After four months of waiting, agonizing, thinking about mods and just going crazy, the wait is OVER! I got the call on Thursday that the car (no, correction -- MY car) had finally arrived. (For those that don't recall, I had a build date in late January and an anticipated delivery date of March 11th.)

The car actually arrived at the dealer on the 2nd and they did all the diagnostic/prep on the 3rd. So, everything was ready for a perfect Friday, right? Well, sort of. . .

Without boring you with the details of traveling 60 miles to the dealer on a rainy Friday afternoon in southern California (can you say "stand-still traffic" -- four hours worth), I finally took possession of my car. Here are some first impressions:

Wow (gasping, hands on knees)! As in, looking in your rear-view mirror and thinking "didn't those cars see the light turn green, so why are they still waiting at that intersection?" Despite reading the other posts, I couldn't fully comprehend the power (even a fraction of it) until that ride home. I cannot wait until 1000 miles have passed. Plus the sound -- the throaty sound at all speeds -- outstanding. (For those who don't know what I mean, watch the videos posted here by BoBCanada. Bob, thanks so much! I get giddy watching those movies. I played them so much the other day, I felt like they were on a continuous loop!)

The drive dynamic seats are incredible. Makes you feel more in touch with the driving experience. Plus, I am really impressed with the quality of the leather and workmanship. Great seats.

Obsidian black is a wonderful color (thanks to eagleeye for the photos and the recommendation)-- I think it looks amazing in the sun. I'm glad I waited for this.

The panorama roof is great. Totally opens up the car and gives an airy feeling, especially to those sitting in the back (not that I ever plan on sitting back there myself )

The steering is much looser than my BMW. Something I'll have to get used to. Because of that, the car seems to drift slightly (my impression) at highway speed. (Could also be the Contis, which may not make it until next weekend before they are gone.) I haven't had enough time behind the wheel to get a feel for the navigation system, but am excited by the prospects. I hope to be able to enter locations quicker and navigate the menus better.

Things I've done so far: 1) changed the intro splash screen on the Nav, so now it shows "AMG" on ignition; 2) changed the voice on the Nav to the British voice (although it reset to U.S. English when I turned off the car); had the AMG illuminated sills installed (FYI, especially Gareth, I decided to try the ones from www.mymercedes.com. I am VERY pleased! Labor for install for all four doors was $135 and took two hours.) Decided against tinting. I'm enjoying the faint blue for now.

So, day one is over. 250 miles in the book. More to come . . . (plus photos, if I figure this out)

p.s. -- Oh, before I forget, thanks to all of you who have posted (or responded to my posts) over the past few months. Not only have you been a great source of information, you have probably kept me sane.

 

Well BklynMarc,

I suppose I would be extremely stupid if I asked if you like the beast. I am very happy for you and I enjoyed reading your comments. I hope I can contribute the same poetic justice that you just passed on. I should be entering the last 3 weeks of my wait. My car is at the port, waiting to be loaded.

I would like to throw this in while the thought is on my mind after reading Marc's write up. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, suggestions, and comments, especially vitamin & gunite.

I am confident that I will feel just as excited about the drive home as you were. Again, congratulations and I am happy your wait is over. Happy

 

welcome aboard brklynmarc, when are you getting new rims???

 

Congrats! Nice write-up of the car as well. I want to ask you... how were you able to change your NAV screen to read 'AMG" in place of 'Mercedes-Benz'? Thanks and congrats again!

 

Ditto. Please tell. Nice post and congrats. Can you post a pic of your sills. Are all four sills illuminated? Did dealer do the install?

 

Conrats, man. Only two weeks to go!

 

Shhhh! If my wife hears you say that, it's all over. Almost pulled the trigger on 19" AMGs (like the SL65's), but decided to hold off. Waiting for something to really impress me.

 

Actually, VinnyC and gmdebruyn were responsible for a thread that had all the information:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ght=amg+screen

I'll summarize:

1. Turn on the COMAND and select CD
2. Press and hold the "5" first then press and hold "3" and "7" -- all at the same time for about three seconds
3. This opens a menu with keyboard choices. Scroll down to the AMG and select
4. Press "Back" to the main menu
5. Turn off the COMAND
6. Turn off your car for at least five minutes, so that the change takes effect
(You may have to do these steps several times. It took me two times.)

Hope it helps.

You know if you've done it right if "AMG" comes on the screen the next time you start the car.

 

I'll post pics tomorrow if I can. I can't seem to attach them to the post. Yes, all four sills are illuminated in soft blue light, bearing the "AMG" logo. They are of excellent build quality, clearly of the same or superior quality to the sills which came with the car.

