Tag Archives: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

How a 2005 Mercedes-AMG CL65 Became a $300,000 Collectible

By the mid-2000s, Mercedes-AMG was in a very particular mood. Not the restrained, Nürburgring-lap-time-chasing AMG we know today, but the slightly unhinged, torque-drunk division that believed the correct answer to every engineering question was “add two more cylinders and a pair of turbochargers.” The CL65 AMG was the purest expression of that mindset, and one impossibly preserved example has just proven that the world is finally ready to pay for it.

This Alabaster White 2005 CL65 AMG crossed the auction block for more than $300,000, a figure that would have sounded ridiculous a decade ago but now feels eerily logical. When new, this coupe already carried a stratospheric $182,280 sticker, which inflation turns into roughly the same $300K it just fetched. In other words, this car didn’t just hold its value—it completed a 20-year financial round trip back to its original altitude.

That alone would be impressive. The real story is what this thing is.

A Bentley in Disguise, a Supercar at Heart

Under the pillarless, yacht-like body of the C215 CL-Class sits AMG’s most excessive production engine: a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12. Officially, it made 612 horsepower and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, although everyone knew those numbers were conservative. In 2005, that put this Mercedes in the same power neighborhood as a Ferrari Enzo—except the CL65 could also heat, cool, and massage your back while doing it.

All of that thrust flows through a five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic to the rear wheels, because at the time Mercedes hadn’t yet invented a transmission brave enough to handle that much torque with more ratios. Even so, the CL65 could catapult its nearly two-ton body forward with an effortlessness that bordered on absurd.

And yet, this wasn’t some stripped-out AMG special. It was a full-blown luxury coupe, complete with Active Body Control suspension, cross-drilled AMG brakes, and a cabin that feels more like a private jet than a sports car.

The Spec That Shouldn’t Work—but Does

This particular car was ordered new by Michael Fux, the philanthropist and serious collector known for his bold specifications, and it shows. The exterior is finished in Alabaster White, paired with a Java leather interior and chestnut wood trim. It’s an unusual combination, slightly flamboyant, and completely unforgettable—exactly the kind of thing that turns a production AMG into a one-off-feeling collector car two decades later.

The condition is where things really get wild. The odometer reads just 3,300 miles (5,300 km), which means this CL65 has averaged roughly 165 miles per year since new. That explains why it presents today as a near-museum piece, right down to its Michelin Pilot Sport tires with 2024 date codes and its still-immaculate interior.

And yes, it’s loaded. Heated and ventilated multi-contour AMG sport seats with massage, Keyless Go, Bose surround sound, COMAND navigation, Parktronic, a power rear sunshade, and even a trunk-mounted CD changer for those who miss the golden age of physical media. The instrument cluster tops out at 220 mph, a subtle reminder that this was never meant to be a mere luxury cruiser.

Why $300,000 Suddenly Makes Sense

For years, the CL65 AMG lived in the shadow of more obvious icons: the McLaren-engined SLR, the SL65 roadster, and the modern hyper-AMGs that followed. But tastes are changing. Collectors are rediscovering the era when AMG was gloriously unfiltered, building cars that made no apologies for their size, weight, or fuel consumption—only for their lack of restraint.

The CL65 represents the peak of that philosophy. A V12, twin turbos, no pillars, no compromises, and enough torque to bend space-time. Combine that with ultra-low mileage, a high-profile original owner, and a rare spec, and you get a perfect storm for value.

In 2005, this car was an outrageous indulgence. In 2026, it’s a rolling monument to a lost era of Mercedes-AMG madness—and now, officially, a six-figure collectible.

And honestly? That feels exactly right.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

The Taycan Turbo GT Is Losing Value Like a Regular Taycan—and That’s the Shock

Porsche’s GT badge usually acts like financial armor. Stick those two letters on a car, and history suggests depreciation becomes someone else’s problem—usually the second owner’s. The 911 GT3 RS, for example, barely has time to cool off before its resale value climbs north of MSRP. Motorsport pedigree, limited production, and Stuttgart credibility tend to do that.

So when Porsche unveiled the Taycan Turbo GT, the expectation was simple: electric or not, this was a GT car, and the market would treat it accordingly.

It hasn’t.

Instead of defying gravity, the Taycan Turbo GT appears to be falling at roughly the same rate as the rest of the Taycan lineup—a lineup that has already taken a notable beating on the used market. EVs depreciate faster than internal-combustion cars as a rule, but the Taycan’s drop has been particularly steep, mirroring the experience of its corporate cousin, the Audi e-tron GT.

This week delivered the clearest evidence yet. A near-new Taycan Turbo GT surfaced on Bring a Trailer and sold—or nearly sold—for a jaw-dropping $82,000 less than its original sticker price.

The car was listed by Gaudin Classic, a Porsche dealer in Nevada, and it was about as close to factory-fresh as a used car gets. It had never been privately owned and showed just 141 miles on the odometer. It also wore the full Weissach package, which deletes the rear seats, adds a fixed rear wing, and swaps in additional carbon fiber in the name of lap times and weight savings.

