In the world of modern Mercedes rarity, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more exclusive model than the R63 AMG. With approximately 200 units being produced for the US-market, this minivan-styled, unicorn-like monster is only trumped by the W211 E55 wagon or E63 AMG wagon in terms of rarity.
Offered for sale on ebay from iCars Chicago, this particular example is finished in White over Beige leather interior; a rare combo for the typically silver or black R63.
The 6.2-liter M156 V8 was rated at 507 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque when new, which is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.
This particular example is loaded with nice options including bi-xenon lights, keyless go and the Distrontic Radar-Guided cruise control system that MB employed in the mid-2000s.
While the high mileage (163,000+) may deter some buyers from its admittedly bold retail price of $34,488, this example has a couple of things to support that notion of value: Its a one-owner example and the dreaded headbolts have already been replaced on this engine.
As any M156 6.2 AMG aficionado will know, the early production run of the M156 was plagued by some engines having catastrophic failure due to the head bolts backing out of the engine over time. While some argue that this issue is de minimus and has been overblown by the forum chatter, owning any 6.2 in the serial number range of the known defect certainly comes with a measure of risk; the level of risk is up to the individual. With this example, fortunately, that risk is avoided as the head bolts have already been replaced/upgraded on this R63.
If the carfax and paint meter show this to be an accident/damage free example with meticulous service history (or a stack of service records), the mid-30s asking price for this car may not be out of the question.
But absent those items, we think this would be a more realistic buy with a bit of a discount. While these are fun (and rare) the W211 AMG wagons trump the R63 in many ways (especially styling) and can be had for much less with this type of mileage.
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