I am very tempted to purchase an E55, most likely model year 2004 or 2005, with mileage between 20-40K. I will most likely be buying out of state and having the car shipped........ my concern is that with this high performance vehicle, and me not being able to see/drive car before purchase -- I will be unable to tell how hard it was beaten. Would this truly affect the car, negatively, after it reaches 60-80K? Will I experience more problems if the car was driven hard instead of babied? I understand these cars are made to perform well, but is there a longevity factor? I have owned a few sport bikes, all bought brand new, and live by the term break them in hard in the early stages and would prefer my AMG to have been done the same way, but definately do not want to buy into an expensive problem! I have been considering buying this car for about a year now, and think I'm finally ready to pull the trigger! Thanks in advance for your help.

 

That's always the big question - what will the car be like in X years time. Nobody can answer that. Its the risk you take with secondhand.
You might try to get the service record.
You could call the dealership and talk to the service people. They might know the car.
Get a good warranty - that's all you can do.

 

Under no circumstances buy the car sight unseen. If you can't get out to look at the car find a reputable service that will go evaluate the car and give you a report. Look closely at the carfax and demand to see the service records. Make sure the car hasn't been hit or painted on at all. This could really destroy your resale value. Be patient and you will find a good car.

 

I will get a carfax regarding an accident, but what could service records prove? If many engine or supercharger parts were replaced or the owner had complaints about them means it was beaten hard, is that it?