just sold my 2000 clk430 for 4 grand above what i paid for it,,,,just bought a 2000 e55,,i had to shell out about 8 grand above msrp tho!but as short time as i've had it,,it is worth it!the difference betwine the 430 engine and 5.5 liter amg engine is incredible.i almost had a purchase for a 2001 e55 dealer in rhode island.but i made the mistake of having my local dealer call him to see if they can divert the delivery to the local delivery since the car was still in stuttgart.the r.i. dealer axed the deal because he was afraid of losing his allocation,since they are not allowed to sell any cars out of their district,thus i purchased a 2000 model with 150 miles from a private party.does anyone out there know if there are any significant difference between 2000 and 2001 e55? mickeymbz
I also just bought a 2000 E55 . I bought it as a demo from the owner of my Mercedes dealership for MSRP. Unfortunately, it had 8500 miles and I had to pay luxury and gas guzzler tax. I still think it was a good deal though. I like it better than my SL600. It's faster at the start and much smoother. It also corners better @.93G. My SL600 still slams it from 100-140, but it's not often I can use that V-12 power. As far as upgrades on the 2001 E55 my dealer says there were no major changes. I know you're loving your new car. Have fun and drive safely.
Luxury Sports Coupe to take on Mercedes CLK, on sale late '03, priced from £35,000. Cabrio version later, M3 & M5 Engines.
BMW is planning a new luxury coupe combining sensational performance & handling, that will seat four adults. Intended as heir
to the 6-Series phased out in 1989. Likely to be badged as a Z6 & will be based on the next generation 5-Series platform.
M3, M5 & Diesel engines are plannedwith high-tech features including a joystick to replace much of the convetional switchgear.
2+2 Cabriolet planned for 2004, code name E63. M3 engine likely to develop 341 Bhp, 0-60 should be 5.3 secs with a top speed
of unrestricted of 180 Mph.
BMW is keen to develop its straight six as a hallmark sporting engine, with its sharp throttle response, smoothness & evocative exhaust note.
M5 engine from the Next M5, not to be confused with the latest M5 400 Bhp engine. New engine N62 likely to get 100 Bhp per litre (500 Bhp).
3.0 Litre Diesel engine is likely to feature.
Manual & Automatic transmissions. Z6 uses 5-Series underpinnings means it should have class leading ride & handling, retaining suspension
layout of MacPherson struts & a multi-link rear setup with greater use of Aluminium to reduce weight. May even incorporate carbon-fibre in its suspension.
Z6 will share new 5-Series 42 Volt electrical system & inside likely to have a central control unit, which will allow the driver to alter audio, climate, navigation & other vehicle functions, using a single joystick & LCD screen.
Properly built in Germany, but any 5-Series production line should be capable of production
isn't it unbelievable that these cars can command such bucks??i had 4 leads on attaining one of these cars,,but 3 of them fizzeled,,,one is the r.i. deal i mentioned...the second was the owner of my dealership was willing to sell his incoming e55 at $86k,,but he backed out couple days later..and third another dude was willing to sell his place in line (sounds to shaky),,i finally settled on the private owner who had the 2000 e55.this guy bought the car,as i found out,3 weeks prior to when i bought it, for 6 grand above msrp...he thought he could make more bucks than he did.turns out he only made a couple grand off it.anyway,even though your car has got 8500 miles on it...you now are in possesion of damn hard car to come by,,i'm sure they kept it in pristine condition..what color is the car?enjoy the car!i know i am.
Fortunately, the owner kept the car perfect. It's silver with charcoal interior. I got him to throw in a CD for free, but I had to pay for the phone. Driving the car is such a blast. I drive on several isolated long and winding highway onramps. I can accelerate through a 30 degree curve to 120mph in a matter of seconds The car corners incredibly well at high speed and brakes on a dime. It is truly a technological and engineering masterpiece. Of course when the wife and kids are strapped in she thinks its a tame luxury sedan!? I won't pop her bubble.
I just got a 2001 E55 last week. It is probably the best combination of power, speed and comfort of any vehicle I have ever driven. It is the first Mercedes I have ever bought and I was amazed at how well it handles. It clearly rivals the BMW's I have previously owned. Does anyone really know what the 0 to 60mph is? I have read reviews that go as low as 5.0 sec. and as high as 5.4. Just curious.
man ,,,you really get screwed...when you add on options after purchase of car....cd player for my e55 was 900bucks and phone is gonna cost me another 1500bucks..i think this option package for both cd/phone is about 1700 bucks.
no doubt. my phone is going to be aroung $1900 when it gets here. the digital phones for the '01 e55 aren't even here yet. my dealer says 2 to 3 months before they arrive.
