Building an AMG car collection on budget. Need your opinion

[Totoyuen]

Hello everyone, I’m building a simple AMG car collection and I need your opinion on what the next car should be.

I acquired a 2012 W204 C63 AMG coupe in red last year and a 2005 W211 E55 AMG this year as they’ve pretty much reached their depreciation bottom.

My goal is to collect all modern and significant AMG V8 engines.

I know for sure that a pre-facelift W205 C63s coupe is on my target, just gotta wait a bit longer for it to depreciate more so I can afford one.

My question for you is about the M157/M152 engine. Does anyone have any experience with these engines? Are this generation of engine significant to AMG? How does it sound? Would you go for the M157 or M152?

Thank you so much! I appreciate any of your thoughts, inputs, and opinions!

 

[Athey]

The M156 engine in the w204 is the most significant, as that is the engine AMG designed and built from scratch, and is probably the last n/a v8 ever to be built by them.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

An AMG collection, nice

The M157 5.5 biturbo is a great engine and sounds fantastic. It can be found in lots of models but I believe it’s most at home in the W212 E 63 AMG.

The M177 4.0 biturbo is even better, and most at home in the AMG GT in M178 guise. Expensive but prices are falling, and could be the cherry on the top of your collection.

Another model to consider might be a straight six, perhaps a W202 C 36 AMG before prices skyrocket like they did for ghe W124 E 36 AMG.

 

[mioba]

Stop mucking about. G Wagon amg and an S class.

ps hope your budget factors in maintenance costs.

 

[alabbasi]

My AMG collection (more like hoarding) consists of M113, M113K and M275. M156 and M157 have had issues which have made me reluctant to take interest

 

[Rich764089]

Jealous of those with AMG collections... my car collection has only one AMG

I love the M157 in my E63, but depends what you mean by significant. Is it the easiest AMG engine to get >1000nM with?! That's significant to me

 

[Totoyuen]

The M156 engine in the w204 is the most significant, as that is the engine AMG designed and built from scratch, and is probably the last n/a v8 ever to be built by them.

Thank you for your reply, Athey!

On 'the last n/a v8' built by AMG, I have got some thoughts on this point.

The M152 5.5 N/A V8 used on the R172 SLK55 AMG comes from the same era (2012-2015).

Considering the R172 SLK55 AMG not being popular in those years, yet it carries a massive N/A engine despite the others have gone with the M157 5.5 biturbo engine, I see it as an underrated modern N/A AMG creation.

That is why I'm contemplating if I should go for a M157/M152.

 

[Totoyuen]

An AMG collection, nice

The M157 5.5 biturbo is a great engine and sounds fantastic. It can be found in lots of models but I believe it’s most at home in the W212 E 63 AMG.

The M177 4.0 biturbo is even better, and most at home in the AMG GT in M178 guise. Expensive but prices are falling, and could be the cherry on the top of your collection.

Another model to consider might be a straight six, perhaps a W202 C 36 AMG before prices skyrocket like they did for ghe W124 E 36 AMG.

Thank you for your reply, Bobby!

What's your opinion on the M152 engine (the n/a version of M157)?

Although it only has an output of 420hp, its response should be sharper than M157. And that it's mated with the R172 SLK55 AMG, shouldn't it make it more of a driver's car in twisty roads?

Sorry, I'm only considering V8s.

 

[Totoyuen]

Jealous of those with AMG collections... my car collection has only one AMG

I love the M157 in my E63, but depends what you mean by significant. Is it the easiest AMG engine to get >1000nM with?! That's significant to me

Thank you for your reply!

Can you tell us more on the M157 in your E63?

How's the throttle response? Any turbo lags? How does the car handles around corners and twisty roads?

 

[Dickster]

obviously, an m113k should be in there

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Three points:

Engine reliability is the least of your worries. It's "everything else" that requires work as a car gets older. (I'm babysitting a Bentley Arnage at the moment: the engine will go on for ever, it's electrics, bodywork, suspension and miscellaneous moving parts which need money on this very low mileage car).

Nine years old can't be the bottom of the depreciation curve. It might be where you want to be in terms of ownership, but 20+ years is more common. Look at the values of eighties and nineties cars, compared to those in the Noughties.

The great values on 30+ year old cars are given to those with crazy low mileage, provenance, and light touch renovation. A friend has an Aston V8 which has only recently touched £100k, but it's done so because it's had virtually no use, was owned by someone famous, and has had nearly £100k spent on it on "renovation," excluding maintenance.

Love the cars - know that they'll be cheaper and more fun than buying new - but go into this thing with open eyes

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Thank you for your reply, Bobby!

