Today’s Nice Price or No Dice E63 is that rarest of the rare — a muscle car wagon. Let’s see how much you might be willing to flex your bank account’s muscle in order to buy it.
If you’re going to offer something as a collectible, it’s important that it actually be something people want to collect. As nice as yesterday’s 1979 Mazda 626 was — and remember, it was described as being “museum quality” — it wasn’t a car that many, or pretty much any, truly would want to keep around. I mean, when was the last time anybody saw one on the road? That lack of mass-market appeal, combined with a so-crazy-it-could-run-for-office $39,000 price, conspired to earn the Mazda a massive 95 percent No Dice loss.
While the collectibility, and hence overall desirability, of yesterday’s Mazda may easily be called into question, the same can’t be said for today’s 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 Estate. After all, this 507 horsepower wagon checks a whole lot of the right boxes.
Claimed to be one of only five such models built in its particular color combination of Cubanite over a Cashmere/Amaretta interior, this mid-sized Benz is also fairly unique simply for being a wagon with some serious performance bona fides.
That’s all by way of the AMG kibbles and bits. Those make the wagon go like stink, but also allow it to handle in a manner that no family hauler has any right to do. Making that happen is a hand-built 6208 cc DOHC M156 V8 coupled with Mercedes’ 7G-Tronic automatic and a revised Airmatic suspension tuned for more aggressive driving and the stiffer lower-profile tires on AMG alloys. Put together, this wagon will pop your eyeballs out the back of your head with 4.3 second zero to sixty runs. That’s pretty impressive even for today.
Visual cues on the E63 include a revised front facia with extra slots, unique rocker extenders, and a back bumper that accommodates four tailpipes. Those indicate serious work is being done under the hood. The interior receives sport bucket seats in front with suede shoulder patches, along with complementing coverings on the backbench. Every conceivable convenience and safety accommodation was made available on the model.
According to the ad, this E63 has just a mere 49,000 miles under its big meats. It also has a clear title and, per an edict from a Mercedes-Benz shop following a recent service, it “needs literally nothing mechanically.”
Aesthetically, it’s not lacking either. The seller amazingly includes a spec sheet in the ad showing paint depth across all panels of the car. This is supposed to serve as proof of it wearing its original topcoat and having a history free of accidents. To be fair, there are a few minor imperfections here and there, but nothing you’d necessarily write home to mom about. The wheels too, seem free of curb rash or massive brake dust build-up, and they complement the Cubanite (cough*beige*cough) body color exceedingly well.
Inside, everything is just as well kept, with leather that seems free of notable cracks or crazing and wood that still holds a shine and shows no evidence of sun damage. A big center screen makes the car feel more modern than it is, and while the W211 isn’t the best-built E-Class edition, this one looks reasonably well screwed together and not down-market in the least.
That’s a good thing since the price tag certainly isn’t down-market. The seller is asking a cool $56,000 for the car, which is about double what a decent E63 sedan with a few more miles might reasonably bring. That, of course, is why we’re all here today, though.
What’s your take on this hot Mercedes wagon and that $56,000 asking price? Does that seem like fair game considering the car’s AMG pedigree and “one of” rarity? Or, is that price just an indication that the present owner doesn’t actually want to sell the car?
You decide!
Santa Barbara, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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