I agree, but it is a voice activated, hands free phone so at least I have both hands on the steering wheel. Now if they only made a real radar jammer so I could truly play with my car life would be great. I did just buy a Valentine 1 which I am told is about as good as it gets right now as far as detectors go.. Do you guys know if there are any better ones on the market
Did you get in built-into your visor or rear-view mirror?
I heard that the passport from Cinn-micro can now be built into the S and E class, just above the steering column, for another stealth placement of detectors.
no I did not get it built in. The information I read indicated that placing the detector as high as possible on the windshield yielded far superior results than the in-grill or hidden radar. luckily in Texas Radar detectors are legal. although having it installed in the rearview mirror is certainly interesting.
I just bought a incredibly good looking 1997 BMW 540 completely face lifted with all the possible whistle of a 2000 M5 including an AC Schnitzer engine kit. The car looks identical to a 2000 M5 but better because it has a AC Schnitzer lowering kit (2.5" ground clearance only). It even has a GPS with TV (by the way this featire is not even available here - why ? it switches of as soon as you start runing anyway, but hey, government has to do something right?) , integrated phone and anything else you can imagine,or think! I had a new 2000 S500 MB before for a few months but I cannot compare the two. Even if this is not a straight M5, I have not felt so much power ever before ! The only problem is : I have it in Europe and I want it here now ! Help me anyone ! What do I need to do to have this monster looking and hi performance feeling beauty in my garage where it belongs?
What a Friday I had today. Out of the blue a Mercedes dealer where I just cancelled an order for a E430 Sport a couple of weeks ago gave me a shot at a new 2001 E55. Of course, I had to make up my mind in minutes because every other salesman on the lot was burning up the phones trying to find a buyer of their own. Do you think I hesitated? Hell no! I ran down to the dealer with the biggest check I've ever written for anything, including my house (and I live in Silicon Valley so my house isn't cheap). I originally wanted an E55, but I almost settled for an E430 Sport after every dealer said either the wait was three years or there was no chance of getting one. And I didn't want to pay $25,000 over MSRP for a used one. The car was available only because the guy who originally ordered decided not to purchase it. I don't know why because he could have immediately sold it for at least $15K more than he bought it. I cancelled the E430 because I was going to give the redesigned Lexus LS400 due out in October a chance to compete. I knew it couldn't compete with an E55.
All I can say after two hours or so of driving it is that this is one powerful, yet refined, car. The speed is amazing. The new Timeport Dual-Band voice-activated digital phone is really great. No Navigation is shipped with any 2001 Mercedes yet. I think there are doing a complete redesign of the one from last year. I look forward to talking with you all.
I was just at Smythe down in San Jose asking a question about my lowly C43 and took a cruise through the showroom. I didn't talk to anyone, but [non-permissible content removed]-u-me these are used. CL - $125K M5 - $89K E55 - $91K E55 - looks like the same one that has been there for at least eight months - $86K
Ordered my M5 in Germany in May and it's arriving on a ship tomorrow. While in Germany, I looked around at dealers and other sources for accessories like mudflaps/rain guards/schmutzfangers, whatever you like to call them, and came up with zip. It appears there is virtually no aftermarket source for M5 "stuff!" Does anyone have any leads?
Have read all 244 postings re the S8, Jag, MB & BMW comparison controversy and am comfortable with my M5 choice. I had money down for a year and a half for a MB CLK55, but my wife nixed it recently because she didn't like the appearance of the rear quarter panel lines and couldn't see out the rear window when we test drove a CLK 320. She also liked 4 doors, though it wasn't an overriding factor. Converted the $ to the wait list for the AMG 320 SLK. Maybe she'll be able to see out the rear window on that one! Any rumors on that MB?
Gee, I think I'm out of my league here. I drive a lowly Y2K Lexus GS400. Cheap seats and slow comparatively. Oh well, when I grow up and my ISLD stock goes back to $150 from the current $27.
Try the link below and get the catalog. I have had good luck with them buying items for the Mrs. Z3.
Since I live in the Dallas area I don't think I'll be able to make the meeting, but it would be fun to drive to CA. in the E55. I have about 1400 miles on mine so far and no problems at all. It averages 19.3 mpg to date. Has anyone maxed your car out yet to see if it will hit 155mph. I have only gotten to 135 so far. I will have to get out of the city to really try it out.
