Mercedes C36 AMG Brabus Edition: Spotted

Well if a gold S-Class isn't the Brabus for you then this might be more fitting!

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 10 November 2015 / Loading comments

In case you hadn't noticed, the

is a little bit ostentatious. We're all for a bit of extravagance but that much gold is rather silly. Times change though, and where understated and menacing served Brabus well for so many years now it seems people want to be a little more ... overt.

Nice pics for a very nice car

We still quite like the old ways though, especially when they look this good. Our collective Brabus fascination began with overengined Mercedes saloons that looked just like Mercedes saloons, not the overengined ones in bloomin' gold.

The problem is working out just what this car is. The advert describes it as a C36 AMG 'Brabus Edition', there are Brabus badges and plaques plus a claimed power output in excess of 300hp, up from the standard car's 280. But it doesn't appear a fully fledged Brabus product, certainly not in the mould of the Brabus C58 that came later. Any help here would be much appreciated!

However, that doesn't make it an unappealing car. Very far from it. The C36 remains a bluff yet very handsome design, particularly in the dark blue of this car. The 17-inch AMG wheels look pristine and the whole condition exceptional for a 140,000-mile, 18-year-old car. It's recently been serviced at a Mercedes dealer and high quality photos work wonders for the advert. If he's taken this much care of the photos, the implication is surely that the car has been cherished too.

Rare and affordable? Win!

You'll remember the C36 impressed in our twin test

with the A45

a couple of years back. Sure, it was a very different AMG to the new car and the four-speed auto was rather outdated, but it proved far more capable and enjoyable that expected.

Which leads us to the rivals. Despite rising values £5K will still buy an E36 M3, albeit not a saloon. The Audi S4 is a possibility too, though you could argue it's a little less special than the full M and AMG performance flagships.

There's an awful lot going for this C36 then. It's fast, affordable, rare, interesting and seemingly in excellent condition. It's also not gold. The seller is even interested in part exchange. It may not be a full-fat Brabus but this halfway house still looks very appealing from here!

MERCEDES C36 AMG (STANDARD CAR)
Engine: 3,606cc, 6-cylinder
Transmission: 4-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 284@4,000 -4,750rpm
MPG: 27.9 (at 120 km/h)
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 140,000
Price new: £38,250 (base price for standard C36, before Brabus extras)
Yours for: £5,390