SL 63 AMG.....I repeat... SL 63 AMG

     I know very recently I had another AMG on here so this story may not be as good or funny at all. Actually, I'll just let the car do most of the work. And even though the E55 I wrote about recently and this car have a lot of differences, they have the same heritage. Sure one is a supercharged wagon and one is a two door twin turbo GT car, but they both start their lives in the factory, built by a person who creates the heart of the AMG by hand building and signing the massive torque monster. This one is a little newer though.

     Twin turbos pushing a massive V8 equals a lot of fun. Add the performance package that AMG offers and you are pushing over 600 lb ft of torque. I mean, I was impressed that my C55 AMG had almost 400 lb ft of torque. Over 600 has to make the earth spin a little faster when you goose it. The best part is, you can even still mod these cars, for a small fortune though. Being a GT car though, it is a heavy pig. The SL is one of the most luxurious cars Mercedes offers, especially when you add the optional Designo interior package. This car is beautiful. Straight up beautiful. Just seeing it roll up the street and into my driveway made me depressed that I didn't win the lotto recently because I want that feeling with a car like this. The Audi A6 isn't cutting it anymore. I need one of these!

     I have been a big fan of the SL for quite sometime and back in the day, it even shared the engine with the E55. It's a fantastic model that comes in all sizes. From a N/A v8 all the way up to a twin turbo v12. I have to imagine it is a great cruising car that can lay a set of 11's a half mile long. The options you can get on this car are just something you will have to research on your own. Not because there are too many, or I am lazy, but because some of the options are things you would never think a car would have. Remember though, $$$$$$$$. I personally think the SL 63 is a little overpriced in my book but if I had cash to blow, I would definitely have one. I am a sucker for anything with an AMG badge. I still want the R63 AMG.  Google that.

     Again, I think that's all I got today. Sorry, slow computer and long days at work have my brain a little fried. Maybe having this car would be a way to correct that problem. Slap the top down, warm summer day, cruising the back roads of Kentucky. I could see that as a way to clear ones head and recharge the batteries. Hey Mercedes, can I borrow one for a few years? I will wait for a response shortly.

 

     Let's just treat this episode like you are in a museum. Just be quiet and enjoy the art. I have even saved the most valuable piece for last....

Hayabusa- Japanese for WTF!

 

     Back in my crazy driving days, I never really got into the bike scene. I never really looked at bikes as a way to get your speed fill for the day. I would just roast tires on my 5.0 or fishtail around a corner or two, but the 5.0 was a 14 second quarter mile car back when I had it in late 90s. Fun then..... slow as molasses now. The first bike I ever rode was a TL1000R. Yup, first time ever riding a bike and I ride a 1000cc bike. Stupid, but I learned very quick. Within 100 feet, I knew the basics of riding and took the TL1000R out for a little fun run. I will never forget that day or the buddy who trusted a newb to ride his new bike. RIP Roger! Few months later, I got to ride a CBR600RR. Wonderful bike. Few months later, I got to try my luck on a 929RR. This is the first bike that scared me. See, when I rode the TL1000R and the CBR, I never really gave them too much throttle. I gave enough to have fun but I never opened them up, and by open up I mean taking one to redline. If you have never ridden a sport bike, you'll know what I mean the first time you ride and tach one out. I'm sure for the riders here reading, you still remember the first time you ran through the gears.

     So..... I was riding the 929 getting to know it a bit. Short ride, just to get a few pulls in. I knew I was way too inexperienced to open up first gear on any of the bikes I had ridden so I thought to myself, hit second and give it the beans. Holy F! Pulled the wheel straight up. 30 seconds later, I pulled in my driveway and went and had a few drinks to get rid of the shakes. It was scary as shit. When you don't expect that, it's scary as shit. That's when I developed a respect for bikes. Fast forward a few years and I ended up picked up a Triumph Daytona 650 after getting on the Triumph kick- my brother had a 955i at the time. 600-750 cc sized bikes in my opinion are perfect. Great handling and already fast as hell, although maybe not the most comfortable. In comes the Hayabusa and says, "Screw everything!"

     Suzuki executives must have said, "Let's make the most bulbous, but fastest bike ever made. As a result, 1300cc motor. 1300! The Hayabusa has a motor twice the size of my Triumph. To me, my Triumph was pretty quick, like quick enough for anyone to ever need. It would outrun pretty much any car on the road. My bike had 114hp. Hayabusa is over 170. Yes, the Hayabusa is also a lot heavier, but power to weight is real! This bike will pull off a 9 second quarter mile and almost hit 100 in first gear. Stop and think about that for a second. Max speed limit locally is 70 on the highway. One gear needed. haha Almost 100 in first gear. Now I have not ridden one but the owner did let me sit on it and I noticed one thing. Wow, this bike is huge. At first I didn't like it. Then a few hours later I was thinking about it and thinking about what the owner and a few other people have told me about the bike. It's basically the GT of bikes. Big power, not the best handling, but a joy to ride on the road.

