"Lets Just Drive" (lets-just-drive)
04/07/2014 at 21:52 • Filed to: None
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"Lets Just Drive" (lets-just-drive)
04/07/2014 at 21:52 • Filed to: None | 1
| 11 |
From a purely aesthetic perspective the S63 AMG Coupe captures perfectly every design characteristic of the modern luxury sports coupe, however; it also clings to a dying design language.
There is no denying that the S63 AMG Coupe is beautiful in a long and low, menacing sort of way when presented in black. It provides an excellent and strong profile which conveys a sense of restrained dignity with hints of unbridled speed and power - everything the consumer wants of a contemporary AMG Benz and, indeed, any car selling itself as a luxury sports coupe.
However, the current design language, (employed at least in part by all three of the big German luxury sports coupe manufacturers) which can be observed in a wide array of vehicles, looks to be on the verge of a paradigm shift and one wonders if the S63 AMG Coupe will be a case of too much, too late? The bulging rear end, clearly a transplant from the SLS, features a revised but not revolutionary light treatment and deck lid. The rear glass appears ungainly from the 3/4 rear view while the side glass does little to impress. The punched-in-nose profile is too abrupt leaving the grille and splitter forward like the underbite of a bulldog.
There's no doubt the car will sell but the reserved dignity the S63 AMG Coupe pretends at won't fool anyone with half a brain and there's no doubt that the lunatics at the Mercedes Black skunk works won't add ridiculous wheel arches and a plethora of breathing holes.
It's pretty and it's very much of the moment but that moment is passing and the S63 AMG Coupe may not stand the test of time.
*image credit goes to the FP
**I've cross posted this because I care what Opponauts think, not so much what the FP trolls.
heliochrome85
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 22:00 |
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what NEW design (not you G-Wagen), will stand the test of time?
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Lets Just Drive
> heliochrome85
04/07/2014 at 22:04 |
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That was just a little creative literature - I don't mean that it won't stand the test of time, long term, only that in the face of change this design architecture may end up looking dated compared to other options within its lifetime (and by lifetime I mean while it is being produced and sold and shortly there-after).
That said? For direct comparison; SLS.
JR1
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 22:24 |
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It's not unattractive but it isn't pretty either. It looks a unimaginative. For the price there are better options.
Manuél Ferrari
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 22:37 |
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I agree it's nice but not AMAZING looking.
Which I kind of like because it will depreciate hard and be a great buy in 5 years :)
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Lets Just Drive
> Manuél Ferrari
04/07/2014 at 22:51 |
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I don't know that it will depreciate hard, but it will most assuredly depreciate. AMG's tend to hold their value better than non-AMG Merc's.
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Manuél Ferrari
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 23:03 |
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I thought the AMG models depreciate pretty hard too.
What would this puppy have been brand new?
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…
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Lets Just Drive
> Manuél Ferrari
04/07/2014 at 23:07 |
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Hundred and thirty grand, I think.
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Manuél Ferrari
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 23:09 |
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Ouch!
Seems like a hell of a deal. Sellers says "showroom condition".
Good thing I don't have $50K to spend right now or I might be tempted to call him, haha
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Lets Just Drive
> Manuél Ferrari
04/07/2014 at 23:18 |
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Keep in mind, that's the watermark for most cars in that range and similar demographic. There are a bunch of German super barges you can pick up now, from six to eight years ago, for around $60K which cost closer to $120K when new.
There are hold points, where depreciation tends to hold steady for a while. That said, give this car another ten years and you'll be able to pick one up for the price of a Tata Nano, just like Jezza and Hamster did with their Bimmer and Merc purchases.
It'll still be a senseless purchase because the car will still be stratospheric expensive to run. The one guy I'd trust when it comes to buying old luxo-speed-barges like this is my buddy Freddy from APiDA Online - he's bought, repaired, run and flipped a bunch.
Go to APiDA Online and check out some of his articles on the art of the flip. Great stuff. Plus, if you are ever serious about making that kind of leap, that's the kind of resource to research.
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Manuél Ferrari
> Lets Just Drive
04/07/2014 at 23:38 |
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Thanks for that, I'll check it out! That website might help because I am exactly the kind of guy that makes senseless purchases. Getting more info to make those purchases a little less senseless could be a good thing.
I know that might just be misplaced optimism but I do hope that some fancy cars made between roughly 2005 and 2012 will be less expensive to maintain than some of their predecessors from the 9os to early 2000s. While these recent cars were complex a lot of the technology they used had matured. Now a new wave of tech has been deployed that could take some time to mature. And the build quality seems to have gone up since the late 90s/early 2000s.
I think there were a lot of great N/A high-power cars made in that time period that will be future classics (some are still being made and haven't been replaced with more complex designs yet). I have a feeling that we'll look back on this time period fondly when we're old men. It's pretty awesome that there were years where consumers had a ton of options when it came to N/A V8s. People had their pick between the Mustang GT, Corvette, E9X M3, the AMG 6.3(2), Audi 4.2, etc.
I understand why the turbo era had to happen and I'm sure that the turbo charged engines will eventually be as reliable as the N/A engines they replaced. But I still think we'll all remember the era of N/A American and German V8s as a great time in automotive history.
Sorry for going off topic a bit. I'm just really into V8s right now :)
BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> heliochrome85
04/08/2014 at 06:30 |
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Looking back at what contemporary journalists thought of various cars' looks it seems to be the more conservative/boring-looking cars that stand the test of time best.
The prime example is the E28 5-series. Regarded as a bit of a looker nowadays, journalists back in the day thought it was a bit dated and uninspiring. By no means a bad design, but a little boring and old-fashioned.
Judging by that, I reckon cars like the Golf GTi, any modern Audi, the new 300C and the Jaguar XF will stand the test of time very well.
That's not to say stunners like the GranTurismo and F-Type won't of course.