I got them from Jerry at www.formymercedes.com (sorry about the error in the prior post). Sills were only $150 + shipping (arrived in perfect condition in about a week).

Install was done at a local radio installation/window tinting place in So. Cal. (Al & Ed's Autosound) in under 2 hours (all four doors). Total for the install: $135 + tip.

I can't say enough about them. There is clearly a "wow" factor when you open the door. Would definitely do them again.

 

Congrats on the new beast! Just wait untill you've exceeded the break in and can really open her up. Your in for a real kick in the *** as the back tries to outrun the front!

 

Congrats...I'm glad the install of the sills worked out. The dealer here wanted $600 for labor. Have fun polishing the car...I'm about to do that now !

 

Finally gotten the camera to work. Here are some shots. I'll take more this weekend.

 

Marc:

Nice, a very handsome car. Again, congratulations.

Thanks for your assistance on the door sills,

Mark.

 

that kicks ***!! ill have to look into that.

 

Pete,

I know you'll have one for each door sill, one for the trunk, hood, glove box, coin box, and ash tray. You have THE CUSTOM E55 of all times.

Do it up bro and take lots of pics

 

Congrats Marc! I'm glad it finally arrived. The sills look great!

Now do yourself a favour and (1) join the 11-99 foundation, and (2) add a radar detector and laser jammer before you cross the 1000 mile point.

I blew past 100 in a hurry last weekend w/o even thinking about it. Some Mustang Cobra decided he wanted to play, and I figured why not. I'd pay money to see the look of astonishment on that guy's face again.

Are you going to the AMG event in Fontana on the 20th?

P.S. Get rid of the front license plate holder. It's worth the possible $15 fixit ticket to not have it on.

 

Gareth,

Thanks for the welcome to the club! I know you posted it before, but could you send me a PM on your radar detector/jammer set-up. (Query why MBUSA doesn't offer this as an option, like cargo nets and car covers!)

I got the invitation to Fontana, but a mid-week retreat is going to be rough, given my schedule. That said, don't rule out seeing me on the morning of the 20th, curiously absent from work. I assume you're confirmed.

LOL about the license plate holder. It's already gone! Until DMV provides me with plates, there won't be anything on the car. After I get them, I think it's going to be pretty tough to see that I don't have a plate on the front. I don't plan on letting anyone stay there long enough to see : )

 

Congrats on your sweet ride it looks great the door sills look amazing… When you got the door sills what did it come with? and how did they install it?

 

Marc,

PM sent.

As for why they don't offer these extra options, it is beyond me. There are so many opportunities for them to take our money, but they don't seem to be interested or dialed into what the customer wants. Or at least this group. I think one part of the company is used to an older crowd buying their product. Who knows... I'm just happy they got on the ball about adding IPOD.

There seems to be a disconnect between the customer, the parent company, and the dealerships.

But these complaints are tiny. We all have a seriously kick a$$ car. And anyone who pulls up next to you, doesn't expect it. Esp the new "Matrix" Cadillac owners.

Gareth

 

Mattar,

Thanks for the congrats! The sills came in a narrow box (think poster box) with some brushes (to clean the area) and other electrical stuff (I can't confirm, because I did not inspect this closely). The sills were staggered in size -- larger for the front, smaller for the back. They are made of brushed stainless steel and were covered with a protective opaque plastic laminate to protect them from scratches. There was a cut-out in the middle of the laminate to show the "AMG" logo on each. Each sill was sent in its own clear plastic sheath.

Each sill is composed of the brushed stainless, surrounded by hard black rubber/plastic borders -- the same material on the OEM sills without illumination. On the back (from what I can recall), there was double-sided 3M tape running the length of the sill, plus two wires to connect to the power source.

I did not watch the installer, but asked him to make sure the sills were installed securely. (This was from advice from other members on this board.) They removed the original sills (which appear to be held in place by snapping caps) and applied the illuminated sills in their place. They may have added adhesive to the edges. I do not have any information on how they were wired within the car.

Hope this helps.

 

Gareth,

Any word on when the iPod integration will be available for our cars?

 

Sweet, I like the AMG on the nav!!

 

Congrats on the sweet beast! Enjoy it!

 

Thanx for your great reply... one more question did your door sills come with a transformer? If you’re unsure don’t worry about it.

Thanx

 

Marc, congrats she is a beauty. What other mods do you have planned? What were the final lease numbers? I actually at the last min decided against leasing and bought the car. Mine should arrive via intercitylines next weds. Also were did you get the door sills?