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Cars

I've had a strong interest in cars as long as I can remember - especially Mercedes-Benz. I could probably recite their whole history, all the way back to 1885. In 1995, I finally made it to their factory and Museum in Germany.

Here are some of the cars that I currently have and previously owned...

2008 Mercedes-Benz SL550 - I really loved the 2005 SL500 that I purchased in 2007 (below), but didn't care much for the interior color (Stone) and wanted some additional features, which that car didn't have. It seems that if you want a Mars Red SL550, 95% of them come with the Stone interior. Finally after much ado, this car was located at a port in Germany, destined to be shipped to Seattle Washington! We were able to have the dealer's work out a "swap", but unfortunately, the car was already scheduled for a boat and was then delivered to Seattle and trucked back to the other side of the country! All this just to get a black interior (the photos make it look grey - but it is black!). This car has all the options, except for distronic and run-flat tires. I also had the dealer install the lighted door sills - which add another nice element to the car. The SL500 had 302 HP. This one has 382 and it's a noticeable improvement.

2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 4-Matic - While I really liked the C300 4-Matic (below), I guess I've gotten a bit spoiled in my old age. It was a really nice car, but it was missing some of the "niceties" that I have become accustomed to. I viewed the C300 as a "better BMW", but what I really wanted was more of a "traditional Mercedes" and that's exactly what the E350 is - and with all the bells and whistles. This car has a special Cognac/Black interior with Designo wood. The options include pano roof, keyless go, parktronic, voice control,  and all the features you would expect from a well-appointed Mercedes-Benz.

Here was a first - a 2 car pickup in one day! Gone are the remaining Porsche. Pictured below is a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-300 4-Matic (Sport), with Panoramic Roof, Quick Park, Navigation, Heated Seats, etc... A very nice car, but too be traded in on a loaded E350 4-Matic <above>. Also pictured below, is a 2008 Mercedes-Benz G500 - a great "go anywhere" vehicle!

2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 - I have always been a big fan of Mercedes-Benz dating all the way back to Karl Benz's 1885 "Patent Motorcar". However, I have driven manual transmission cars exclusively for the last 27 years. Unfortunately, due to the Tinnitus caused by the defective stereo in the <black> 2006 Cayenne S (below), I found that driving the Cayman S <below> exacerbated the Tinnitus. I had previously driven a 2003 SL55, but thought it was "too fast" and therefore a bit uncomfortable to drive. However - recently I test drove the SL 500 and really enjoyed it. I set out to find a 2007 SL 550, which had a red interior and one was located in California. While shopping at my local Mercedes dealer (the same one featured on The Sopranos), they happened to have this beauty with only 2,700 miles on it. Essentially, it made sense to buy this car and save ~$30,000. As you can see by the pix, the car is loaded. Mars Red with a <2-tone> Stone interior, parktronic, panoramic roof, AMG package and just about every other option except for distronic, tire pressure monitoring and the integrated telephone. I traded this car in on a 2008 SL550 (Mars Red/Black) <see above>

2006 Porsche Cayenne S Titanium Edition - Porsche #11. Essentially the same car as Porsche #10 (black Cayenne Titanium Edition) below (which lasted about a month). Unfortunately, the black car had a weird stereo-related problem (2 weeks later my right ear is still ringing!) that was more than a "quick fix". The Cayenne Bose System is amongst the best I've heard, but the one in the black car had a "harsh" sound to it - perhaps caused by a defective optical cable, or??? So, rather than go through radical surgery with open-ended results, I didn't want to allow the dealership to "experiment" with my ears any further and traded the black car in for the <much nicer> red one below. All the same equipment (park assist is really fantastic), except the black one had variable assist steering, while this one has titanium colored roof rails and a CD changer. While only 1 day and 100 <total> miles, I just love it. This was a very special vehicle... (traded in on the Mercedes-Benz C-300 pictured above...) ...Unfortunately, almost a year later, my hearing problem remains and driving this car is a constant reminder of what happened to me (which includes the ear ringing 24/7).