     I could see this bike being an awesome cruiser for a long trip. I can also see this bike doing a wheelie from 0-180. I'm sure it could do it. When I see them on the road I tend to miss my bike, but then I think of what this bike can do and how stupid I was on the Triumph and I switch to, "Thank Jesus I don't have a bike." Close up it actually is a large bike, very bulbous and long. The curves make it all worth while though. The ferrings on this bike are like nothing you see on a typical street bike. Lots of places to enjoy on this bike. Even though it may look large, it looks insanely fast too. With some pipes like this one has, it also sounds awesome as well. Just once, I would like to experience the pull on a track to see what this bike is about, but I don't think I could hold on.

 

     Thanks to the owner for getting a text to bring it by, and then showing up 30 minutes later. This bike has a good and bad reputation it seems. Every biker I have talked to has a story about one. Either way, this bike is designed to be fast as hell, and it is. I unfortunately don't know too much about it besides what people tell me or videos I see on Youtube. FYI, Youtube videos of the Hayabusa and be seriously amazed. That's your homework for this story. Hope you enjoyed the pictures, although not as many as you see on other stories. Only so many pics you can take of a bike. LOL. If you get a chance to see one in person though, do it. Pictures don't do it justice. It's much more pleasing to look at when it's shining in your driveway.

Pontiac, Holden, GM? Call it what you want... I'll call it fast!

     Almost everyone who is a car enthusiast has a story about a Pontiac at some point in their lives. Doesn't matter who you ask, either they had a Pontiac or their best friend's dad had one. Pontiac has been around for ages, yet now it is gone. The economic crash of 2008 put an end to their run. Enter the G8, which came out at possibly the worst time in GM's long history. Pontiac being cut out may have hurt the hearts of many, but the crash of GM hurt their wallets. The G8 was basically doomed before it started, which sucks because it really is a car that should have taken off. Australian chassis, rear wheel drive, and a big ol' Merican V8 made a recipe for a very sweet ride.

     In the past few gens of the Pontiac Grand Prix, there was not much to write home about. They were front wheel drive cars that looked like the designer had thrown some clay on a table real hard and said, "Done!" Buying one was basically buying an Oldsmobile with a different look. They were boring, but they could lay a FWD patch pretty good. A friend back in the day had an Olds Ninety Eight and that car was beaten hard. It wasn't Euro luxury but for some high school kids cruising round town, it was awesome! Few years out of high school, I had to rent a car and got a Grand Prix. It was almost identical on how it felt compared to the old.... Olds, except it smelled of B.O. and cigar smoke. I hate rental cars. The G8 was a complete turn around. Imagine eating a $1 frozen pizza from the grocery store, then stepping up to some Chicago style pizza in downtown C-town. It's the two extremes, opposite ends of the spectrum. That's what happened here. GM thought, "Hey, our Grand Prix is boring as hell, let's take the Holden and rebadge it and sell in the US!" 

     Holden is a subsidiary of GM in Australia. GM took one of their chassis' and decided to sell it in the US as a replacement for the Grand Prix. It was now rear wheel drive, and could come with a LS motor in certain models. This example is the top of that line. This is a GXP model which comes with a 6.2 V8. Let me repeat that. A 6.2 V8. Now, if you have read other episodes on here, you know that I am a huge fan of the fast, sleeper sedan. I had a blast in my AMG Benz, which had a big V8 as well. People's eyes would expand greatly when I told them how big the motor was in my C55. This GXP puts that to shame. Now, around this time as well, AMG also was putting 6.2 motors in some of their cars. Think about it, as most daily driven cars are in the 2-3 liter range. 6.2! Haha. What's even better is Pontiac didn't want another Fwd, boring car so this was given the tail happy option, very similar to AMG and BMW M cars, but for a lot cheaper. This car was a bargain for what it was. 400+ horsepower with probably the most mod friendly engine around was a recipe for badassness. 2008 saw the crash of the market, and so the G8 was gone faster than you could say burnout.

