QUIKAG

I test drove a buddy's 2010 E63 AMG and it was a beast of a ride. My wife loved riding in it much more than my ZR1. It's smoother and quieter, but put the car in AMG mode with the shocks on the firmest setting and the transmission in sport+ mode and it's a very fast and fun car. It's obviously not as fast a ZR1, but it's a very quick car, sounds great, and drives very nice. I gunned it up to 130mph with my wife in the passenger seat. She only said she was going to die once. This is the fastest she has ever been in a car. Whenever I gun it in the ZR1, due it it's more visceral nature, she immediately starts freaking out big-time and I have to let up after only a few seconds of WOT. She obviously feels quite a bit more secure in the AMG.

My situation is my ZR1 is 8 months old and I have 3600 miles on it. I have loved every mile in the car, but I just don't drive it that much. My wife has health issues, so I feel less inclined to take it out on the weekends as she doesn't like to ride in it and I don't want to leave her at home to go drive around randomly. I don't drive it during the week because of work and I just don't feel comfortable taking a $100k Vette to work with all the co-workers seeing it. I could debadge the E63 and people would know it's a nice car, but wouldn't know it's pretty expensive. On the ZR1, someone in the office would look up "ZR1" in google and tell everyone else how much it costs.

I have a Yukon Denali as a daily and it's a great vehicle, but pretty boring. A couch on wheels.

So, my option is to sell the ZR1 and Yukon and put an E63 (or equivalent) in the garage as a full-time fun car plus put roughly $30k in the bank or I keep the ZR1 and Yukon and be happy. I will tell you after driving the E63 for a few hours and being very impressed with how tight and well-engineered the car is, the ZR1, feels very well-engineered too. Despite a rougher ride and more noise, the ZR1 feels very substantial too.

Another option is to keep the ZR1 and trade the Yukon for a more fun daily car (CTS-V/E63), but that is a lot of money to have tied up in rides.

I don't know...I'm thinking out loud here.....it's supposed to be 110F in DFW today, so maybe the heat is getting to me.

Should I just shut up and go do a few WOT pulls in the ZR1 tonight after work to knock some sense back into me?

4-Sho

I think you really want to keep the ZR1 and that's why you posted this in the ZR1 forum instead of Merc AMG forum!

In the real world, I don't think you'll sacrifice too much performance by going with E63 AMG. Unless you're able to go WOT all the time, the E63 will be more than fast enough.

DebRedZR1

We will let you plead crazy from the heat Take the Beast out, go have some fun, and remember why you got it. If you don't need the size or 4WD of the Yukon trade it in on a more fun ride for the wife Like a Grand Sport
Or the CTS

JDRacing

I think you'll miss the ZR1, being the track junky that you are, Corey.

My wife loves the C63, and I'd seriously consider it if a 4 door were needed, so I know where you're coming from with the E63. But she wouldn't let me sell the ZR1 to get one.

If you're not prepared to keep the ZR1 and sell the Yukon for the E63, then the E63 seems like you're settling for less performance because your wife doesn't like ZR1, when she really doesn't care about performance to begin with. Just take her around in the Yukon and save the ZR1 for yourself.

Oh yeah, and it sounds like what you really need is another place to work, where your co-workers aren't so pre-occupied with how much you spend on your cars, so you can drive the ZR1 to work and not worry about having to debadge an E63 to hide their values. (Since you asked what we thought, pretty much without limiting the subject.)

Racer

Why the hell do you care if your co-workers see you in a ZR1, my co-workers can ^%&* my $%^& if they don't like my nice cars.


Having said that, maybe the MB would be the way to go, they are nice. Again, though, debadging it to satisfy your co-workers??? Good God!!

BEZ06

I believe if I were looking for a car in that class I'd be getting a CTS-V.

I know a Cadillac isn't a Mercedes, but I think it might satisfy my desire for American muscle better than the foreign marques.

If you've driven the CTS-V, how does it compare to the E63?

Bob

ufaj26

Don't know if I could give up the ZR1 but I understand your other issues. This is going to come down to the best thing you think you shoud do.

Best of luck with your decision.

Shurshot

It is nice to hear someone willing give up what they enjoy out of consideration for their spouse

I agree with BEZO6 on the CTSV...... at least take one with the Recaro seat option for a test ride.

