Buy A Mercedes C55 AMG And Get V8 Kicks For VW Polo Money

This week, we were shown the new 367bhp C450 AMG Sport which, interestingly, packs as much power as the proper AMG version of the old W203 C-Class, the C55 AMG. With the gentile V8 bruiser on the brain, then, we had a quick check of the classifieds to see how much these things cost nowadays. As it turns out, they're quite affordable.

Prices start at around £8000, which gets you a whole lot of car for the money. C55s have a naturally-aspirated 5.4-litre V8 with 362bhp and 376lb/ft of torque. 0-62mph is dispatched in a brisk 5.2 seconds, and at the top end you'll hit the electronic limiter at 155mph.

In terms of dynamics, the C-Class AMG could never quite take the fight to BMW's E46 M3, but the C55 had quicker steering and a revised chassis compared to the supercharged C32 it replaced, and was all the better for it. And in any case, the subtle elegance of the C55 compared to the brashness of its BMW rival is surely a big draw.

Fancy one of these on your drive? The 5.4-litre V8 is generally quite strong, but an AMG model will always be costlier to run than more ordinary Mercs: factoring in the higher cost of servicing and insurance among other things is a must.

This one could be a good bet. It has a full service history, has covered 89,000 miles, and is up for £10,000.