I have spent some seat time in the AMG wagon. Oh my god, what a great car.
By David S. Wallens
Dec 1, 2024
|
Dodge,
Ford,
Porsche,
Mercedes-AMG,
Dodge Challenger,
Buyer's Guide,
Dodge Charger,
Ford Mustang GTD,
Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon,
Porsche 911 S/T
| Posted in
Buyer's Guides
| From the Jan. 2024 issue
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Photograph Courtesy Mercedes-Benz
How to be ahead of the market? Here are four modern cars with an old-school performance feel that are worth buying now.
What’d we dream about driving in high school? A Mustang.
What was our reality? A station wagon–if we were lucky.
Yet the AMG-tuned E-class Benz wagon shows that performance and practicality can go hand in hand: Its twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 is good for 603 horsepower along with 627lb.-ft. of torque. Top speed is electronically limited to 180 mph, and zero to 60 takes less than 3.5 seconds.
The sole transmission is a crisp nine-speed automatic, while Mercedes-Benz’s 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive comes standard. (It even features a drift mode.)
And then it just looks the business: low, wide and sporting plenty of attitude
The good: This one has been in production since 2017.
And the less good: We’re still waiting to hear when the new-for-2024 E-class wagon will get the AMG treatment.
How much?
MSRP started just shy of $125,000, with recent Bring a Trailer sales hammering around half that figure.
It looks like a Mustang but it’s built more like a Le Mans racer–actually, it’s even more advanced than a Le Mans racer. The forthcoming Mustang GTD, fully legal for road use, features active aero, something you won’t find at la Sarthe.
The Drag Reduction System, standard equipment right from Ford, uses hydraulics to articulate the rear wing as well as under-car flaps: more downforce for the turns, less drag for the straights. It’s like the glory days of Can-Am all over again. To further help on-track performance, ride height can automatically drop by about an inch and a half.
Other track-ready hardware will include giant Brembo ceramic brakes, dry-sump engine lubrication and carbon-fiber bodywork: carbon fenders, carbon hood, carbon front splitter, carbon rear diffuser and more. Instead of a trunk lid, though, the car gets a carbon cover–beneath it lies the rocker arm rear suspension, heat exchangers and an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission.
Forged aluminum wheels will come standard with forged magnesium mags listed as an option. Tire width, Ford says, will be wide. (For those looking for something more specific, expect 325mm-wide fronts along with 345mm rears.)
Power will come from a supercharged, 5.2-liter V8. “Targeting an estimated 800 horsepower,” Ford says. The other target: a sub-7-minute lap around the Nürburgring, which would easily put this one in supercar territory.
Photograph Courtesy Ford
How much?
An official price hasn’t yet been published–deliveries aren’t expected until late 2024 or early 2025–with Ford simply stating that “pricing is expected to begin at approximately $300,000 MSRP.”
Talk about going out with a bang–a tire-shredding, chassis-tweaking bang. To celebrate the end of its Hemi-powered muscle car, Dodge offered short runs of seven special Challenger and Daytona models during 2023.
Common themes: lots of torque, retro colorways and unorthodox equipment. The Dodge Charger Super Bee–choose Plum Crazy or B5 Blue–came from the dealership wearing drag radials.
The 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, shown here, looked a bit more subtle: black paint, black interior, black gator-skin roof. Only 300 were built, with inspiration coming from the Hemi-powered 1970 Challenger R/T SE that Godfrey Qualls street raced back in the day. (Don’t try that at home, kids.)
The final Last Call model? The 1025-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, NHRA certified to run the quarter-mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.17mph. Dodge said just 3300 will be built.
Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
How much?
Prices didn’t take long to move–no one should be surprised. The Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, for example, stickered near $103,000. Mecum has already sold two north of $170,000.
No turbo, no hybrid drive, no automatic gearbox.
The forthcoming 911 S/T–expected on sale this spring–caters to those who like things a bit analog in a world that’s constantly moving toward ones and zeroes.
The naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six comes from the 911 GT3: 9000 rpm and 518 horsepower. The sole available transmission is a close-ratio, six-speed manual box paired with a lightweight flywheel.
The other part of the equation: less weight. In this case, the hood, roof, front fenders and doors are made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. Other weight-saving standard equipment includes lightweight glass, composite brakes, magnesium wheels, composite buckets and a lithium-ion battery. The rear-axle steering found in other 911 models isn’t offered here.
Some hard numbers? Porsche says that the 911 S/T will check in at 3056 pounds. The 911 GT3 Touring, the brand’s other lightweight darling, weighs 70 pounds more.
More numbers to like: zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph.
One more figure to add to the conversation: Porsche will only build 1963 copies.
How much for all this performance and exclusivity? Porsche lists a base price of $290,000, but of course there are options. The Heritage Design Package ($20,360) adds the retro Shore Blue Metallic paint and matching graphics, while you can choose any color in the world that you’d like for $43,390.
Photograph Courtesy Porsche
How much?
To keep the secondhand market in check, Porsche says, the 911 S/T will initially only be offered as a lease. After 12 months, the buyer will take ownership.
I have spent some seat time in the AMG wagon. Oh my god, what a great car.
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