Mercedes W220 S Class S430 V8 - 'M113' 279 BHP
2000 'V' Registration - Japanese Import in 2010
5 Speed Automatic
Brilliant Silver with Anthracite Black Leather
97k Miles - Less than 5k per year!
MOT until November 2020
For sale is a Mercedes S430. This is a year 2000 model, commonly known as the W220 chassis of S Class.
The car was sold new in Japan and registered in 2000, and then imported to the UK and registered here in 2010. One of the previous owners was a doctor in Wales, who looked after the car very well. I purchased the car from a local chap, who needed it off his driveway. He owned it for two years, and was only intended as a stop gap, but he ended up keeping it longer as he enjoyed the drive. I have used for a short while whilst my CLS was having some suspension work done. Now surplus to requirements, and up for sale.
Being a Japanese import, these had most of the optional extras added when new, therefore this is a high specification car:
Switchable Sports Automatic Gearbox, Full Anthracite Black Leather, Xenon Head Lights, Electrically Adjustable Front Seats, Memory Function on Front Seats, Heated Seats, Electric Rear Sun Blind, Bose Premium Audio, Adjustable Air Suspension, Double Glazed Windows, Retro-Fitted Apple Car Play Unit, Electrically Adjustable Steering Column, Digital Dual Zone Climate Control, Air Conditioning, Auxiliary Heating, Power Folding Door Mirrors, Electric Heated Door Mirror Glass, Heated Windscreen Washer System, Cruise Control, Electric Windows x 4, Speed Sensitive Power Steering, Electronic Boot Release, Leather-Stitched Steering Wheel, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, On Board Information System, 16" Alloy Wheels, Centre Arm Rest, Front and Rear Head Restraints, Remote Central Locking, Alarm & Immobiliser.
The car is mechanically sound, and drives like an S Class should. It starts first time, and idles in the correct manner. There is no overheating, and no apparent fluid leaks. It gets to the optimum temperature and sits there. Cooling fan kicks in as it should.
'M113 E43' / 4266cc / V8 / 24 Valve / 279 BHP / 400 Nm Torque / 150+ MPH
It has the legendary and robust 'M113" 4.3 litre V8 engine. This has plenty of power and low-down torque. Put it into sport mode, and it shoots off into the horizon. Pulls well throughout the rev range, with no hesitation or power loss. The straight-six engines are adequate, but you really want the V8 in one of these!
The gearbox is spot on and the gears change as they should. Mercedes really did get the gearboxes good with the W220 - the gear changes are seamless as they should be in an S Class.
Suspension is smooth and composed - irons out all bumps and anomalies in the road. It truly is a magic carpet type ride in this car. However, for a large car, it still handles impressively well and you can confidently throw it into corners at speed. It's no Lotus Elise, but will surprise you with how it behaves. You can sometimes hear the suspension pump working away and if you leave the car parked up for a couple of days, the front drops. Could be a leaking valve block, air line leak or a ride height sensor. Either way, it rise up to normal height a few minutes after the car is started.
The brakes are good, and these S Classes have larger pistons on the front for extra stopping power. They stop this car well and there is no noticeable shuddering or pulling to one side. The brake line warning light is on, but I think this is a faulty sensor, as the brakes are as they should be. SRS light is also on (usually a seat occupancy sensor).
The tyres are recent and matching on all four corners. They have covered less than 5k miles, so have plenty of life left and are like new.
Being a flagship Mercedes, it is built to a high quality standard and you can appreciate this from the fit and finish. It is a pleasure to drive and long journeys are completed with ease - you get out at the other end feeling refreshed.
Everything works as it should, which is to be expected from a car which cost around £70k when new. There are currently no other warning lights on the dashboard cluster.
The car is in presentable condition, but it does suffer from he usual rust from this era of Mercedes: the front wings have some surface corrosion, as do the rear arches and the bottom of the boot lid. The rust is only on the surface, and the car is generally solid and not a rot box. It has been touched up with spray paint, therefore the rust is more hidden and not as apparent. Not the best job, but at least it looks netter than brown rust on a silver body! There are marks, blemishes and stone chips as to be expected on a 20 year old car. A couple of minor dents and scrapes on the body. It is not new or perfect, but still looks special and imposing - no one would think you paid less than £2k for this lump of metal!
The interior of this car is in very good order, with no rips or tears. There's some wear to the driver's seat bolster. Everything is tight and solid. The seats are supremely comfortable, and the front ones adjust in a multitude of directions.
This has been looked after during it's life, and even up until 2014, it was going to a Mercedes Main Dealer, with the last receipt from them with a bill of over £1200! There are various bills and receipts totalling over £4k, and a lot of previous original MOT Certificates. The user manuals are present in the leather folder along with the original build sheets, but they are in Japanese (although, I think most people should know how to work the features on the car, and I am happy to talk them though everything). It has three keys, two being remote fobs and one is the master key. Both keys work as they should, and one actually looks like it has never been used. Handy to have the extra keys, as replacements are over £250.
Comes with: 3 Remote Keys (Two Standard, One Master Key), Mercedes User Manuals in Japanese, Various Invoices and Receipts totalling over £4k, MOT History Printout, V5 Logbook.
Located in Shinfield, Berkshire, RG2 post code. Please call me on 07984 395400.