You guys are really brave to drive that fast in the US. I took delivery of an E-430 last year in Stuggart and I never got near that speed because of all the truck traffic on the autobahn. Would love to air out the E-55 in Nevada sometime...
Having thrashed an E55 and Jag XKR, Honda NSX, Ferrari F355 around Castle Combe racetrack in UK with Alan McNish of Le Mans winning fame both he and I declare the E55 the best. And yes, we've done the latest M5 too.
What an all rounder, just waiting to try out the new S55 too, although I'm not that impressed with the new S Class. Also, where are the diesels in the USA??? The new BMW330d and Merc S320 TD are fantastic. BMW = 143 mph!
I'm all for a silicon valley E55 gathering somewhere. I've seen a few E55 tooling around the Mountain View area. I've seen a black E55 and two M5's at Verisign, across the street from me. Now they only need a Porsche Turbo to get the award for best company parking lot. A silver e55 use to be in the same area, but I haven't seen it in awhile. I saw a very funky silver E55 in Palo Alto that seemed to be lowered somewhat, with non-AMG wheels.
I still use my Mazda Millenia S (best 6 cylinder engine ever made)as my everyday car, so I only have about 450 miles on the E55 so far. I'm not pushing it too hard until the 1000 mile mark.
for the next Audi -- they're on a roll. Nice thing about competition is there's never a permanent winner (except for us!).
helplondon: Diesel??? In the US??? Wrong tradition, wrong culture. The only people here who EVER drove diesels were old burghers in old Mercedes, and the ex-hippie in the odd Peugeot.
Hi gang - New member - my first post. Finally took delivery in late Aug of a 2000 M5 which I ordered in November 1999 Paid sticker - no gouging by the dealer on Cape Cod Anthracite gray with saddle leather - mint looking Turns a lot of heads
Several major problems:
1. ) Clutch cooked itself after the first 550 miles after only 8 days. I was going 30 MPH, downshifting from 3rd to 2nd when the clutch pedal went down and wouldn't come back up. Dealer replaced the clutch - said it was burned. I wasn't beating it - I was babying it - believe me!
2.) Low gears feel grindy & rocky - R,1,2,3 - all very toothy - when you shift, it feels like major grinding - I'm almost afraid to complete the shifting for fear I'm going to grind some teeth out. I test drove a 540 last year and the transmission felt like Land O Lakes (butter) - my M5 feels like Rocksville
3.) Oil consumption. The engine has consumed 2 quarts in about 500 miles since the 1,000 mile service. I thank "quattroguy" for his post on this board dated June 26, 2000 in which he tells us of a friend who had to return his M5 because it was "drinking" 1 liter of oil per 200 km. My new M5 is way thirsty, too. I am using the oil specificed in the manual --Castrol 5w/60 Synthetic Racing Oil.
I am ready to return it.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Best response gets a dozen Titleist golf balls with BMW logo.
-Jack McDaniel Worcester, Mass jackcmcd@bellatlantic.net
Well you could go either way here. First though is BMW handling all the problems in a timely manner? What does BMW's techs say about the oil consumption? If worse comes to worse, you'll probably be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.....
you may just have a lemon -- it happens. See about trading the car in on a new one. BMW's national office would probably help you do that, if you're interested.
Comments
Thanks.....
M
Can anyone give me any details on the oil problem I read about?Nascar2
Luxury Sports Coupe to take on Mercedes CLK, on sale late '03, priced from £35,000. Cabrio version later, M3 & M5 Engines.
BMW is planning a new luxury coupe combining sensational performance & handling, that will seat four adults. Intended as heir
to the 6-Series phased out in 1989. Likely to be badged as a Z6 & will be based on the next generation 5-Series platform.
M3, M5 & Diesel engines are plannedwith high-tech features including a joystick to replace much of the convetional switchgear.
2+2 Cabriolet planned for 2004, code name E63. M3 engine likely to develop 341 Bhp, 0-60 should be 5.3 secs with a top speed
of unrestricted of 180 Mph.
BMW is keen to develop its straight six as a hallmark sporting engine, with its sharp throttle response, smoothness & evocative exhaust note.
M5 engine from the Next M5, not to be confused with the latest M5 400 Bhp engine. New engine N62 likely to get 100 Bhp per litre (500 Bhp).
3.0 Litre Diesel engine is likely to feature.
Manual & Automatic transmissions. Z6 uses 5-Series underpinnings means it should have class leading ride & handling, retaining suspension
layout of MacPherson struts & a multi-link rear setup with greater use of Aluminium to reduce weight. May even incorporate carbon-fibre in its suspension.
