The life of an Agent here at AutoSpies.com can from time to time seem like all fun and games. The fact is however that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into bringing you the latest automotive news ahead of the competition.
Never one to shrug off the office duties, Agent 001 is off to San Francisco to drive the new Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series. Right around the time he headed to northern California to drive a car the rest of us only get to drool over, pricing was announced putting the SL65 Black Series into some pretty exclusive company with a base price just north of $400k.
Let that sink in for a minute, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
That is a lot of money, and the people able to plunk down that kind of change on a car like this probably can buy several cars in this price range, or already own several cars in this price range.
So it got me thinking.
Agent 001 loves the car vs. car stories as you the reader battle it out in defense of one car or another. My initial thought was follow his formula and have a car versus house showdown.
Imagine the headline...
"Mercedes SL65 Black Series VERSUS 3000 Sq. Ft. House on 1/2 acre lot - We Line Them Up Side By Side and Let You Decide!"
Or something like that.
But we are AutoSpies.com, so a car versus home comparison probably wouldn't fly, so why not gather some cars that hover in the exclusive $400k atmosphere, and allow you to enlighten us as to which car you would buy if you had the extra money sitting around (or if you hit the PowerBall Jackpot tonight).
First up the new kid on the block, Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series. For a mere $415,000 you get 670 horsepower. Power like that corrupts, and I am confident that with the over the top bodywork, this MB is sure to be noticed by all those fortunate enough to be stuck in traffic with you. Of course once traffic clears up, that kind of power will certainly insure a lot of blacktop between you and the lesser cars trying to catch that glimpse.
The Lamborghini Murcielago is no stranger to the AutoSpies.com readers. While the Gallardo is a civilized daily driver, the Murcielago is built on the "old" side of the Lamborghini factory by the same group of workers who turned out other Lambo's like the Countach and LM002. This is old school Lamborghini, and when this model is finally retired and replaced, the entire Lamborghini culture will have been replaced by a sensible Corporate template that insures the cars start everytime, and can be driven cross country without having to bring a mechanic along for the ride. This over the top car WILL be the center of attention whenever and wherever you drive it, however before you jump on the Lamborghini bandwagon remember that this car while beautiful, is hard to get in and out of and expensive to maintain. Depending how you option this car, you probably will get a little change back from your $400k bill, you can use that to help pay for gas or the maintenance.
The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is one good looking car. Lucky for Ferrari, wanna be owners are willing to wait months and often times years to own the latest greatest Ferrari, and this one is no exception. Resales on eBay and other sites often list for thousands of dollars more than the original sticker price - this Ferrari is destined to be a classic that people will lust for long after production ends. Combining details from several Ferrari's of eras gone by, the 599 is a visual as well as driving treat for anyone fortunate enough to be able to purchase it.
Well, the competitors have all been laid out for your consideration. Will it be the Mercedes, the Lamborghini or the Ferrari. There really is no loser when you get into this arena, so it comes down to personal preferences. For me personally the Ferrari 599 gets the nod, but we want to hear which car you would choose.
So go ahead, enlighten us to your choice.
While we are here dreaming about the 'what if' in terms of cars like these, Agent 001 is driving the Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series. It will be interesting to hear his take on this new super car from Mercedes.
So which car would you choose, Mercedes, Ferrari or Lamborghini?
And while you are daydreaming about cars, be sure to check out the 2008 SEMA Auto Show Gallery