and M-class E320 4Matic SLK350
Mystery solved?
It does appear that the SL55 will disappear in fact, if not in theory. From the reporting in the British Press it is clear that dealers which have SL55's allocated to them can as an alternative have them upgraded to SL65's.
The demise (at some dealerships) of the SL55 will most likely follow from the two vehicles not being treated as separate vehicles for allocation purposes. The result is a stroke of marketing genius as it allows the market to determine which of these machines survives as the fittest. In the short term one could well expect the SL65 to triumph since the demand for a newly available vehicle is always the greatest AND there will be a power equivalent SL600 to the 55 on line by then. This also follows from the fact that it appears the profit margin on the SL65 will be much greater than on the SL55. With this being the case it would be financial suicide for any dealer to opt out of a SL65 that he could sell and make a larger profit on than to use up his precious SL55 allocations on mere 55's that bring the dealership less profit.
I can well see some dealerships offering only SL65's to their customers and this would explain why some customers have already been told that if they want an SL55 they better grab one under the 2003 allocation - since the dealer won't be wasting his 2004 allocation on the less profitable AMG's.
The demise (at some dealerships) of the SL55 will most likely follow from the two vehicles not being treated as separate vehicles for allocation purposes. The result is a stroke of marketing genius as it allows the market to determine which of these machines survives as the fittest. In the short term one could well expect the SL65 to triumph since the demand for a newly available vehicle is always the greatest AND there will be a power equivalent SL600 to the 55 on line by then. This also follows from the fact that it appears the profit margin on the SL65 will be much greater than on the SL55. With this being the case it would be financial suicide for any dealer to opt out of a SL65 that he could sell and make a larger profit on than to use up his precious SL55 allocations on mere 55's that bring the dealership less profit.
I can well see some dealerships offering only SL65's to their customers and this would explain why some customers have already been told that if they want an SL55 they better grab one under the 2003 allocation - since the dealer won't be wasting his 2004 allocation on the less profitable AMG's.
Last edited by northbenz; 05-20-2003 at 06:42 PM.
05-21-2003, 12:22 PM
#27
I don't know about you guys, but all these new engine changes WITHIN a current model generation is really screwing me up.
I am planning on buying a new car within 2 years and I want it to be FAST. I was planning on the CL55, but it seems like the CL600 will blow it out of the water. Now, there might be a CL65? I don't want to buy a "top of the line" car and have it outdone within a year. I feel bad for all the S/CL55 owners of MY2002 cars.
I am planning on buying a new car within 2 years and I want it to be FAST. I was planning on the CL55, but it seems like the CL600 will blow it out of the water. Now, there might be a CL65? I don't want to buy a "top of the line" car and have it outdone within a year. I feel bad for all the S/CL55 owners of MY2002 cars.
05-24-2003, 02:01 PM
#28
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Spy Pic of SL65
Here's a link of one being test driven !
https://mbworld.org/forums/newreply....threadid=39555
Enjoy !
https://mbworld.org/forums/newreply....threadid=39555
Enjoy !
05-24-2003, 02:06 PM
#29
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SL 65 Spy Pics !
Opps wrong link, sorry !
Here it is ! Also with link to Brabus SV 12
http://mbspy.com/r230sl65.htmps
Here it is ! Also with link to Brabus SV 12
http://mbspy.com/r230sl65.htmps
05-24-2003, 07:16 PM
#33
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I'd be very surprised if the SL55 was dropped anytime soon. This car lead the new way of thinking of Mercedes-Benz cars which appeal to the more sports-oriented driver. It is also, as Wolfman points out, a nice little profit earner.
Fact is, Mercedes are facing a rapidly deteriorating business climate. The SL has 90% German content and 97% euro-zone content and it is built using the highest unit labor costs in the world. The local currencies of its two largest markets outside Germany (US/UK) have depreciated strongly against the euro since the current pricing was set and have fallen off a cliff in the last two or three months. That means the profitability in the markets in which they sell between 50 - 60% of their cars is under real pressure and although they will have protected themselves with forward positions on exchange rates, that protection will not last forever. They will be seeing something like a 15% reduction in the money repatriated to Germany to pay for making the things. Add to that weak demand in Germany due to an economy nearing recession and deflation and the result is being a CFO for DaimlerChrysler is one job I would not like.
In the UK, there have been modest price rises (3%) just recently but they do no more than scratch the surface - expect to see more prices rises in the future and, unless the euro weakens, the prices for MY 2004 to be rather higher.
