Dream Three Car Garage Guide- Mercedes Benz
Three cars. One German company. No limits. It’s Stuttgart time.
Germany has lost two World Wars. It gave us and still gives us Beethoven, Beer and die Würste. But if there is one thing the Germans love giving the world more than anything else, then it is their cars.
The car manufacturing industry in Germany is one of the biggest in the world. In 2019 alone, they exported more than $243 billion worth of automotive vehicles. These are the kind of numbers that makes even Amazon CEO’s Jeff Bezos wealth look small. (I’m kidding…the dude is rich).
Speaking of rich, there are not many companies in the automotive industry with a richer history than the famous 3-pointed star, Mercedes-Benz. Despite the logo, however, Mercedes Benz has always been a 5-star (in theory a 5-pointed star is just…um…a star)luxury brand located in Stuttgart in…you guessed it…Germany.
German cars are favoured for the efficiency, technology prowess and just as a status symbol. The Volkswagen Group, the BMW Group, and the Mercedes-Benz group, all have been key players and dominators in not just the German car industry but the world as well
Throughout the world, Mercedes-Benz has such a huge catalogue of cars that it’s quite difficult to pick your top 3 choices. Unfortunately, as the title suggests, this is what we will end up doing anyway. Three Merc’s for eternity.
SET A: The Everything, Everything
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
When it comes to classic Benzs’ none are more so beautiful than the 300 SL Gullwing made by the Germans in 1954. The Gullwing is one of the few cars on ever produced to actually have these ridiculous doors and now, more than 50 years old has aged like fine wine. Apart from the Jaguar E-Type, this is probably the prettiest car in the world, hands…sorry…gullwing door down.
Been voted the “sportscar of the century” in 1999, it’s legacy was passed down to the 21st century, iteration, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and it’s corresponding Black Series.
2. Mercedes-Benz AMG One
You have a classic car in the 300 SL Gullwing. But now you need an out and out track day toy/weekend car. What better than Merc’s most expensive offering, their latest hypercar, the AMG One.
Putting a Formula 1 engine on a road-going vehicle is one hell of a job, thanks to the obvious regulations regarding noise, pollution and inhibiting cost. But that is exactly what AMG decided to do, putting the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Teams’ 2015 car engine into a road-legal vehicle. Only 275 Units made. Sold out. For a minimum price of US$2.72 million.
3. Mercedes-Benz GLS
Right. Fun sorted. Now time to get down to familial business. Normally an SUV is scoffed by a car enthusiast, but you can’t deny that they are perhaps the safest and one of the best ways to transport a decent family and their bags on a trip. What better car than the big daddy of German SUV’s, the GLS.
Three rows and with enough space to comfortably carry 7 people. Off-road capability too.
SET B: The Black Series Fanboy/Fangirl/Fanit (we don’t judge)
The Black Series is the German brands’ more hardcore models, aimed more for the track than the road. As a result, they are wider, meaner and generally a harsher ride and don’t provide as much space. But then again, you don’t buy a Black Series if you aren’t looking for the most focused experience.
- Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series
The Coupe version of a family car transformed to be a beast. What’s not to like? The C 63 AMG Black Series produces 510 bhp from a great V8 engine. What’s more, is that an Aero Package gives it one hell of a giant spoiler for ultimate Fast and Furious vibes.
In Merc’s special Solar Beam Yellow paint. This baby looks fabulous.
2. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
Remember the 21st-century remake of the 300 SL Gullwing, the SLS AMG. Well, this is the hardcore, stripped-out version of that very car, the SLS AMG Black Series.
Inspired by Merc’s track-only GT3 racer, the Black Series was 70kg’s lighter, yet still retained the Gullwing doors.
3. Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Technically this is cheating as the AMG GT Black Series hasn’t been released yet. But it is common knowledge that the car will be unveiled soon to its adoring crowd. Details are scarce at the moment (there was a just a launch video of the Black Series made by Mercedes in collaboration with popular car YouTuber Shmee150) but Fastabast, a Nurburgring Taxi Company, who have this baby on order claims that the car has about 720 hp.
This is far greater than the ‘standard’ GTR/GTR-Pro’s 577hp output and it shows. It has allegedly lapped the Nurburgring, a circuit in Germany where Fastabast is based, in 6 mins 58 seconds. Which if you know your cars, then you know that this is quick. Quick.
SET C: The Mostly Top-down Aficionado
Convertibles are a must for every multiple car garage situation. Of course, not all 3 should be convertible. But how about 2 cars out of 3.
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
The 300 SL Roadster is the convertible version of the 300 SL Gullwing. Sacrificing the gullwing doors for a more open-top experience, the roadster defines understated cool in almost any paint colour. After all, it’s a classic.
2. Mercedes-AMG GTR Roadster
Another roadster, but this time the more modern version of the Beast of The Green Hell known as the AMG GTR. You would normally expect a company making a track-focused car to make a hard-top version, precisely because convertibles are heavy. Not the Germans, however. They wanted to show that they too could build a convertible version of their track-focused car, and along came the Roadster.
Limited to only 750 samples world-wide, the GTR Roadster is probably the best way to hear AMG’s glorious turbocharged V8 engine
3. Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate
Sadly, this is not a convertible. Then again, too much of a good thing is bad. You need a car to haul the family, dogs, luggage etc., and the E63 S estate is the best way to haul ass.
With its spacious body and understated looks, this is a true sleeper car with 603 hp and 0–100 km/h in just 3.4s. Now, this is what you call a Sleeping Beauty.
Now I know there are several famous cars I haven’t included from the Benz stable, like the G Wagen or the SLK Black Series. But what would be your ideal 3 car garage from the cars in Stuttgart? Let me know in the comments below!
