C63 Estate Ordered!

[Jack Wood]

Hi,

I've had an order in on a C63 Estate for 2 weeks now and one of the options I ticked was for the Factory Collection.

I am struggling to get any information out of my dealer as to which facility it will be from and what costs I need to cover and what is the procedure. I.E. will the car have UK plates on it from the factory, or does it have to go to the UK supplying dealer on my return for any UK prep or taxing etc. Who covers transport costs such as crossings, etc.

So the question is, will I get to collect from Affalterbach, and is it worth it?

Cheers

Jack

 

[smillion]

Welcome Jack and congratulations on your choice of awesome car.

I have never had the pleasure of collection but after many years of owning Mercs ,being on forums, I have never seen feedback that owners regretted the collection - its quite an experience I hear.

Best wishes

Marc

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

You will collect the car on German tags (look quite cool) and you are normaly covered under Merdcedes Insurance for 7 days.

The factory tour / museum is great, they also spend a fair time going over the car. Its usually parked up with a few more for that days collection.


You will enjoy it....oh and the car

 

[Jack Wood]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.

Do you known if AMG products get collected from Affalterbach or not?

Does anyone have a link to a report from a factory collection? I'm struggling to find one.

Thanks a lot.

Jack

 

[Rory]

I am struggling to get any information out of my dealer as to which facility it will be from and what costs I need to cover and what is the procedure. I.E. will the car have UK plates on it from the factory, or does it have to go to the UK supplying dealer on my return for any UK prep or taxing etc. Who covers transport costs such as crossings, etc.

You dealer sounds useless.

Don't MB UK have a department that looks after this?

 

[Maff]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.

Do you known if AMG products get collected from Affalterbach or not?

Does anyone have a link to a report from a factory collection? I'm struggling to find one.

Thanks a lot.

Jack

Hi Jack,

Only special AMG vehicles get collected from Affalterbach (such as custom upgrades and special non-MB paint requests).

All other AMG cars are collected from the normal MB handover centre, for the C class this is in Bremen.

Regards, Matt

PS. The reason for this is that 'normal' AMG cars are produced on the same line as the normal 'non AMG' cars. Only cars that require AMG Perfomance Studio treatment are then shipped to Affalterbach for additional work, where you can then collect from AMG directly.

PPS. - There is no cost to you, the cost of the flights over, a hotel for 1 night and the temp german plates are included in the cost of your car as this replaces Mercedes cost for getting the car to the UK. Once you get to the UK your dealer will then register it (from the day you collected it) and issue the UK reg plates etc.

 

[Jack Wood]

Hi Jack,

Only special AMG vehicles get collected from Affalterbach (such as custom upgrades and special non-MB paint requests).

All other AMG cars are collected from the normal MB handover centre, for the C class this is in Bremen.

Regards, Matt

PS. The reason for this is that 'normal' AMG cars are produced on the same line as the normal 'non AMG' cars. Only cars that require AMG Perfomance Studio treatment are then shipped to Affalterbach for additional work, where you can then collect from AMG directly.

PPS. - There is no cost to you, the cost of the flights over, a hotel for 1 night and the temp german plates are included in the cost of your car as this replaces Mercedes cost for getting the car to the UK. Once you get to the UK your dealer will then register it (from the day you collected it) and issue the UK reg plates etc.

Thanks Matt,

So even though the Performance Pack like you have specced and the Diff that I have specced are considered AMG Performance Studio options I can still expect to go to Bremen?

When do you collect yours?

 

[Maff]

Thanks Matt,

So even though the Performance Pack like you have specced and the Diff that I have specced are considered AMG Performance Studio options I can still expect to go to Bremen?

When do you collect yours?

Yes, these are still 'standard' AMG options that are fitted during the normal production phase. Anything that is listed in the c-class price list is 'standard' as built on the production line. Even my C63 which I have speced the full designo dash board, doors and centre console (replacing anything plastic with leather basicaly) is still done on the normal production line.

My C63 was going to be sent to AMG Studio to be painted in Ferrari Rosso Corsa to match my 599, as this can not be done on the standard AMG production line in Bremen, so I could have collected it direct from AMG then however the £16k price tag stopped me

Mine is due to be delivered ion 16th April, but that can change between now and then.

 

[Maff]

Also, just worth a mention, make sure your dealer knows (he may have to contact MB head office or look on his dealernet info system) but the 'Perfomance Pack' code P30 is being replaced from next year with the Performance pack plus, which is approx £2500 more expensive, but you get a more powerful engine (SLS upgrades) but the Limited Slip Diff is removed, you have to spec that seperatly now as it does not come with the performance pack anymore.