Z6 will share new 5-Series 42 Volt electrical system & inside likely to have a central control unit, which will allow the driver to alter audio, climate, navigation & other vehicle functions, using a single joystick & LCD screen.
Properly built in Germany, but any 5-Series production line should be capable of production
destination is 600
The best was the 5, the worst was near 5.5.
I heard that the passport from Cinn-micro can now be built into the S and E class, just above the steering column, for another stealth placement of detectors.
The only problem is : I have it in Europe and I want it here now !
Help me anyone ! What do I need to do to have this monster looking and hi performance feeling beauty in my garage where it belongs?
All I can say after two hours or so of driving it is that this is one powerful, yet refined, car. The speed is amazing. The new Timeport Dual-Band voice-activated digital phone is really great. No Navigation is shipped with any 2001 Mercedes yet. I think there are doing a complete redesign of the one from last year.
I look forward to talking with you all.
CL - $125K
M5 - $89K
E55 - $91K
E55 - looks like the same one that has been there for at least eight months - $86K
Yikes!
a bargain.
I only have about 300 miles on my 2001 but the vehicle seems pretty close to perfect. 18 MPG on my first tank, but who buys this car for the mileage.
Any problems so far from you?
Have read all 244 postings re the S8, Jag, MB & BMW comparison controversy and am comfortable with my M5 choice. I had money down for a year and a half for a MB CLK55, but my wife nixed it recently because she didn't like the appearance of the rear quarter panel lines and couldn't see out the rear window when we test drove a CLK 320. She also liked 4 doors, though it wasn't an overriding factor. Converted the $ to the wait list for the AMG 320 SLK. Maybe she'll be able to see out the rear window on that one! Any rumors on that MB?
I live in Los Altos.
Try the link below and get the catalog. I have had good luck with them buying items for the Mrs. Z3.
http://www.bavauto.com/
THe Licenseplate isn't very original but here it is E FIVE 5.
Take it easy.
What an all rounder, just waiting to try out the new S55 too, although I'm not that impressed with the new S Class. Also, where are the diesels in the USA??? The new BMW330d and Merc S320 TD are fantastic. BMW = 143 mph!
somewhere. I've seen a few E55 tooling around
the Mountain View area. I've seen a black E55
and two M5's at Verisign, across the street from
me. Now they only need a Porsche Turbo to get the award for best company parking lot. A silver e55 use to be in the same area, but I haven't seen it in awhile. I saw a very funky silver E55 in Palo Alto that seemed to be lowered somewhat, with non-AMG wheels.
I still use my Mazda Millenia S (best 6 cylinder engine ever made)as my everyday car, so I only have about 450 miles on the E55 so far. I'm not pushing it too hard until the 1000 mile mark.
Well,...might as well close the topic now that that has been settled.
helplondon: Diesel??? In the US??? Wrong tradition, wrong culture. The only people here who EVER drove diesels were old burghers in old Mercedes, and the ex-hippie in the odd Peugeot.
New member - my first post.
Finally took delivery in late Aug of a 2000 M5 which I ordered in November 1999
Paid sticker - no gouging by the dealer on Cape Cod
Anthracite gray with saddle leather - mint looking
Turns a lot of heads
Several major problems:
1. ) Clutch cooked itself after the first 550 miles after only 8 days. I was going 30 MPH, downshifting from 3rd to 2nd when the clutch pedal went down and wouldn't come back up. Dealer replaced the clutch - said it was burned. I wasn't beating it - I was babying it - believe me!
2.) Low gears feel grindy & rocky - R,1,2,3 - all very toothy - when you shift, it feels like major grinding - I'm almost afraid to complete the shifting for fear I'm going to grind some teeth out. I test drove a 540 last year and the transmission felt like Land O Lakes (butter) - my M5 feels like Rocksville
3.) Oil consumption. The engine has consumed 2 quarts in about 500 miles since the 1,000 mile service. I thank "quattroguy" for his post on this board dated June 26, 2000 in which he tells us of a friend who had to return his M5 because it was "drinking" 1 liter of oil per 200 km. My new M5 is way thirsty, too. I am using the oil specificed in the manual --Castrol 5w/60 Synthetic Racing Oil.
I am ready to return it.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Best response gets a dozen Titleist golf balls with BMW logo.
-Jack McDaniel
Worcester, Mass
jackcmcd@bellatlantic.net
M