A wise man once said "In life, there are dupers, and dupees." Now you can play the role of the duper by checking out this astronomical value for money - , for such a substantial percentage off that it would make even the most frugal thrift store rethink its business model.

is the hot rod that Mercedes always needed. It wasn't as visceral as BMW's M5, but it was just better in every conceivable way. It had about the same power as an E60 M5, but with the addition of a supercharger and larger displacement, it had more torque throughout the rev range. It also had a traditional automatic, and didn't suffer any of the expensive maintenance that the S55 and CL55 AMGs did, with their hydropneumatic suspensions and instead went with a relatively simple air setup.

Although its looks were understated, its engine and drivetrain were on the fun side of overkill. You had 6-piston front and 4-piston rear Brembo brakes, with slotted rotors. The car had wide 19" low profile tires, and most of the amenities from its S and CL brethren, just in a slimmer and tighter package.

This car looks like a very clean and well-taken care of example,with no accidents on record, and most, if not all available options for the model year, including the Panoramic roof. It does luxury better than the vast majority of new cars, and with an off-the shelf tune, it can smash a Ferrari 430 in the straights. Parts can get pricey, but nothing any more expensive than your average E39 M5, which is in itself a bit of a performance bargain. .

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is the founder of and writes about on the internet. He owns the world's cheapest , a , and he's the only Jalopnik author that has never driven a Miata. He also has a real name that he didn't feel was journalist-y enough so he used a pen name and this was the best he could do.

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