 

[Gridlock]

My C63 was going to be sent to AMG Studio to be painted in Ferrari Rosso Corsa to match my 599, as this can not be done on the standard AMG production line in Bremen, so I could have collected it direct from AMG then however the £16k price tag stopped me

Is this even legal? Would have thought that if John Deere can get a global copyright on "John Deere Green" and FedEx can trademark "brown" that Rosso Corsa would be too?

Having said that, a C63 estate in that red? Would be quite a sight.

 

[C240Sport97]

My C63 was going to be sent to AMG Studio to be painted in Ferrari Rosso Corsa to match my 599, as this can not be done on the standard AMG production line in Bremen, so I could have collected it direct from AMG then however the £16k price tag stopped me

I thought MB did "paint to sample" (any colour you want) but at £16k, that's madness. Porsche, for example, charges about £3k.

 

[Maff]

Is this even legal? Would have thought that if John Deere can get a global copyright on "John Deere Green" and FedEx can trademark "brown" that Rosso Corsa would be too?

Having said that, a C63 estate in that red? Would be quite a sight.

Nope, its fine to do, the man from AMG said they had painted dozens of AMGs that colour before, but I can get the car painted in that colour here in the UK for approx £4500, so £16 seemed a bit expensive!

 

[Gridlock]

Do you think Ferrari could do me a 599 HGTE in 189 Emerald?

That would be an awesome daily driver.

 

[st13phil]

Does anyone have a link to a report from a factory collection? I'm struggling to find one.

Try here. My collection was from Sindelfingen rather than Bremen, but I'm sure the service will be pretty much the same.

The dealer doesn't get involved in the arrangements for the Factory Collection process other than to send a request to MB at Milton-Keynes. As such, they know precious little about it and cannot give you any information about bookings, etc. The team at MK were most helpful when I did my collection and it's worth striking up a relationship with them early on in the process if you want to do anything out of the ordinary. Have fun

 

[Rory]

There was an article on the experience in one of the national newspapers a while ago.

While the hotel is free, they were dismayed that MB hadn't included the cost of parking for their new car!

 

[Jack Wood]

Thanks Phil and Matt.

One more question for Matt, I placed my order 2 weeks ago, have an order number, but no build or delivery date.

I have been promised a March delivery.

Is there a reason your delivery is in April? Did you request that or is that the build allocation your order has been given?

Thanks for the heads-up on the PPP, I had seen that, but I am not going with that option. Just the diff.

Jack

 

[Maff]

Thanks Phil and Matt.

One more question for Matt, I placed my order 2 weeks ago, have an order number, but no build or delivery date.

I have been promised a March delivery.

Is there a reason your delivery is in April? Did you request that or is that the build allocation your order has been given?

Thanks for the heads-up on the PPP, I had seen that, but I am not going with that option. Just the diff.

Jack

I have been told by MBUK in Milton Keynes that the next batch of C63 Estates will be built from first week of March, and build takes 4 weeks on average plus a week for shipping. It is certainly possible that it could arrive at end of March but realistically it will be April delivery.

 

[Jack Wood]

Thanks.

I'll go and ask the question then.

Jack

 

[scumbag]

getting a bit popular these damn things aren't they.


I must be a trend setter again.

 

[NewMB]

I have done the Factory Collection when I bought a C320 Cdi Estate in 2006.

This was from Bremen.

The whole trip included the following:

Business Class flights with Lufthansa (Heathrow-Frankfurt-Bremen)
Taxi Airport to Bremen Hilton, 1 night.
Dinner & Breakfast at above hotel.
Taxi from hotel to MB Bremen Factory.
On arrival they take care of luggage (gives you a ticket).
Introduction to a personal assistant who goes over all paperwork with you (ie car paid for, one-way Flexible rail ticket on Eurotunnel, insurance papers valid for 5 days, Export Number plates (Exportkennseichen), maps and tells you what time you are scheduled for your "pick-up").
Factory tour (I was lucky, only person there and in english by an irish guy!).
Cup of coffee....
Personal introduction of your new car where you will be shown the whole car and all functions etc.
Car has 1x tank of fuel included.
Start car.
Select "D".
Drive.
Enjoy.

I loved every minute of it.

Took the chance as I was over there to visit a few clients as well as our former HQ in Cologne which made the trip cost next to nothing.

Would recommend anyone to do this.