What's your opinion on the M152 engine (the n/a version of M157)?

Although it only has an output of 420hp, its response should be sharper than M157. And that it's mated with the R172 SLK55 AMG, shouldn't it make it more of a driver's car in twisty roads?

Sorry, I'm only considering V8s.

I don’t think either engine will be remembered like the M156/9 or M177/8, but if the two I believe the M157 will be best remembered over the M152.

That’s not to say that it’s not a great engine in a great car, it just doesn’t have the same type of following right now but of course that could change over time.

Being naturally aspirated appeal to some, but will limit the appeal to others. That will mean that it will be perfect car for some, and others won’t give a second thought.

In future those looking for their favourite N/A AMG V8 will go straight to the M156/9 and so I believe the M152 will forever live in M156/7 shadow.

That said I also believe that the M157 will live in the shadows of the M156/9 and M177/8, and possibly already does to some degree today.

Ultimately it comes down to what motivates you to build the collection. Is what you like, is it what you think others like, is it what history will like, or is it investment?

If it’s what you like then the M152 might be perfect, but if it’s the rest then I believe that the appeal may be more limited compared to other AMG engines and models.

It’a a nice problem to have

 

[Rich764089]

Thank you for your reply!

Can you tell us more on the M157 in your E63?

How's the throttle response? Any turbo lags? How does the car handles around corners and twisty roads?

Others will be better placed to comment, having driven more AMGs for comparison, but for what it's worth I think turbo lag is barely noticeable. But it drives like a turbo engine, so quite different from the NA M156 or supercharged M113. Peak torque comes in low in the range and power delivery is not linear! I love it, but others prefer NA, it's just personal opinion as to what one prefers.

Throttle response is an interesting one, see current threads on pedal boxes! There is a dead spot at the top of the pedal that which can be removed. Not strictly throttle response. It's drive by wire on this model and I believe you lose out very slightly on throttle response due to this. That said, the only time I notice anything is from standstill, but this is really due to the pedal dead spot I mentioned.

Handling is excellent in corners considering size and weight. It's great fun to drive round corners. Damper settings really help here. Steering feel is good despite electric steering. Other than in comfort setting, which I feel is too light and lacks "feel".

 

[Deleted member 126251]

AMG on a budget.....oxymoron

 

[Steve84N]

Not entirely, just means you're buying older 'regular' AMG cars rather than the rarer and newer ones like the GT Black Series.

 

[Totoyuen]

I don’t think either engine will be remembered like the M156/9 or M177/8, but if the two I believe the M157 will be best remembered over the M152.

That’s not to say that it’s not a great engine in a great car, it just doesn’t have the same type of following right now but of course that could change over time.

Being naturally aspirated appeal to some, but will limit the appeal to others. That will mean that it will be perfect car for some, and others won’t give a second thought.

In future those looking for their favourite N/A AMG V8 will go straight to the M156/9 and so I believe the M152 will forever live in M156/7 shadow.

That said I also believe that the M157 will live in the shadows of the M156/9 and M177/8, and possibly already does to some degree today.

Ultimately it comes down to what motivates you to build the collection. Is what you like, is it what you think others like, is it what history will like, or is it investment?

If it’s what you like then the M152 might be perfect, but if it’s the rest then I believe that the appeal may be more limited compared to other AMG engines and models.

It’a a nice problem to have

Very great point, Bobby!

I very much agree that the M157 and M152 will live in the shadows of M177/8 and M156/9.

M177/8 and M156/9 are just more significant AMG engines than the generation in between.

If I were to pick between a M157 and a M152, I would go for a R172 SLK55 AMG.

I appreciate AMG's last effort in putting a big N/A engine in a small car despite the others going turbocharged.

Not to mention M177/8 that came after is simply a better turbocharged engine than M157.

 

[Totoyuen]

Not entirely, just means you're buying older 'regular' AMG cars rather than the rarer and newer ones like the GT Black Series.

Absolutely, Steve.

Just buying older 'regular' AMG models.

But oh well, AMGs are anything but regular hahaha

 

[BRN9121]

In my opinion, the SL63 AMG R230 would be next on your list.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Toto , just remember without a C55 S203 estate fitted with the last of the M113 V8 NA engines your AMG collection will never be taken seriously

 

[Totoyuen]

Toto , just remember without a C55 S203 estate fitted with the last of the M113 V8 NA engines your AMG collection will never be taken seriously

Thanks for your suggestion, Pete!

I went with the W211 E55 AMG which has the M113k engine as it’s closer to that in the SLR.