R63 AMG (Low miles)

[92Adam]

I am so fudging tempted but I remember seeing a video of someone who bought a low mileage one & spent shed loads engine wise to get it perfect…
Old Saudi embassy car which has been parked up for a long period…

Thoughts please…
It’s got to be the cheapest way into a M156 engine surely…

2007 Mercedes-Benz W251 R63 AMG 4MATIC For Sale By Auctio...

RHD car with only 33,519 miles from new One of only 12 RHD model supplied 503bhp 6.2L AMG prepared R63sEx-embassy vehicle with diplomatic...

www.carandclassic.com

 

[92Adam]

This was the video I watched when one came up last time…
The finished product is simply delicious…

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[BTB 500]

It’s got to be the cheapest way into a M156 engine surely…

I wouldn't count on that. It's the rarest modern AMG, with just five on the road in the UK (plus another five SORNed). With the low mileage I suspect that one will sell for big money.

 

[92Adam]

I wouldn't count on that. It's the rarest modern AMG, with just five on the road in the UK (plus another five SORNed). With the low mileage I suspect that one will sell for big money.

Agreed but I’m guessing whatever you end up paying for it you’re gonna be spending @ least half that amount in sorting it @ the very least…I’m not that brave unfortunately…

 

[BTB 500]

Any 18 year old car with no service history is a gamble but if the description is accurate that one should have led a pretty pampered life up to 2020.

The MOT history shows missing MOTs in 2010, 2014 and 2019, but only 100 miles covered between 2020 and 2025. There's an outstanding recall - likely to be for airbag replacement I suspect.

A tax check says it was first registered with the DVLA in 2020 - perhaps this is normal if it was on diplomatic plates till then. But the MOTs from 2011 onwards do show against the current registration

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

It has a messy history which doesn’t inspire confidence.

Only 12 were registered new in the UK and it seems most of them were embassy and diplomatic cars if the adverts are to be believed!

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2006-mercedes-benz-r63-amg-1

 

[BTB 500]

There was a black one that I saw in Hartley Wintney (Hants.) a couple of times. Never seen another in real life.

 

[pioneercollector]

Very nice and practical car - i have never seen one in the flesh myself, if the price does not get too ridiculous it is a really nice vehicle and plenty of grunt!

 

[RogerSausage]

I ran one for a while back in 2007 when I lived in the Middle East. They're a bit of a curio, but very practical! Plus, whatever the wrapper looks like, that M156 remains sublime!

 

[Bellow]

A tax check says it was first registered with the DVLA in 2020

VED implications?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The LWB R500's weren't a success in the UK because of their enormous size and the difficulties in accessing the final passenger row. Not suitable for normal carriage trade but can work for larger / 'hybrid" families with smaller children. And builders have used the R350's as "vans."

Ex-embassy cars can be tempting, but often they weren't maintained that well, and you do still have all the usual ultra low mileage issues of bits hardening from lack of use: tyres, pipes, suspension, fuel lines etc.

My advice, find another LWB R class (like the one below) to see if you really like the size and handling before bidding, and talk to your garage about what will need to be done to get the thing fully serviced before you actually drive anywhere "con brio."


This lovely little R350L has 217,000 miles under its belt.

Auto Trader UK - New and Used Cars For Sale

Find your next car with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used cars. Over 400,000 cars online. Simple, easy, quick!

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[BTB 500]

VED implications?

Could be. I don't think cars with diplomatic plates pay VED, but AFAIK they are registered with the DVLA (who issue the special registrations).

 

[Bellow]

Could be. I don't think cars with diplomatic plates pay VED, but AFAIK they are registered with the DVLA (who issue the special registrations).

I more meant the VED classification WRT year of first registration - but on checking it appears that post 01/04/2025 first registration attracts the big VED. Can't actually see what category a 2020 registered vehicle belongs to. Or make sense of cars registered after 01/04/2017 at 'standard rate'. Is that it's category? Between 2017 and 2025 it appears as though CO2 classification is ignored.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d1b940a6d78876a3fb0a67/v149-rates-of-vehicle-tax-for-cars-motorcycles-light-goods-vehicles-and-private-light-goods-vehicles-april-2025.pdf

 

[E55BOF]

I am so fudging tempted but I remember seeing a video of someone who bought a low mileage one & spent shed loads engine wise to get it perfect…
Old Saudi embassy car which has been parked up for a long period…

Thoughts please…
It’s got to be the cheapest way into a M156 engine surely…

2007 Mercedes-Benz W251 R63 AMG 4MATIC For Sale By Auctio...

RHD car with only 33,519 miles from new One of only 12 RHD model supplied 503bhp 6.2L AMG prepared R63sEx-embassy vehicle with diplomatic...

www.carandclassic.com

Nope. I bought my 2007 ML63 from a dealer, much higher mileage but very good documented service history, for £8.5k last July.

If I were the seller, I'd not have mentioned I'd bought it as an investment and was looking for a decent profit...

I wouldn't think that twice-average-mileage-R350, body damage and grubby-looking interior and all, will get anywhere near its asking price either.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

For elimination of doubt, I don’t that that R350L will achieve that price either. My point was to use it as an reference of how usable that bus length car could be.

 

[BTB 500]

For elimination of doubt, I don’t that that R350L will achieve that price either. My point was to use it as an reference of how usable that bus length car could be.

IIRC the LWB R Class is about 6" longer than our 'Long' (middle size) Vito, so it's big but not crazy huge. My in-laws had a petrol R350L for a good few years ... the only problem they ever had was getting a parking ticket in Windsor once when it didn't fit into a (less than generous) car park space there

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

IIRC the LWB R Class is about 6" longer than our 'Long' (middle size) Vito, so it's big but not crazy huge. My in-laws had a petrol R350L for a good few years ... the only problem they ever had was getting a parking ticket in Windsor once when it didn't fit into a (less than generous) car park space there

All fair. It's big but it's not American huge. At 203 inches it's a couple of inches shorter than the S500L of that era (W221)

I'm just sounding a warning "in case" our friend hasn't actually driven one in his own area. The length wouldn't bother me, either, but some will find it daunting, especially if there's much parallel parking to be done. And it's not unknown for ladies to be put off by something a bit longer than they've been used to.

As you say, if you've in town, you'll find that it won't fit some parking spaces, especially one vacated by the typical small SUV.

But let's not get too distracted by size, as my wife often says. The more important issue is what kind of condition it's in, if it hasn't been serviced and used regularly. (It could easily still be on 15 year old tyres, for example)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2005-2009 vs. Mercedes-Benz-Class R 2010-2012

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan LWB 2005-2009 vs. Mercedes-Benz R-Class SUV LWB 2010-2012. Compare car dimensions (length, width and height) vs. street perspective.

www.carsized.com

 

[E55BOF]

"Real height 3ft?" Shrunk a bit after getting wet, then...

 

[oldguy57]

I suspect that the seller is looking at £30k plus for this. Waste of time starting the bidding at bobbins. I wouldn't be surprised if the bids don't reach what he wants.

 

[BTB 500]

All fair. It's big but it's not American huge. At 203 inches it's a couple of inches shorter than the S500L of that era (W221)

I'd forgotten that (very handy) website - thanks! Another MB comparison then - the LWB R Class is shorter, narrower and lower than a GL/GLS SUV (which to be fair really is a big old bus ).