by Daniel Fishburn Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz Group AG Mercedes Benz launched the C215 Generation CL Class Mercedes in 1999. The C215 CL Class was the sixth installment in the line of large Mercedes S Class coupes. The 1999-2006 CL was one of the last cars that the legendary designer Bruno Sacco had a hand in designing. Originally the car was launched with three available trims: CL 500 which was powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0 liter V8 producing 302 horsepower, CL 55 AMG powered by a naturally aspirated 5.4 liter V8 producing 354 horsepower and the CL 600 that was powered by a naturally aspirated 5.8 liter V12 producing 362 horsepower. In 2003 Mercedes updated a few of the CL trims and added a trim level. The CL 55 AMG now had a supercharger added to it and produced 493 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. The CL 600 was now equipped with a 5.5 liter V12 with two turbochargers producing 500 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. In 2003 Mercedes launched the range topping CL 65 AMG that was e...
by Daniel Fishburn Photo Credit: Porsche AG The Porsche 918 Spyder VIP Program was created by Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) to assist in selling the last one hundred or so of the 300 918 Spyders allocated for the North American Market. Sales of the Porsche 918 Spyder stalled due to what some believe was poor marketing and/or Porsche not understanding the market and buyer. This was where the lucrative and exclusive 918 VIP Program came in. How was one able to get into the 918 Spyder VIP Program and what were the requirements? The program applied to all 300 North American 918 buyers. Buyers that had already put their orders in before the program was announced were automatically entered into the program. There were some requirements that had to be met in order to be eligible and take full advantage of the program. These were: The buyer had to be a legal resident of the United States. The buyer had to keep the 918 in their ownership for between six month...