CHASING CARS Quentin Willson’s hot tips
Have a good look at the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG R230 because prices are on the slide. There are nearly 130 for sale in the UK right now and 40 of those have had their advertised prices recently reduced. Currently, 2008/09s with 40,000-ish miles are running at around £30k with 2010/11s with 30,000 or so miles at around £37k. It can’t be long until the first of 2008 facelift cars slip down to £26k, which is what fine examples of the older supercharged SL55s were at not so long ago. That’s blinding value for a modern AMG SL than can dispatch 60 in 4.5 seconds and, if derestricted, run on to 186mph. The 518bhp M156 6.2-litre V8 is one of Mercedes-Benz’s best engines and the seven-speed gearbox gives blips and cackles between changes, and has a Race Start launch control function. I ran two SL63s and fondly remember them as lightning quick, totally reliable and more agile at the helm than the supposedly superior SLS.
Prestige Cars in Kent has a 2008 in Obsidian Black with 36,000 miles, big spec and history for £27,990 while Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester has a 2011 also in black with MB history and 39,000 miles, for £36,995. And given that back in 2008 the sticker price was £102,000 before options, a carefully serviced low-miler at a quarter of that original list looks a handy bargain. And if you can find one with the optional Performance Package, a £7000 option, you’ll get bigger ceramic brakes, LSD, 19-inch rims, revised ABC suspension settings and very nearly the sort of poise you get from a Black Series. Don’t forget too that the SL63 was the F1 Safety Car for the 2008 and 2009 seasons so there’s a bit of motorsport heritage too.
‘I ran two SL6.3s and fondly remember them being lightning quick’
With only 228 SL63s registered on the DVLA database and more than half of those currently for sale, this is very definitely a buyer’s market. Those asking prices are going to have to come down even more. Watch and wait.
VALUE 2012 UK £50k
VALUE NOW 2018/2019 UK £30k
