Wanderlust

Tag: MY2000

  • Market Find: 2000 Mercedes-Benz G500 SWB Europa in Porsche Irish Green on BaT

    Market Find: 2000 Mercedes-Benz G500 SWB Europa in Porsche Irish Green on BaT

    What: 2000 Mercedes-Benz G500 AMG SWB Europa
    Color: Paint to Sample Irish Green (irischgrün; non-metallic UNI; L60E; Porsche)
    VIN:  WDBEG4201Y7117416
    Mileage: 101K miles
    Bid Price: $29,000 at time of publication
    CarFax: Link
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: North Salem, NY
    Auction Listing: Bring a Trailer

    First up, it’s a repaint. We do include those here, particularly when they appear to be well done and in an interesting or popular color. In this case, the 2000 Mercedes-Benz G500 short-wheelbase hardtop you see here is painted Porsche Irish Green.

    We didn’t get this configuration in the U.S.A. As a Y2K car, this one is a just barely legal 25 years old and was promptly imported via Europa International in Santa Fe, NM. It’s powered by Mercedes’ 5.0-liter V8 paired with a 5-speed automatic box and dual-range transfer case with locking front, center and rear differentials. Further kit includes 18-inch 5-spoke AMG alloys, brush guard, sunroof, turn signal and taillight guards, running boards, rear parking sensors, a Pioneer CD head unit with Blaupunkt speakers, air conditioning, wood trim with wood-rimmed steering wheel and heated seats.

    The paint appears to be recent, showing nicely in the detail shots – a mix that includes paint depth meter readings should you click through to the listing. Many elements like the wheels and brush guards have been color-matched to Irish Green. The car also has some red accents that are thematically either very yuletide or very Italian.

    This auction has just one day left, so if you’re interested then make sure to click over to BaT post haste.

  • Market Find: E46 M3 Touring on Cars and Bids

    Market Find: E46 M3 Touring on Cars and Bids

    What: 2000 BMW 323 Touring / M3 Touring Build
    Color: Titanium Silver  (titansilber; metallic UNI; 354; BMW)
    VIN: WBAAR3349YJM02502
    Mileage: 182,900 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: $45,369
    CarFax: Link
    Location: San Diego, CA
    Auction listing: Cars and Bids

    Unlike Porsche, BMW doesn’t have a Sonderwunsch department. However, looking over this highly OEM-looking E46 M3 Touring build on Cars and Bids, we’re wondering if they aren’t missing an opportunity. Yes, of course BMW now builds an M3 Touring even though we can’t get it here, but we’re thinking more of reimagined cars like Sonderwunsch’s 993 Speedsters.

    What if BMW Classic built M3 Touring out of plain jane 3er long roofs? They’d probably look a lot like this, and what’s not to love? Do we need to mention it’s also a manual?

    As of this writing there are two days left on this auction. Go get it wagon fans.

  • EU Market Find: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow M5

    EU Market Find: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow M5

    What: 2000 BMW M5
    Color: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow 2 (dakargelbii; non-metallic uni; 337; BMW)
    VIN: Unknown
    Mileage: 285,000 km
    Price: €32,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Jihlava, Czech Republic
    Listing: Link

    One of a claimed 11 produced over the span of production, and one of 4 said to be in Europe, this E39 M5 represents peak BMW in more ways than one. Tailored brilliantly in Dakar Yellow 2 paired with the incredibly cool M Texture cloth and without a sunroof, it’s an emphatic book-end to what some traditionalists call the golden era of BMW. And importantly for us, the price point is seemingly reasonable- even once you factor exchange rate, shipping and whatever tariff awaits its arrival.

  • Affordable Tailored: Designo Electric Green Edition 2000 Mercedes SLK 230

    Affordable Tailored: Designo Electric Green Edition 2000 Mercedes SLK 230

    What: 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor Designo Electric Green Edition
    Color: Designo Electric Green (designoelektrischgrün; metallic UNI; 024; Mercedes-Benz)
    VIN: WDBKK47F1YF164255
    Mileage: 41,800 miles
    Bid Price: $5,000 with 22h, 59m remaining
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Tampa, FL
    Link: Cars & Bids

    At the lower end of the tailored market is this rare SLK roadster with AMG appearance and Designo Electric Green paint. For its age, this car has remarkably low mileage, though it’s showing its fair share of wear and tear.

    Fortunately, modern car auction sites such as Cars & Bids have made considering these sorts of car about as easy as they can with an expectation of photos depicting imperfections in detail. This listing takes that seriously, with close ups of the imperfections.

  • EU Market Find: 2000 Evergreen “Clownshoe”

    EU Market Find: 2000 Evergreen “Clownshoe”

    What: 2000 BMW Z3 3.0 Coupé
    Color: Evergreen (immergrün; non-metallic uni; 358, BMW)
    VIN: N/A
    Mileage: 208,930 km (129,823 miles)
    Price: € 19,950
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: AutoMooij, Beek en Donk, The Netherlands
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    This particular BMW Z3 Coupé isn’t low mileage, though not hatefully high. It’s not a one-off BMW Individual paint, though it is fairly rare. At the time, BMW offered Evergreen with dual-tone black and green interior. That was the late 1990s / early 2000s when such combinations were kitsch cool for those in the know. The take rate wasn’t high, which made them rare. And Evergreen, we’d argue, should be due to have its day again given the uptick in pastel colors we’ve been seeing in paint to sample catalogues.

