I want a big, fast, cruiser that can handle One Lap. M5 or S55 AMG?

Buy the silver one in Charlotte, but use the lower-miles warranteed one in Georgia as leverage to get the price down.

This weekend I'll get in contact with both of them and see what I can learn.

I've never done the one lap, so this is all second-hand. Classes are based on vehicle price +/- displacement. Expensive luxury cars with big engines would therefore be at a significant disadvantage. You'd be in the same class as Vipers and ZR1's.

I would be looking to squeak under the $25k limit for "economy" class ... maybe a Fiesta ST or Mini Cooper S?

In reply to LanEvo:

He's doing it for fun (as stated in the first post). I wouldn't worry about being competitive regardless of class. In the Economy Class, you'd run against Andy Hollis - who is fighting for the overall - so it would be a race for 2nd place.

Personally, I'd want to run something in a Vintage Class. That could be fun. I day-dream about entering with my 1800ES some day. Competitive? With a Volvo 4 cylinder - hell no - but it'd be fun.

He'd be in the luxury class with M3's and CTS-V's and that sort of thing. Vipers and Corvettes are in a different class. There is some price and displacement going on but there is also an 'intent' of the car aspect to it. Big luxury cars are all together.

Following up on my previous post. I was thinking this could be a fun "out side of the box" option. (Supercharged Jag XJR) This had better not be around when the tax man returns my $$$$.

http://southcoast.craigslist.org/cto/5406350444.html

I'm surprised I didn't think of this earlier or JohnRW or whatever his name is didn't suggest a Q45T for this. They can be had for pennies on the dollar are super comfy and sport a full multi-link suspension and VLSD.

dean1484 wrote: Following up on my previous post. I was thinking this could be a fun "out side of the box" option. (Supercharged Jag XJR) This had better not be around when the tax man returns my $$$$. http://southcoast.craigslist.org/cto/5406350444.html

That's at least 50% too high on the price.

Great car though, I love mine.

Update. Called on both cars, the gray one in GA has not called back.

Spoke with the owner of the silver car. He seemed like a nice guy who could actually string a sentence together which is a good first step. He is the 3rd owner, first owner was a 3 year lease in NC. 2nd owner was his friend who bought it CPO with a 100k warranty. This guy has had it for 2 years and about 10k miles. He's changed ALL of the fluids including suspension and supercharger and belts/tensioners, plugs, filters, etc, everything I would do. He claims to have all of the service records, and he is an independent M-B and BMW tech, looking to start his own shop so he needs the money for that.

The modifications are only what he claims to be a European spec OEM tune that was installed my the M-B dealer in Raliegh when his friend bought it. My research shows no difference in power across the pond. Most tunes for these cars do pick up 40+hp though.

I got higher resolution pics, car seems to be in great shape all around.

I'm probably going to see what sort of deal we can work out. He's a bit on the high side of the market at $15,900, but the car needs nothing. It has been up for sale for about a month, so that's good for me. If I can get it for $14k or less then I'll go for it, probably starting at $13k and see what he says.

In working though fly and drive logistics, does anyone know if NC has any sort of temp tag or trip permit? I can't register an out of state car in PA until it is there for VIN inspection and I would really prefer to not have to tow this one home.

Just called NC DMV, with typical sales paperwork, ID and proof of insurance I can get a temp tag at any DMV license plate office for $10. NC is also a notary state so the title needs to be notarized when signed.

oooo yer gonna have fun... Do one thing though, beside the prepurchase inspection. Take the VIN to t dealer and ask real nice-like for a VMI report. This is service records at any and all merc dealers that car has had.

Local (to me) one at a small dealer:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/5418798789.html

Price seems good and the miles are low, but the usual small dealer caveats apply. It might be duct taped together. Let me know if you want me to check it out.

Oh yeah... don't worry about he traction control nannies. Turning the ESP button off will get 100% of your attention and if ya really wanna you can put the car in dyno mode which puts all the nannies to sleep.

David, thanks, I'm trying to stick to cars from low or no salt areas, I'm sick of northeast cars when the clean rust free ones are no more expensive.

Here's another good looking one that showed up today in Orlando. http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/5422049932.html

I'm jelous and hope you document your trip and share it so I can live vicariously through your efforts. Plus I love me some big luxury sedans being flogged like they aren't necessarily supposed to be.

If you give me enough advance warning, I can pick you up from the airport in Charlotte.

That one in Florida is clean with a capital C...

My neighbor works for MBNA and will run the VIN report for me if you want.

How about a Taurus SHO? Talk about invisible and people might take it for a cop car :

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=30301&endYear=2017&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=2010&makeCode1=FORD&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=415389695&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=30301&endYear=2017&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=2010&makeCode1=FORD&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=419825502&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=30301&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=2010&showcaseOwnerId=0&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=200&listingId=418066125&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=30301&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=2010&showcaseOwnerId=0&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=200&listingId=420080589&Log=0

I just saw the 2016 One Lap route and now I know why you want to do this. With any luck, I should be able to spectate at the Mass event on May 2.

92dxman wrote: How about a Taurus SHO? Talk about invisible and people might take it for a cop car :

The dark silver or black one - no kidding. Common State Police car around here. Especially if you threw of roof rack on top. I so wish we got a wagon version of these, but that silver one looks nice and I like the interior.

Sonic wrote: I can't register an out of state car in PA until it is there for VIN inspection and I would really prefer to not have to tow this one home.

I've bought a lot of out of state cars over the past 25 years and I've never heard of this.

Ian F wrote:

Sonic wrote: I can't register an out of state car in PA until it is there for VIN inspection and I would really prefer to not have to tow this one home.

I've bought a lot of out of state cars over the past 25 years and I've never heard of this.

We have this in Texas but they will issue you travel plates on anything you are willing to put insurance on.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fulFEdvwNhc You need an S600 biturbo .

Ian F wrote: I just saw the 2016 One Lap route and now I know why you want to do this. With any luck, I should be able to spectate at the Mass event on May 2.

92dxman wrote: How about a Taurus SHO? Talk about invisible and people might take it for a cop car :

The dark silver or black one - no kidding. Common State Police car around here. Especially if you threw of roof rack on top. I so wish we got a wagon version of these, but that silver one looks nice and I like the interior.

The Flex with Ecoboost is the wagon version.

Ian, yes on both counts: the schedule this year is nicely around our support zone which helps, and has smaller transits than years past, and I've had to have in person VIN inspections on every car I've bought from out of PA that wasn't from a dealer, which is a bunch now. The tag places have refused to do anything until they can see the VIN.

No interest in newer Fords for this, they just don't scratch the same itch.
S600s and S65s are monstrously fast, but also significantly more trouble than the fairly sturdy supercharged 5.4.

I spoke with the guy in NC again tonight, trying to work a deal down from his $15,900 asking, especially as the car has been listed for a month now. I offered $13k based on some comps (the other 2 I posted, plus another nice one in CA), and he won't go below $15k, which seems a bit steep, even though it is certainly a good car. I'd go up to $14k for it, and might still offer that to see if he bites.

I just spoke with the owner of the FL car that looks so clean, and it sounds good, not quite as well serviced as the NC car, but it is a year newer with 20k fewer miles. I'm waiting for higher res pictures of that one now to see. TH one thing that worries me is an offhand comment that the car still drops down when parked for a while, though the ABC (active suspension) pump has been replaced, fluid flushed, and new O rings in the valve bodies, which are the normal repairs on these.

I sent another email to the GA car, which is the color I prefer, and Klayfish can look at it for me, if the owner ever gets back to me.