Translation: this was the Taycan Turbo GT in its most extreme, most Porsche-approved form.

The window sticker told the rest of the story. MSRP landed at $238,300, with nearly $10,000 in options piled on top. Highlights included $2,950 Shade Green Metallic paint, $1,380 satin black wheels, and $1,760 Race-Tex–trimmed inner door sills. It was, by any reasonable measure, fully loaded.

And yet, bidding stopped at $167,000.

According to the seller, the auction came close to meeting the reserve, and negotiations with the top bidder may still produce a deal. Whether it sells or not almost doesn’t matter. The message is already loud and clear: that’s a brutal level of depreciation for a car that hasn’t even completed its first meaningful charge cycle.

The irony is that the Taycan Turbo GT is objectively extraordinary. Dual electric motors produce 1,019 horsepower with launch control, briefly spiking to 1,092 hp in two-second bursts. Earlier this year, MotorTrend recorded a 0–60 mph run of 1.89 seconds with one-foot rollout—making it the quickest car the publication has ever tested in its 76-year history. Without rollout, the time stretches to 2.1 seconds, still quicker than a Tesla Model S Plaid, Ferrari SF90 Stradale Assetto Fiorano, and Lucid Air Sapphire.

Those are supercar numbers, full stop.

But numbers don’t always translate to demand. The Taycan Turbo GT’s track-focused mission—and especially the Weissach package—limits its appeal. It seats just two people, fewer than some 911s, and most owners will never take it anywhere near a circuit. For buyers shopping at this price point, emotional connection and long-term value matter just as much as acceleration figures.

And this is where the GT playbook breaks down. Electric or not, the Taycan Turbo GT doesn’t yet enjoy the collector confidence that surrounds Porsche’s combustion GT cars. Battery tech evolves quickly, resale values lag behind expectations, and the market hasn’t decided how to treat ultra-high-performance EVs once the novelty wears off.

For now, the Taycan Turbo GT isn’t appreciating, stabilizing, or even resisting the trend. It’s depreciating—hard—right alongside its lesser siblings.

For first owners, that’s painful. For second owners, though, this might be the most interesting Porsche performance bargain in years.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Accessories

This Nearly New 2023 Hellcat Might Be the Smartest Buy in Muscle Cars Right Now

Dodge is deep into a brand-wide reinvention, one that no longer includes the Challenger as we know it. The company’s future belongs to electrified muscle and the new Charger SixPack, leaving lovers of old-school, two-door V8 thunder faced with a familiar crossroads: follow Dodge into its next era, or turn heel and mine the used market for the last of the real-deal Hemis.

For anyone leaning toward the second option, listings like this 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Jailbreak feel like the kind of cosmic alignment that only happens once in the Stellantis calendar.

Basically Brand New—But With a 6.2-liter Supercharged Hemi

This particular Hellcat, posted on Bring a Trailer, shows just 47 miles on the odometer. In 2025, that’s essentially still in the wrapper. And because it’s a Jailbreak edition, the original owner had access to Dodge’s mix-and-match personalization catalog—wild paint combos, funky trim options, flamboyant interior tweaks. But in a twist of irony, they went the opposite direction: Granite paint, satin Black hood, and near-minimalist spec choices.

That’s not to say it’s spartan. The car sits on 20-inch forged Brass Monkey wheels, behind which peek Gunmetal Gray Brembo calipers. Under the hood? The star of the show: Dodge’s 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8, pumping out 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through an automatic transmission. It’s the classic Hellcat recipe—irresponsibly powerful, hilariously overbuilt, and absolutely unapologetic.

Missing Equipment = Missing Dollars

So why isn’t this museum-grade example commanding stratospheric money? A few Bring a Trailer commenters may have cracked the code.

First, it’s not a Widebody, and the flared-arch Hellcats typically command a premium. Second, it lacks certain high-end goodies—most notably the larger infotainment display and, to some purists’ despair, a manual gearbox. That last one alone can swing value significantly among collectors determined to heel-toe their way into the sunset.

Despite this, the car still carries about $20,000 in options, including the Alcantara upholstery, upgraded audio system, sunroof, Brass Monkey wheels, and rear spoiler. It’s not the wildest Jailbreak spec, but it’s far from bare-bones.

A Moment in Time—Before Prices Rise Again

No, this isn’t the most unique Hellcat build. No, it’s not the most powerful version Dodge ever made. But as a near-zero-mile Challenger Hellcat, it hits a sweet spot that’s getting exceedingly rare. In a world where the V8 Dodge coupe is officially dead, this might be one of the cleanest last-chance grabs you’ll see for a while.

With nostalgia swelling and Dodge’s future getting ever quieter—literally and figuratively—now might be the perfect time to scoop up a Hellcat before the market remembers just how special these cars are.

Because when the muscle-car era finally closes the door, you’ll want something loud enough to drown out the silence.

Source: Bring a Trailer