People will often pay through their nose to be the first to have something. In the technology industry it is called being an early-adopter – and you definitely pay to be one. With cars, Concours d’Elegance shows and auctions like Barrett Jackson in Arizona usually offer a chance to be first.
Sometimes a catalog like Neiman Marcus will score an exclusive as well. Most of the time the proceeds of a much-anticipated model are donated to a charity. According to Motor Authority sixth annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance in Florida is aiming to secure the very first Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. A charity doesn’t appear to be involved but we’ll have to check on that to be sure.
The standard sixth-generation SL just made its debut, and the high-performance AMG model is still under wraps. So apparently you’re bidding at the show for a car that hasn’t been released yet. That’s pretty weird, but when the car debuts you will be guaranteed to have the first one. While not well-known by most, the Boca Raton show has a history of first sells. They include the first Ferrari California, FF and 458 Italia, along with the first R8 GT, R8 5.2 FSI and R8 Spyder. Mercedes-Benz isn’t a stranger to the show either, with the first North American SLS AMG sold there.
On the docket this year is a Lamborghini Aventador, as well as the just-released R8 GT Spyder, which is limited to just 50 units in the United States. Most likely information will be provided to the buyer at the show via Mercedes, unless they decide to release the AMG first. The car is rumored to have 571 horsepower, powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8. The Boca Raton event takes place beginning February 25th. The price for being first will likely run at least $200,000. The previous generation SL63 AMG came in at around $140,000.
