All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Auctions

2009 Mercedes-AMG SL65 Black Series is up for auction

In 2008, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the Black Series version of the SL 65 AMG. It was produced until 2011 and this limited edition was reproduced in only 350 copies. One of them, the 2009 Mercedes-AMG SL65 Black Series is up for auction.

This Mercedes-AMG SL65 Black Series 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 engine with 661 hp (486 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a SpeedShift Plus five-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 62 mph in 3.8 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h). It is mounted on 19″ and 20″ light-alloy wheels wrapped in 265/35R19 front and 325/30R20 rear tires.

The car is finished in Palladium Silver, well maintained and in good condition with only 835 miles on the odometer. It is equipped with panels made of plastic reinforced with carbon fibers, fixed roof instead of the convertible hard-top, retractable spoiler made of carbon fibers, suspension fettled by motorsport, AMG aluminum rims. It has a steering wheel on the left side. Adding to the overall appeal is the stunning Black Nappa leather and Alcantara interior.

This car is a good opportunity for collectors to expand their collections with another exceptional car, given the rarity of this model. In 2022, the owner installed new boot struts, and replaced the engine oil and filter.

The Mercedes-AMG SL65 Black Series comes with a Mercedes-Benz operating manual and service book, and is being offered at RM Sotheby’s auction with an estimated value of £275,000 – £325,000 GBP.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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2009 Mercedes-AMG SL65 Black Series is up for auction
News

VW ID.X Performance Concept

Having recently unveiled the first all-electric GTI, the VW ID. GTI concept, Volkswagen has launched another car on the market and it is the ID.X Performance concept.

Although visually reminiscent of the ID.7 sedan, on which it is based, the ID.X Performance concept differs in many ways. The front part has a large black grill, large air vents in both corners and a carbon splitter with a red line in GTI style. There are also plastic protection on the wheel arches, rear spoiler mounted on the tailgate, side skirts, rear carbon diffuser. It is mounted on 20-inch sports rims with special racing tires.

The ID.X Performance is built on the MEB platform used by most new Volkswagen electric cars. It is powered by two electric motors with a total power of 550 hp (405 kW). It is 60 mm lower than the standard ID.7 model, and supports DC charging with a capacity of 200 kW.

Whether this concept will ever enter production, there is no information from Volkswagen.

Source: Volkswagen

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News

More than half of sold cars are Crossovers and SUVs

Sales of Crossovers and SUVs are on the rise, but perhaps even the biggest fans of these cars did not expect to achieve such results. According to sales data for the first six months of 2023, more than half of the vehicles sold were Crossovers and SUVs, which is a historic result.

According to Dataforce, 3.37 million crossovers and SUVs were sold this year, which is a 23 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022. Individually, the highest demand was for the Tesla Model Y (138,152), but not far behind were the VW T -Roc (104,465) and Toyota Yaris Cross (96,849). Regular cars are also not far behind, and their numbers are very respectable. The best results were achieved by Dacia Sandero (125,190), while the “magic number” (100,000) was also exceeded by Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Renault Clio.

Generally speaking, the highest growth in SUV sales was recorded by Tesla Model Y by 207 percent, Skoda Octavia by 77.3 percent, Toyota Yaris Cross by 49 percent and VW T-Roc by 38 percent, compared to 2022.

Small SUVs were the most popular in Europe with 1,133,822 cars sold. They are followed by compact SUVs with 999,568 units and small cars with 913,751 units sold.

Source: Dataforce