     What a good looking car too. Most Pontiacs in the 90s/00s looked like complete mud butt. This was completely different. This example is the GXP which has a lot more goodies than the standard version. Better suspension and brakes just to name a few, but most importantly, that massive motor. The best part about the motor is the amount of mods that can be installed for a relatively low cost. Actually, no, that isn't the best part. The best part is the sound when this motor is able to breath. The only way I can explain it is with the word, "healthy!" This car is a burnout monster. With that much power going to the back, one can only imagine how much fun this car is to drive when Rosco and Boss Hogg aren't looking. The interior is not cheap looking either. The dials are fantastic and the seats are very sporty looking as well. Sorry, my interior shot didn't turn out well. Still learning this new lens. I really love cars that you can thrash and have a blast driving, but when the blue and red lights come on, it doesn't yell, "pull me over."  

     Thanks to the owner for bringing the car by. I really, really like this G8 and it's nice to actually see a GXP which is rare, with I believe only 1800 ever made. It sounds fantastic and looks great too. I am not a big fan of white cars, although I actually have a white car now, but this one really pulls off white very well. It will turn heads, especially cruising by at wide open throttle. What's even better is the white smoke from the rear wheels roasting matches the paint. I'll end with my favorite pic I took of the car. Thanks for reading. Please share the Facebook page and feel free to comment!

Torque- This wagon's got it, lots of it! MMMMMMMM AMG!

 

E55 AMG!!!!!!!!!!!


*** Disclaimer***  This season I will be trying to take better pictures and now have some editing software, so be aware I am still learning and this was my first time using the software and new lens.



     The warm season is upon us. (Bout time) For some, that means going to parks, vacations, waterparks, and even the occasional sporting event. For me, it means more cars in the driveway! I love this time of year as I really enjoy things like yard work and spring storms. I also love seeing sweet rides show up and hearing stories from owners about their car. I actually already know the stories about this car though as I almost bought it a while back but didn't, and am kicking myself for not. Now, I have been huge Audi fan for a long time but a few years back, I decided to try an AMG. I did some searching and found an awesome deal on a C55 fully loaded at a Mercedes dealer in Columbus. I loved that car and I hated that car. More on that in a bit though.

    A little history on me and AMG. Many years ago when the first generation E55 AMG came out, a coworker and I took one out for a drive. It was burnout city. Big ole V8 shoved under the hood. We were not used to that much torque. It was a fantastic car. Few years later, the Kompressor comes out! The second generation E55 bumped up the power by supercharging the V8. This resulted in 469 horsepower, matched to a strong 5 speed auto and rear wheel drive. The first time I had a run in with one is something I will never forget. I was driving home from work in my Audi, and came up to a light right next to an E55. Nothing in front of us but open road. I tried to get owners attention and when I did, I motioned to race. He shook a no at me. Booooooo. I didn't care. Light turned green and I dumped the clutch and took off. While hitting second gear, I hear what sounded like somebody changing their minds. The guy had a change of heart as he was blowing my doors off, roasting tires through three gears in the process. This thing laid the longest patch I had ever seen. It sounded fantastic. I was hooked on AMG.

     Fast forward a few years. The wife and I had just moved to a new house and found out we were about to have a little one. I decided it was time to ditch the old allroad and pick up a new car. I spent a few months looking and found the C55. This car had pretty much the same motor as the first gen E55, the N/A V8 but now in a smaller body sedan. It was a sleeper car. The car was tan, very grandma looking, and quiet, but it ran a 13.2 @ 108 stock at the local drag strip. Not lightning fast, but fast to shock some Mustangs and most tuned ricer mobiles. Unfortunately, the second car seat was too big for the little C class so it had to go.

     Fast forward another year and a neighbor and I were chatting again about cars. I told him about this awesome wagon for sale. A black E55 with some upgrades. Long story short, it was in his garage very soon after. This car is wicked. It's hard to even explain too. You really have to see and hear this car in person to appreciate it. The presence this car holds on the road is like something out of a Cannonball Run movie. It looks fast, and it IS fast. I have been in some fast cars before but the pull on this wagon is something you need to feel. It is the ultimate sleeper car. Minus the large wheels and the elephant man sized brake calipers, it would not be a car most would pay attention to. That's what makes this car special. AMG is known for sleepers in my opinion. Huge power from a car that doesn't look too much different from the standard models. I am a huge fan of the sleeper car, hence why I would take a fast wagon/sedan over most sports cars.