2006 Porsche Cayenne S Titanium Edition - Porsche #10. I had really wanted the "pure red" version of this, but it was impossible to find one with the right equipment as most of the better equipped cars were in black. Perhaps the next one... Porsche is about to change the body style (slightly) on the Cayenne - which essentially means a change of the grill and headlights. However, the nice two-tone interior (which is only offered with the Titanium Edition) would be no more. Porsche came out with this limited edition to bridge the gap between the end of the 2006 run and the beginning of the 2008 models (no 2007 Cayenne was offered). This SUV has all the goodies - special titanium trim, wheels, exhaust, as well as the two-tone interior (which was also offered in black/grey), Navigation, head crests, heated seats/steering wheel and park assist. Some nice improvements over the 2004 V6 - the suspension, transmission and steering are much smoother, giving the car a much "tighter" and "responsive" feel. (The wood kit is on order!) I had to give this car up, because after 3 days I realized the car stereo was defective and the dealer was unable to fix it. Unfortunately, in the process of trying to fix it, the dealership made things worse, causing me permanent hearing damage in my right ear. I <obviously> didn't want a car that was defective.

2006 Porsche Cayman - Red painted: wheel rims, console, dash trim, instrument surround, door closers. Plus: navigation, red seat belts, heated sport seats with crests, Bose surround sound, Sport Chronos, xenon lights, park assist, tire pressure monitoring and more...

2006 Porsche C4S Cab - Red seat belts and gauges, heated sport seats, sport chronos, sport exhaust, short shifter, nav. park assist, etc... (traded in on the Mercedes-Benz G500 above...)

The 2000 Millennium (pictured <somewhat> below) was a great car, but like everything automotive, it was time for a change. Coincidentally, our favorite Porsche salesman (who knew I like red sports cars), called us up because he had this great car in stock - a 2002, C4 Cab. The car had only 15,000 miles and with Porsche certification, would have an extended factory warrantee for 3.5 years. It looked like new, the miles were low and was loaded with great options such as, Navigation, heated seats, aero kit, factory hard top and much more. So... why not? - So, it lasted for not quite 2 years and was traded in on the 2006 C4S <above>.

After putzing around trying to figure out what would be the "ideal" winter/bad-weather car and driving a lot of different cars and SUVs, it came down to the Porsche Cayenne, the VW Touarag and the BMW X3. I sorta felt guilty with the idea of owning 4 Porsches, but it was the nicest of the SUVs and felt the most like a "real" Porsche. So, enter the 2004 Porsche Cayenne. This one is equipped with the Bose System (which really sounds great), Navigation (a must have), heated seats and, a heated steering wheel (why not?). This is a great "car" - very comfortable, handles great, fun to drive... (This car was traded in for the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Titanium Edition above)

My wife has wanted a 914 for over 30 years. While there are still many around - there aren't a lot in great condition. After searching for several years, we came across this one, which was delicately rebuilt by its previous owner. We saw it, we liked it, we bought it. This is a 1974, Porsche 914 2.0.

This was a recent "acquisition" - a 1997 Porsche C4S. I always liked the looks of the last of the air-cooled Porsches, and although these pictures show a very "dirty" car (the long ride home from New England), this car is in mint condition. My original thinking was that this would make a great "all season" car (all wheel drive and all), but it's too nice to keep outdoors - so... after much ado, I sold it!

This was my current "every day" (2/03 - 4/06) car, a 2003, Porsche Boxster S - 6 speed. After driving around with the "wrong" color combo for 8 months (see 2002 below), I bit the bullet <$$$> and "upgraded" to the 2003. The 2003 has improved over the 2002 in several areas, (i.e. glass rear window, glove compartment, etc). I also ordered some nice options, such as: sport seats (with deviated stitching), red seat belts, red painted console, red roll bars, navigation, Bose sound system, carbon fiber shifter/brake handle, etc.

This was my first Porsche, a 2002, Porsche Boxster S - 6 speed. An exceptional performance car - has the best clutch/stick combo on any car I've ever driven. Unfortunately, I should have ordered a black interior (this one has tan), so after 8 months, I traded it in and ordered the 2003.

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