    Back to this car, don’t be fooled that it’s a Z3 M. It’s a 3.0 wearing M Coupé wheels, but hardcore aficionados will recognize that the bumpers are different, the side vents and single side exhaust. Even still, for someone seeking a rare spec “clown shoe”, this car’s a great spec and appears to be a solid driver.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • Market Find: 2000 BMW Individual Dakar Yellow 323ti

    Market Find: 2000 BMW Individual Dakar Yellow 323ti

    What: 2000 BMW 323ti
    Color: BMW Individual Dakar Yellow (dakargelb; non-metallic UNI; 337; BMW)
    VIN: : WBACT31040AW13508
    Mileage: 194,000 kilometers
    Estimate: $17,500
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Southampton, UK
    Auction listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    For enthusiasts in the US, there’s often the opinion that while maybe we got a version, Europe ‘got the good one.’ While perhaps not the best representation of this sentiment, this Tailored Driver fits squarely into that category- bigger motor than was offered stateside, paired with a BMW Individual color. For those in the know, the 323i is a very interesting proposition in that it’s incredibly similar to the BMW Z3 coupe, albeit with a back seat. E36-generation from the firewall forward with an E30 rear subframe, this 323i will provide an exciting driving experience for whoever wins this Bring a Trailer auction. Please note, as this is a model year 2000 vehicle, it must be 25 years from the production date for trouble-free importation.

  • European Market Find: 2000 BMW Individual Carbon Black Metallic 328i Sedan with Individual Arizona Sky Leather

    European Market Find: 2000 BMW Individual Carbon Black Metallic 328i Sedan with Individual Arizona Sky Leather

    What: 2000 BMW 328i
    Color: BMW Individual Carbon Black Metallic  (carbonschwarz; metallic; C49; BMW)
    VIN: Unknown
    Mileage: 260,327 km (~161,757 mi)
    Price at Time of this Writing: €8,495 (~$8,912)
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Oss, NL
    Listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Yes, in just a few days we’ll be 25-year survivors of the Y2K panic. And while our computers didn’t all self-destruct when asked to display ’00’ in a date window, the cars coming out of German and Japan were equally exciting- just in a much more controlled, less stressful way. This E46-generation 328i sedan was delivered in May of that year (making it importable soon!), having been ordered by a Tailor with taste. BMW Individual was chosen both inside and out, making this an incredibly interesting, relatively cheap proposition. The listing is low on detail and basic translation points to a few mistakes, so rather than the Frozen Black Metallic mentioned due to the gloss nature and blue/black shade depending on light, we feel safe in our assumption that the exterior is actually BMW Individual Carbon Black Metallic. We’d be doing a disservice though, if we didn’t share that our assumption may be just that, and that it could also could be the very complex BMW Individual Petrol Mica Metallic, although this does appear darker. More certain, however, is the Arizona Sun leather sport seats found within. We love this generation nearly as much as we love a deal, and at $9k plus shipping, we struggle to find a more interesting vehicular use of funds. Just make sure you validate VIN before putting it on a boat.

  • Color Chart: Audi TT (Mk1) Launch Palette

    Color Chart: Audi TT (Mk1) Launch Palette

    Back in 1999, the arrival of the Audi TT was nothing short of momentous. Audi had shown concept car versions of the car, an Auto Union inspired sports coupe with clean Bauhaus design and Porsche 356-like proportions, and in five years brought it largely unchanged to production based on the Volkswagen Group’s transverse so-called A-architecture. The car very quickly garnered instant design icon and rockstar status, so bringing it to market successfully was key for Audi. It’s in that context we consider this color chart.

    What you see here are scans from one of the U.S. market launch year catalogues for the TT. Even with the catalogue, the TT creatively broke from the normal and traditional catalogue designs of the Audi brand and tried something fun, with a sketch of the front of the car on the cover and pierced with large holes where the launch color palette could be seen.

    Nowadays, there are more popular colors in the Audi exclusive range, but some of them like Nimbus Grey still make an appearance in current models. Interestingly, though perhaps the best known of colors or shades on those early Audi TT models since it was featured on the TTS concept and often paired with iconic baseball glove stitched leather seats, Nimbus Grey is not seen on this color chart.

    And, for those seeking significant yet obscure historical colors as they finalize their specification on a new car, we wanted to bring each of these to the fore.

    MY2000 launch year colors for the TT seen here include:

    Brilliant Black

    Lake Silver Metallic

    Denim Blue Pearl Effect

    Amulet Red

    Trapper Yellow

    Talisman Green Metallic

    Desert Green Pearl Effect

    Aviator Grey Pearl Effect

    Raven Black Pearl Effect