http://www.************/car-videos-08...issan-GT-R.htm



he had that silver W210 E55 AMG in that garage yrs ago, right next to the SLR. can't believe it's still there! lol

 

That is awesome... After years he's still got it. Must mean something to him...

 

Cool! His beloved W210 E55 is also seen in this video when he introduces his CLK Black:

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/...tml?vid=215866

That says alot about a guy with an W210 who also owns an SLR and a Black.

 

I wonder what year Leno's E55 is? I always wonder about how car collectors like Leno buys cars to keep as collectibles and what year he picks. Do they buy the first year and then buy the final year or wait for the final year, etc? His W210 is obviously not the first year (1999). So will he be buying a 2009 E63 AMG in the W211's final year?

 

probably because hes too busy driving his other however many cars he has to even remeber its there lol

 

Just talked to my boy Jay. It's a 2002. He buys the last version so that there's not much "bug" in it.

What's up Kevo!

 

I don't think he cares since he hardly puts any miles on them

I know for sure his SLR was not one of the last ones, I think it was one of the first pre-ordered ones

 

Hi Jamo, thanks for the info. Everything is cool.

 

I wouldn't drive that Nissan if they gave me one for free!

Have any of you seen the interior of that car?

It looks like 'a former Yugo designer' came up with that garrish interior! If that aluminum/metal trim in there is real....it sure looks 'fake' in the photos of my latest Car & Driver magazine.

The car is (apparently) very fast....good...that will give Porsche, Ferrari, and the other top performance car manufacturers a good reason to improve upon their car's performance numbers. Its always good when somebody out there makes a faster car for less money....I just wouldn't be caught dead in it!

 

^This car is obviously not for you. Anyone who buys the GTR isnt looking for a luxurious interior, they're looking for an animal. A truely amazing car, also pretty beautiful.

 

But just like Maserati with the Quatroporte, they F-d up. Why the hell dont the paddles turn with the wheel???

 

Harsh words, but very understandable. The car itself is a beast, but was not designed to steal any of the MB AMG market share. The car is like the new age Toyota Supra or Nissan Skyline. It is something the import tuners go crazy over because a) it's the Japanese super car, b) It still says import tuner, and c) they can picture themselves in it.

Import tuners are not the MB AMG market. Do AMG owners love to mod their cars? Yes, but not in the same way that import tuners do. Import tuners want relatively cheap and widely available parts that they can combine to make their vehicle one-off, or at least till the next punk comes pulling in with the same thing.

The GTR is a cream of the crop car from Japan, built to compete in performance with high end super cars, and compete it will. But it was built for that import tuner thats income has increased 10-fold and wants a super import tuner car. They want a car they can take out and beat the living crap out of and still get respect from "their crowd". A MB, Ferrari, or Lambo just don't say the same thing. It says, "Look at me, I bought a car only the dealer can work on."

Think about it. Take a Ferrari into a ditch and they'll say, "DUDE.... You wrecked your Ferrari." Take a Nissan GTR into a ditch and they'll say, "DUDE... Killer slide....you just barely missed it there."

The Nissan is something they can relate to and the consumers buying these can relate to. It's that link to the past. Perhaps it's that link to the Datsun 510 they had in high school or that 240Z they drove in college. And for the wealthy youngins, it's that link to the Nissan Skyline, the 300ZX, or otherwise.

To each their own. Exactly why I picked a MB AMG. I get the performance I want with the class it carries with it.

 

lol that's the thing they didn't mess up, they got it right!
paddles are supposed to NOT turn with the wheel, think agressive driving turning the steering wheel trying to shift, which one is better by far?

 

Those "import tuners" you referred to will have to shell out $70+ grand for this new GT-R!

I totally agreed with you about the E55 and the "class" part.....they can make a car into something that can do a lot of things...but it either has "class" or it doesn't!

Pretty much the same applies for the people who own them too!

 

Yep, that's why I included the statement about the import tuner that's stepped up his/her income level.

Still appeals the same crowd. Maybe now because of performance, it will capture a few buyers who don't really know what they want or want the most "performance for the dollar".

Overall, I think they seem pretty cool, and will work for some, but just not my cup of tea. Not that I drink tea anyways.

 

So does that mean Jay will be buying a 2009 E63 AMG soon. Ask Jay.

 

Not everyone who buys this car should be thrown into the "Import Tuner" basket you're creating out of thin air. Its the same thing as buying a Z06, the thing is an affordable supercar. And I have seen the interior in person and I happen to think its really techy.

And saying people who buy them have no class is something that only someone who questions their own level class would say.

 

Not really sure but i'll ask him when we go golfing this saturday.

 

Was his W210 E55 given to him? Any truth to this posting?

http://blogs.motortrend.com/6246981/...ste/index.html

"I don't know exactly what these quick and dirty celeb appearances cost, but I have an idea they're around $50K a pop. Jay Leno once did a press conference for the introduction of the Mercedes E55 AMG. It gave him one of the $70,000 cars in exchange for his 10 minutes on stage. It's not a simple equation, as these gigs are often part of a larger, more expensive personal services contract. But any way you break it down, these folks can run between five and ten grand for every minute they are "performing," according to a friend of mine who works in this end of the business. It just depends upon how big the name is and how many days/hours/minutes/seconds someone wants of their time."

 

Interesting!

 

My understanding is that Jay has never sold a car. I know he owns his very first car and has put a modern chassis underneath it.