My MB dealer contact informed me that he had just heard that MB will not have a 2008 R63 or R500 and the R550 is not going to happen. The R Class will be offered only as the R350 (I didn't ask him about the R320 CDI but I assume this will continue).
It will be interesting to see how accurate this turns out to be! Any bets?
Vehicle: sadly, not a Benz, 07 Dodge Caliber R/T, '98 Jeep Wrangler SE
Location: Tuscaloosa AL
Posts: 34
I dunno, I hope that's not true because I want one and it will be many years though before I can get one. I want an AMG or diesel, not sure which one I'd choose.
I don't think MB will drop the R5xx, why waste the body for only one engine choice. It's not like they sell them like hot cakes anyway. I think they will milk the current R for two or three more years and drop the model entirely.
I had read in Automotive News that at a Mercedes dealer meeting in February at the NADA meeting, the Mercedes Rep told dealers then that there would be "unspecified changes" to the R Class. I do know they cancelled the May production of R Class vehicles. I had a R320CDI ordered and it and all the others were cancelled. The dealer told me a couple weeks ago that they were hopeful that they would be able to start placing 2008 model orders by April. If that is true, we should know soon what those "unspecified" changes are going to be.
I had read in Automotive News that at a Mercedes dealer meeting in February at the NADA meeting, the Mercedes Rep told dealers then that there would be "unspecified changes" to the R Class. I do know they cancelled the May production of R Class vehicles. I had a R320CDI ordered and it and all the others were cancelled. The dealer told me a couple weeks ago that they were hopeful that they would be able to start placing 2008 model orders by April. If that is true, we should know soon what those "unspecified" changes are going to be.
It is really strange... Did the R-class sale amount is far below Mercedes' expect ? I wonder whether MB did plan to stop this vehicle soon.....
How is the sale amount of R-class in US ? Why did MB cancelled all the May production ??? anybody knew the root cause ?
In 2006, they sold 18,186 R's and with the heavy advertising of the R last year, estimated a per unit spend of $7,000 per car sold. Compare that to 31,632 Ml's and an per unit advertising of $1.900. Even with the heavy advertising, sales barely moved. They even offered employee discounts last year for the R. I do not know about the R350 vs 500 vs 550, but they did say they are retooling to make more ML's and GL's. (Shared parts/plant)
Before the R was launched, dealers were quite upset at the numbers that MBUSA were projecting to make, knowing that it will take away from ML inventory.
If I remember right the V8s are gone and they are adding 2wd models so they can lower the base price. I'm not sure about the CDI but I would assume that they are keeping it.
Fact or Fiction? No 2008 R63, R500 or R550 
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