10 best V12s on eBay for less than $25K

[Brons2]

http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/ten-of-the...848732/+pgeorge

All of them look like maintenance nightmares, but what fun for the price of a new midlevel Accord or Camry.

 

[A_Harman]

The Mercedes CL65 AMG for me, please.
That will do until I figure out what to do with the two GMC V12's I already have.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Edmunds is asking $27,500 for their long-term 2005 MB CL65 AMG. I'd bet they'd sell it for $24,999. 604 HP, 738 lb ft of torque. It cost $181,000 new.

The last repair bill was $4,586. All told, they've spent nearly $10,000 on it in repairs and maintenence since they purchased it about a year ago.

There is no such thing as a cheap V12.

 

[horse123]

Alternate title: "10 examples of why cars are not an investment and anyone who thinks they are is a complete moron"

 

[hattaresguy]

The BMW V12 is a POS, and their RR version as well. The 6 3/4 L V8 is a better motor which is why they bought it back.

Some nice iron their, everyone should get to drive and enjoy a proper V12 at some point. Nothing pulls as hard or as smoothly as a V12.

Very easy to get a ticket in, first time I drove an S600 I was used to normal cars and didn't realize that 110 fells like your doing 60 in a normal car. I was running down an empty highway and looked down and realized I was doing 105...if I just let the car do its thing it would have settled around 120 like a Camry at 50.

Fun fact Mercedes Benz is the largest producer of V12's in the world.

 

[andyd]

I would think that a '41 Zephyr in good shape is worth much more than 25K$ Same with the E Jag.The classic V12 typically It was spread over 12 cylinders. The mark of a good V12 was that you could balance a silver dollar on the edge of the grille with the engine idling. Is a W12 regarded with same cachet a V12? The 5L BMW shares parts with 2 2.5L I6s. The engine isn't too bad, except that there is so darn much of it. I kept 3 200k miles+ I6s going in daily drivers for 5 yrs. A well taken care of 850 would be a steal at 25K. I would take it over any "British" luxo barge.

 

[DoubleWasp]

The W12 is a nightmare by comparison.

I thoroughly enjoyed the V12 in my old SL600. Nothing sounds like a V12.

 

[Astro14]

O

The BMW V12 is a POS, and their RR version as well. The 6 3/4 L V8 is a better motor which is why they bought it back.

Some nice iron their, everyone should get to drive and enjoy a proper V12 at some point. Nothing pulls as hard or as smoothly as a V12.

Very easy to get a ticket in, first time I drove an S600 I was used to normal cars and didn't realize that 110 fells like your doing 60 in a normal car. I was running down an empty highway and looked down and realized I was doing 105...if I just let the car do its thing it would have settled around 120 like a Camry at 50.

Fun fact Mercedes Benz is the largest producer of V12's in the world.

[/quoting]

I find myself agreeing with this completely!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Edmunds is asking $27,500 for their long-term 2005 MB CL65 AMG. I'd bet they'd sell it for $24,999. 604 HP, 738 lb ft of torque. It cost $181,000 new.

The last repair bill was $4,586. All told, they've spent nearly $10,000 on it in repairs and maintenence since they purchased it about a year ago.

There is no such thing as a cheap V12.


Indeed, although I doubt there have been any major repairs to the engine itself.

They are a uniquely balanced design, but their packaging makes them difficult to use these days.

And a totally blueprinted and balanced V8 IMO is just as sweet, smoothly and easily making just as much or more power from the same displacement in a much smaller and lighter package...

 

[Astro14]

A V-12 is inherently smoother than a V-8. There are so few V-12s being made that they just don't get as much attention as the -8s. As an example, the Mercedes M275 bi turbo V-12 engine is a monster and a pinnacle of engineering yet their own V-8 bi turbo matches or exceeds the V-12 in power and torque...at least as offered by the factory.

But if you really want smooth...it's hard to match the smoothness of a straight 8!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
A V-12 is inherently smoother than a V-8. There are so few V-12s being made that they just don't get as much attention as the -8s. As an example, the Mercedes M275 bi turbo V-12 engine is a monster and a pinnacle of engineering yet their own V-8 bi turbo matches or exceeds the V-12 in power and torque...at least as offered by the factory.

But if you really want smooth...it's hard to match the smoothness of a straight 8!


Inherently is an interesting word for it. And quite accurate on paper. In the real world I would love to blindfold folks and test drive them around in some of the better examples of both engine designs that are out there (V12 vs. V8). Might be hard to find an old Packard!

I own a couple of expensive professionally built V8's that are amazingly smooth and quiet, one has well over 850 HP on pump gas with easy 1000 on alcohol. And I might add the 5.7 Hemi in my new Ram is nearly like an electric motor it's so smooth, never a hint of vibration or strain even at redline.

It's an extremely comparable design that can be amazingly powerful as well as quite a bit smaller and lighter than you might think. I truly believe that a properly engineered V8 can be just as smooth in real world driving as a V12.

But it will never match their sound at high power levels and stratospheric revs...

 

[Cujet]

I get to drive V12 powered vehicles with some regularity. From various Ferrari offerings, to Mercedes, BMW and others, including a good number of older vehicles with V12's.

It's hard to dispute the smoothness. As a general rule, you know it when a V12 is powering your car. The starter motor cranks smoothly with none of the variable speed "sound" during cranking. From there, the smoothness is evident. Under heavy throttle, the typical V12 simply sounds and feels wonderful.

Yes, I understand V8's can be as smooth too, but as a general rule, they don't match the feeling of refinement a V12 has. And, I think that when it comes down to it, that's all it is. "a feeling" of refinement. Mostly due to the smooth sound of more cylinders.

 

[hattaresguy]

No a V8's not as good, even a Lexus or a RR 6 3/4 L V8 which are very smooth engines.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
A V-12 is inherently smoother than a V-8. There are so few V-12s being made that they just don't get as much attention as the -8s. As an example, the Mercedes M275 bi turbo V-12 engine is a monster and a pinnacle of engineering yet their own V-8 bi turbo matches or exceeds the V-12 in power and torque...at least as offered by the factory.

But if you really want smooth...it's hard to match the smoothness of a straight 8!


Tuned they make all kinds of power. AMG had been playing with the old M120 for years in the Zonda, and now the Huayra has the M158 which is pretty much the M275.

They make a reliable 700-900 hp and will do so for a very long time. In typical Mercedes fashion they pull just as hard over 100k miles as they do at mile one.

AFAIK the worlds fastest street legal sedan is the Brabus Rocket with an 800hp V12, good for around 230mph.

 

[fdcg27]

Several years back, I had a look at an old XJ-S with well under four grand on the windshield.
The car ran and drove okay, although IDK how long that happy state of affairs would have continued.
There are plenty of cheap V-12 cars out there.
Another notable one is the BMW 750iL.
The fuel thirst is of no consequence.
The cost of keeping it alive and slurping is another matter.