AMG with Alcantara - we CAN! do it - at a price......
Hi, Greg - and everyone else US
The German MB configurator was offline earlier, but now it works, and we can indeed get an Alpine Rain ML500 with the appearance package, AMG bumpers, and alcantara interior. And yes, the EUR 3,364/USD ± 4,373 buys you just the bumpers - the AMG wheels are another 907 USD away. And if you want the "standard" 19" wheels chromed, it's even more expensive [

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All in all, a fully-optioned ML500 (including trailer hitch, Keyless-Go, Airmatic, navigation and memory seats) will cost you in the vicinity of 110,500 US$ plus delivery in Germany[:0][:0]
I have been down into the details in the US/German configurator, and tried to "build" two strictly identical ML350's, both heavily optioned with full leather, memory seats, Bi-Xenons, 18" wheels and so on. Lavish, but not at all unrealistic. I took out the German 16% sales tax, as IIRC the US MSRP does not include local sales taxes either.
US base price:
US$ 40,470/EUR 31,131
DE base price:
EUR 41,350/US$ 53,755
Total options, US:
US$ 18,313/EUR 14,087
Total options, DE:
EUR 16,965/US$ 22,055
Vehicle total, US:
US$ 58,783/EUR 45,218
Vehicle total, DE:
EUR 59,110/US$ 76,843
- it seems to me that DC has "forgotten" about the current EUR/USD exchange rate, or else the vehicles travel first-class on the QE2[

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So now please stop complaining on the forced-upon-you packages. While some US non-combinations (like Greg's) may seem strange, on the whole you gain quite a lot in respect to our "tailor-made" cars. And while looking at the US packs, I found myself liking the content of them almost a 100% - there aren't any blatant sillinesses.
Just for the record: In my native Denmark, this technical and luxurious wonder would cost its lucky owner the equivalent of US$ 285,236.25 - plus delivery. The yearly ownership tax is quite horrendous, as is insurance - and gas is US$ 6.60 a gallon[xx(][xx(] Ansan can confirm that things are also something like that in Norway.....
Cheers,
Birger
PS. I was too long in posting - thanks for your reply to my earlier post, Greg[

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