Brand new they max out at 75 so it would cheaper than the AMG

Quite sure your wife will like the caddy

QUIKAG

It's a personal decision I made to not drive an obviously expensive car to work. I work in a small office for a private company and the family pays me well and I just don't feel compelled to flaunt that to the other employees who make quite a bit less. Also, the family is relatively low key on their vehicles, so I just don't want to be parking a flashy ride out front.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep the ZR1. It's just too awesome of a ride. As long as she continues to treat me well, I'll keep her around most likely (the car, that is). I may just figure out a way to convince the wife that I need a more 'fun' daily driver when the time is right. Or, I could get HER an E63 as a present. Her 40th b-day is coming up soon.

jvp

An expensive mistake that I made (but I don't regret it) was trading my '07 Z06 in for a new '09 CTS-V. Mike Newlander (Short-Throw) called me on the phone one evening when he heard I was considering the move, and did his damnedest to talk me out of it. He said, basically, "The V is a phenomenal car, but you're totally going to miss the Corvette. I promise you of that." At the time, he was driving both a new CTS-V and a ZR1; his opinion had weight.

Dammit. He was right. Within 8 months or so, I was dying to get back into my Corvette. I loved the V, don't get me wrong. It could rocket around and out of turns like no 4200(!) porker of a sedan should be able to. And I did actually take it to the track, too (until the differential overheated). Fun, fun car. Great interior, comfortable, awesome Cadillac-level amenities, etc.

But it wasn't a Corvette. So I fixed that.

I'll bet money that if you buy the Merc (or the V) and sell the ZR1, you're going to be wishing you hadn't in less than a year.

jas

QUIKAG

I do need to test drive the CTS-V. My wife doesn't like Cadillacs as a general rule, but maybe her mind will change with a nice test drive. I certainly think they are great vehicles and certainly more cost effective than an E63.

LEAVINU

I've driven just about every current AMG series and those are some bad a$$ rides. I personally would rather have a ZR1 but that's only considering myself. If I were taking into consideration the wife, kids, etc then I would absolutely buy an E63. Stupid "throw you in the seat" power/torque for such a heavy car. But I would definitely sell it before the warranty ran out.

The current CTS-V is a sweet ride as well but when looking at sports sedans you have to consider the interior and the AMG interior is top notch in my opinion. Still love the CTS-V though, and wouldn't have to sell it when the warranty was up.

Shurshot

AMG are fast and very nice, they need to be because the deprecation on a new one is enough to cause cardiac arrest

Just today I was looking at blue book for a CTS V sedan in the other car section, and a three year old one is listed in Kelly's for only 15 less than what you will pay for new one.

IMO if resale matters, that is hard to beat

427Z0SX

I see that you like to go fast, and the MB was great with your wife in the passenger seat when you took it to 130. I'd say that the MB is boring at legal speed, while the ZR1 is fun at any speed. I myself thought about replacing my head/cammed & longtubes Z06, so that I can carry my kids/wife with me, but it's impossible to give up the roar and rumble of my Z06 for any "sedan". If I were you, I'd keep the ZR1 and get rid of the Yukon for something more sporty and fund to drive and doesn't scare your wife, like the ZR1 does.

4-Sho

fts

Three years ago I sold my 2005 C6 Convertible and bought a 2009 Mercedes SL 63 AMG with the performance package. I considered waiting for the ZR1 but the dealers where I lived at the time had their heads up their arogant posteriors when it came to talking turkey on the purchase price. Initiallty I really enjoyed everything about the SL (after working out a few problems with the multi-clutch transmission). Compared to the 05 Vette, it was a sophisticate beast and my wife loved the ride. However, over time I began to miss the visceral high I got from driving the Vette and started thinking about the ZR1 again. Last September my Vette craving got the best of me and I sold the SL and bought a 2011 ZR1. After 3,600 miles I haven't looked back. Unfortunately, my wife hasn't forgiven me. She absolutely hates the ride. The good news is she has a very nice 2011 E550 that helps her get over it. She's happy and I am ecstatic. Don't get me wrong, the SL was a wonderful machine in just about every way. In my humble opinion, it simply lacked the soul of a Vette. Hope this helps.

355Spider

My buddy has an E55 which is a tad faster than an E63 and my ZR1 absolutely rapes it. Not even close but it is a very cool car. I would never buy one new due to the depreciation curve on them. I would opt for a couple year old S65. Then you're riding in style and it's much quicker than the E63 plus you're a tune a away from being close to as fast as a ZR1. 850hp is fairly easy to see in those TTV12s. Of course take her for a ride in a new CTSV and she'll change her mind. They are soooo sweet.

355Spider

Smartest thing you have said. I love to give my wife gifts that are really for me.

OnPoint

That.

cflm3

Get rid of that gas hog Yukon and get a Passat Diesel and keep the ZR1.