5 Amazing Used Cars You Could Buy For The Price Of A Single Mercedes-AMG E63 S
Mercedes-AMG has very much been at the forefront of the horsepower war that has been raging since the early 2000s. If a performance saloon is sporting anything under 500bhp, it may as well be retired to the nearest private taxi rank.
As well as revealing the mad E63 S Estate, this month Mercedes-AMG has revealed UK prices for the new E63 S saloon, with the 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 weighing in at £88,285. The entry-level car meanwhile is £78,935.
When an expensive new performance car is revealed, we merry few at CT can’t help but dive into the classifieds to see if that money could be put to better use with a fleet of used cars that have already suffered the torrents of depreciation. So without further ado, here’s a look at what that disgustingly large, near £90k figure can get you on the secondhand market.
Porsche Boxster S (986) - £5000
A mid-engined Porsche for five grand? Yes please.
Although a car at this price will be fairly high-mileage, the lure of the sublime chassis and beautifully calibrated suspension setup should be more than enough to see this cracking sports car enter your fleet. 3.2-litres of flat-six mated to a manual transmission sees this future classic reach 60mph in 5.7 seconds before topping out at 165mph. Perfectly filling the fun, convertible Sunday driver slot in the garage, the Boxster is a fantastic route into Porsche ownership and - with prices as they are - now would be the perfect time to buy.
Although most cars of this price are the lesser 2.7-litre variants, the odd 3.2 S can be seen flirting around the same price bracket. Just make sure to look-out for IMS (intermediate shaft bearing) failure or have this component seen to (along with the clutch) soon after purchase.
Nissan Stagea Autech 260RS - £12,000 + import costs
To fill a wagon-sized space in your life, this piece of JDM royalty should do the trick. The headliner is the powertrain - the 2.6-litre RB26DETT straight-six from the R33 Skyline GTR producing 280bhp. Built to take on the Subaru Legacy on Japanese soil, Stageas has been exported to keen buyers worldwide, making them rare and enticing secondhand options.
With many of the these wagons being modified using the under-stressed engine from the mighty R33, you’ll do well to find a clean example that hasn’t been fettled with. Less-powerful 2.5-litre cars also float around JDM auctions but your best bet is to find a reputable importer to source you a clean example from Japan with all the correct paperwork.
Take into account the catastrophic depreciation that would come soon after the purchase of a new E63 S and you could justify spending a serious amount on your own tuning project, turning the Stagea further into a JDM sleeper.
Toyota Corolla T-Sport Compressor - £4000
For general commuting but also backroad fun after work, this little hot hatch should do the trick. A 1.8-litre 2ZZ-GE engine lies beneath the bonnet, accompanied by a sneaky supercharger to combine for a 215bhp final output. Toyota created this limited-edition beasty as the VVT-Li T-Sport was about to be decommissioned due to emissions legislation. As a final swansong, 250 examples were fitted with a blower which could propel the hatch from 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds.
To compliment the 26bhp hike in power over the standard car, Toyota also lowered and stiffened the car. Manufactured as a rival to the Golf GTI and Civic Type R of the time, the Corolla Compressor is a quirky, overlooked hot hatch that may sneak under the radar as a future classic, especially if found in unmolested condition. It may not have the brutal power of the AMG, but there should always be room for some diverse front-wheel drive shenanigans in your life.
Audi R8 - £40,000
To add a much-needed sprinkling of supercar to the mix, an ‘07 Audi R8 should do plenty. 4.2-litres, eight cylinders, all-wheel drive and a gated manual shift can be had for even less than £40,000 nowadays. Audi’s first attempt at a road-going supercar was exceedingly popular when launched ten years ago (yes, the R8 is now a decade old) and saw it take on Porsche in a sector of the industry that Stuttgart had been dominating.
Although power (414bhp) was modest in supercar terms, the mid-engine placement and 30:70 torque split front-to-rear made the R8 the ideal inlet into the upper reaches of the performance car market. The E63 S may be autobahn-munchingly quick on a straight piece of tarmac, but down a tight, twisting B-road it would be doing well to keep up with the well-balanced chassis of the first generation R8.
Radical SR1 Cup Car - £28,000
For out-and-out performance on the track, the cumbersome dimensions of the AMG saloon could be swapped for a package that constantly nips at the heels of most track records in the land. Using design inspiration from LMP racers, Radical produced the SR1 for a one-make racing series for budding motorsport stars and now the company has its very own ‘approved used’ section where some tantalising prospects can be seen. The SR1 sits at the bottom of the heap, using a Suzuki four-cylinder engine producing 185bhp to power a staggeringly-lightweight 480kg non-road legal package.
That means 0-60mph in a supercar-worrying (but remarkably slower than the E63!) 3.6 seconds. Add in fully adjustable suspension and four-pot brake callipers behind all four wheels and the potential cornering speeds of these track-focused racers can be well past the reach of most drivers. The E63 S will be able to get around a track quicker than the majority of vehicles, but the purchase of a Radical would recalibrate your sense of outright speed.
Do you agree with my used picks? What would your fleet consist of with this monumental heap of cash at your disposal? Comment with your suggestions below!
Comments
Me:
And a mk1 RS
But who would want to have an E63S over any of these
Because 5 are better than 1
I’d have an sr1 over the amg. Then again, I’ve always wanted a radical hehe
No Jeep Wrangler??
dang fanboys downvoting ypu
The E63 costs £90k, most expensive car on this list is £40k.
How are these cars the same price as an E63.
[DELETED]
Together they cost less than £90k.
But you forgot the most amazing of them all
Yes!
Why would you want that many cars, though?
Firstly, most of them are not that new and so you will end up spending on parts and servicing much more than you would for the E63S. Not to mention tax, garage and other costs of having 5 cars.
It would make much more sense to go for just 2 cars, for example the R8 for the weekend and something a bit newer (safer, more efficient and hopefully more reliable, or at least under warranty) for a daily, e.g. B8 VW Passat estate.
My picks, however, would be a Mk7 Golf GTI Clubsport for daily (you can find one for just under £30k) - this car is perfectly comfortable and usable as a daily, yet is brilliant fun, in fact the S version finished in top 3 for ECOTY-16.
The other car would be a 981 Boxster GTS (hard to find under £60k, but possible). Sublime chassis and manual gearbox in combination with a naturally aspirated flat-six will make you smile no less than an R8 would. And it’s suitable for track days or just weekend fun. Alternatively, you may wish to go for a classic Porsche (just because they are awesome) or something more hardcore (e.g. a Lotus Exige, because racecar)
I agree with the GTS, will be interesting to see if it’ll depreciate at a decent rate any time soon
O
L
R35 Gtr???
For £90k I would buy a single car: 1970 Dodge Charger R/T… and I wouldn’t really care that it is a crappy car
You trade handling for sound and style. That’s not really crappy.
Hellcat swap it