     As you can tell, this car is spotless. The owner has been in a few episodes here already and has some of the cleanest cars ever to grace my driveway. This car does not look old. Paint is in great shape, interior looks brand new, and in typical fashion with this owner, a lot has been upgraded. The navi system has been updated to an interactive entertainment system, complete with back up camera. The AMG in the door sils has also been updated as you will see below. Glowing AMG! This car even has the optional rear facing seat! If you grew up in the 80s, you know about the rear facing seat on station wagons. Don't really see that anymore but what an awesome feature. I recall a story about a guy who rides and writes for a sport bike magazine and had recently tested a BMW sport bike. He talked about how much he loved Germany because he was following a wagon on the Autobahn and two kids were in a rear facing seat watching him. He said the driver must have told the kids to wave because they did, and then the car was gone. I am pretty sure he witnessed an E55 AMG like this one. I would love to be a kid in my pops wagon doing 170 on the Autobahn backwards. haha 

     For those that don't know much about AMG, they are the performance division of Mercedes. There is a great history with AMG so take a gander on the internet sometime and check it out. Engines are hand built and signed with a name plate of the builder. (pictured above) AMG has been recently cranking out some serious power out of some of their cars and hopefully someday, I will have another. Oh, and the part about how I hated the C55? Well, go sit in one and look where the window switches are and try to use the navigation. The interior was not thought out too well on that car. Fun to drive, but irritating with the design. In a list of the top 10 cars on my radar for future purchase, AMG's fill almost half of them. They are really addicting to drive. Mercedes, if you are listening, I would love to do a long term review on your new E63!

 

     Thank you to the owner for bringing this car by. Every time I hear this car, I am like a kid looking into a pet store with my face glued to the window! Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed the write up. Again, just learning the new lens and software so hopefully the pics turned out ok. I will even include a little artsy one. haha  Looking forward to a good season and if you know a unique car that you have or would like to see, shoot us a message!

Saabaru.... Wait, did I spell that right?

     It's February 16th and we finally get a good amount of snow here in our town. It's President's Day as well which makes it better since I am off work! When you have the day off and an All Wheel Drive car, a snow day takes on a whole new meaning. It means time for some fun. The next picture explains in detail what I mean.

     A previous participant/neighbor on this page just sold a car and bought this Saabaru for a daily. Why am I calling it a Saabaru? To the untrained eye, you will think this is a Subaru wagon. In fact, it is. It is the same car with a few extras to make a little nicer, and badged as a Saab. Enthusiasts call it a Saabaru because it's both. The name isn't important though. The car is fun as hell. A small wagon with all wheel drive, manual transmission, and a turbo motor make for a blast to drive, especially in the winter. I summoned the owner to bring on by and we took it out for a little spin. It is just like you would expect from a Subaru, epic in the snow.

     Now, I am a huge Audi fan as you may know. If you don't, now you do. What you probably don't know is that in the late 90s, I was hooked on WRC. The Subaru/Mitsubishi battles at that time was something I'll never forget. It was awesome racing. So right then and there, I became a Subaru fan. I really wanted a WRX wagon when they came to the USA but ended up buying an A4 instead. I still stand by my decision but I really liked that car. This is exactly the same car with the Saab badge. This car does not flinch in the snow. Even for its age, it's tight, nimble, and still high quality. It did not make they typical creeks and noises you would expect. This car was maintained very well and as you can imagine, is fun as shit in the snow.

     Unfortunately the wind chill was -5 degrees so I lost train of thought while taking pictures, so I forgot to get interior pics. I will say one thing. Clean. The interior has held up very well. Riding around in the snow, you finally understand the whole Subaru thing. Even though it's a Saab, it is very hard to not keep calling it a Subaru. I'll keep going back and fourth. Sorry. This thing is a tank in snow. No traction control but never has issues. I bet on some open snowy roads, this thing could be a blast, rally style. But the best part about this car is that 99% of people don't know what it is, so when you are passing a Chevy truck stuck on a snowy hill, the driver is like, "W T F?"  I loved that when I had my Audi allroad. I would pass all of these stuck cars like it was my job, then would go do donuts for an hour in some parking lots. I'm sure people get frustrated seeing that. Oh well.

     Thanks to the owner/neighbor for the ride and bringing over in the cold snow. I don't mind the snow. I mind the -5 windchill. It was horrible. This Saab 9-2x is a really fun car and it's in wonderful shape for its age. Hopefully some mods will be coming soon to make this an awesome daily driver. Also thanks to the owner for riding along for some donuts in my wife's car. I had to take advantage of this snow as well. At this very moment another neighbor is cleaning my driveway with their snowblower. I live in the best hood ever! Hopefully the streets stay a little covered for some more donut fun later.

Hope you all enjoyed! More snow car stories coming soon hopefully!