With the SL55, there's a car which probably costs only a few $k more to make than a stock SL500, certainly nothing like the difference in MSRP. Once you are making 150 cars a day, adding one set of parts instead of another is not going to cost the Earth. Result? The SL is profitable and the SL55/SL600 even more so. So why kill one of the few geese laying golden eggs at this time? Sure the SL65 provides an even greater source of potential profit, but demand falls away rapidly with increasing price at this level, so to vacate the SL55 market slot for one 30% more expensive would be madness. At the SL55/SL600 price level, they have the market to themselves, there's very little competition.
But, at the end of the day, none of us really know...
Fact is, Mercedes are facing a rapidly deteriorating business climate. The SL has 90% German content and 97% euro-zone content and it is built using the highest unit labor costs in the world. The local currencies of its two largest markets outside Germany (US/UK) have depreciated strongly against the euro since the current pricing was set and have fallen off a cliff in the last two or three months. That means the profitability in the markets in which they sell between 50 - 60% of their cars is under real pressure and although they will have protected themselves with forward positions on exchange rates, that protection will not last forever. They will be seeing something like a 15% reduction in the money repatriated to Germany to pay for making the things. Add to that weak demand in Germany due to an economy nearing recession and deflation and the result is being a CFO for DaimlerChrysler is one job I would not like.
In the UK, there have been modest price rises (3%) just recently but they do no more than scratch the surface - expect to see more prices rises in the future and, unless the euro weakens, the prices for MY 2004 to be rather higher.
With the SL55, there's a car which probably costs only a few $k more to make than a stock SL500, certainly nothing like the difference in MSRP. Once you are making 150 cars a day, adding one set of parts instead of another is not going to cost the Earth. Result? The SL is profitable and the SL55/SL600 even more so. So why kill one of the few geese laying golden eggs at this time? Sure the SL65 provides an even greater source of potential profit, but demand falls away rapidly with increasing price at this level, so to vacate the SL55 market slot for one 30% more expensive would be madness. At the SL55/SL600 price level, they have the market to themselves, there's very little competition.
But, at the end of the day, none of us really know...
05-24-2003, 11:43 PM
#34
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C43 AMG
Market to the themselves??? Alpina Z8, 360 Coupes, Continental GT, etc.. Sure, some of those are coupes, but many people have switched from SL55 to CL55 and visa versa, so that is no large barrier... I do see what you mean though, and agree completely for the most part.
05-25-2003, 04:41 AM
#35
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You're right, of course, there is other competition, and maybe this is preventing Mercedes from passing on the full impact of the changing exchange rate.
Most of the competition is also made in the euro-zone so will be suffering as well. What the European car industry needs is a strong dollar to ensure a continued healthy demand for their products from the US and they must all be under increasing pressure. Even Ferrari may have to be considering working on a reduced profit margin.
The SL dominates in terms of numbers and that of course is one reason people might cite not to buy - lack of exclusivity. However, buying a rarer car does not guarantee a better car, as owners of the close-out DB7 GT will find, a cynical end-of-life makeover which has been panned by more than one critic here.
Most of the competition is also made in the euro-zone so will be suffering as well. What the European car industry needs is a strong dollar to ensure a continued healthy demand for their products from the US and they must all be under increasing pressure. Even Ferrari may have to be considering working on a reduced profit margin.
The SL dominates in terms of numbers and that of course is one reason people might cite not to buy - lack of exclusivity. However, buying a rarer car does not guarantee a better car, as owners of the close-out DB7 GT will find, a cynical end-of-life makeover which has been panned by more than one critic here.
05-26-2003, 10:26 PM
#36
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AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Even though the SL55 will have higher margins, the weak Dollar is costing Mercedes a lot. In the US, the car prices cannot be adjusted for exchange rates as the market would not accept it and it will be interesting to see at which price the SL600 is going to be introduced here.
In Europe, the SL55 is on par with the SL600 pricewise. In the US, the SL55 has a boatload of additional options included in the base price (comand, cd changer, bose sound system, alcantara headliner and floormats). That's another $5300 in options.
Consider that in Europe the base price for the SL55 is $128,628 without tax and $149,209 with the tax (by American standards an "outrageous" 16%!). That makes the same car almost $20K cheaper in the US...
They may bump the price of the SL600 up from the get go; if so the SL55 will be the better deal
Wolfman
In Europe, the SL55 is on par with the SL600 pricewise. In the US, the SL55 has a boatload of additional options included in the base price (comand, cd changer, bose sound system, alcantara headliner and floormats). That's another $5300 in options.
Consider that in Europe the base price for the SL55 is $128,628 without tax and $149,209 with the tax (by American standards an "outrageous" 16%!). That makes the same car almost $20K cheaper in the US...
They may bump the price of the SL600 up from the get go; if so the SL55 will be the better deal
Wolfman
