Corrado

It sounds like you’ve already bought a car but if it helps anyone I owned this car from July 2014 to May 2017. Mileage increased from around 64k to 80k in this period. I think it has only had one owner since I sold it. It had FLSH and Lexus warranty in my ownership and was owned by a forum member prior to me. Let me know if you have any questions.

I'll park round the corner if I do come Seriously though, it's surprising how quiet it can be when you also consider how noisy it can be, if that makes sense.

Usually the secondary cats are the most restrictive part of the exhaust system so whilst refraining from quantifying bhp gains, there will be some increase in power if removing the secondary cats when replacing the exhaust.

Great, I'll confirm a little nearer the time but pencil me in please. Thanks 😀

I may be able to come along if owning a Lexus isn't a prerequisite?

Just reading some comments on this thread regarding the C63 and as someone who owned an IS-F and moved on to 6.2 C63 I have posted my initial impressions on the IS-F forum already a few months ago. I was not and am not a big Mercedes fan - I'd still have my IS-F if it weren't for practicality reasons but I've found the C63 slightly quicker than the IS-F. With a remap it will certainly be quicker than the GS-F and RC-F too. I agree though that +-0.1 or 0.2 seconds to 60 does not make or break a car. I would say that the Lexus is better built and feels better built too but I bought both cars with a main dealer warranty for peace of mind. Probably not necessary on the Lexus though! My C63 on 18" wheels rides better than my early IS-F. I didn't drive the RC-F as it didn't fit my needs but would certainly consider a GS-F in the future. The 6.2 AMG engine feels a little (but noticeably enough) quicker and as @Stuno1 has stated is easily remapped to 500-515bhp as the engine is detuned in the C63 to avoid upstaging the E63, CLS63 and S63 etc when they all used the M156 engine. Regarding the C63 having a greater proportion of 'yob' owners - I went for a debadged silver estate on 18" wheels in a bid to avoid unwanted attention. Talking of attention though, the exhaust imho is one of the best standard exhausts on any normal five seater car. It's quiet with a nice burble when pottering along but nice and loud with pops and bangs when pressing on. I know the comparison being made here is RC-F v C63 and I'm not addressing this specifically but with the choice of NA V8s reducing all the time the Merc 6.2 engined cars will probably hold value relatively well due to the following AMG engined cars have. As good as Lexus V8s are, they just aren't as widely recognised except by true enthusiasts resulting in limited new and used demand. Good for us when buying a used F though! Each to their own though, the IS-F, RC-F, GS-F and AMG V8 engined Mercs are all very good cars 😀

Wow, it must be seriously loud!

Hi Paul @Big Rat you're providing an excellent service 😀 Was the exhaust even louder than my old car? (The ad for which has gone - wonder if it's sold.)

Looks really good - better than I expected. You can give your old seat to @Flytvr now 😀

@Big Rat Yes I found it a little too loud. I had it booked in for an x-pipe (and possibly a small silencer where the resonator was - like Pete's) but ended up changing cars for other reasons.

Not sure on the whereabouts of the car but I think Steve has a 911 now.

Brilliant pics - well done!

@ThebigC Done 😀 @Big Rat A true gent 😀 The bodywork was in great condition bar front end stone chips even if I do say so myself! Edited to add: I mean in terms of no dents - there were the inevitable swirl marks in the black paint but a decent detail would would fix most of it.

That's disappointing to say the least. Especially given how central the driver's seat is to the whole driving experience. Hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction soon.

I had no dealings with them so will defer to you on that subject!

Really?! Hasn't yours done about half the mileage though, in which case I would have thought it might be a little too worn - not that it was in worse than expected condition for an 80,000 mile car. Has your issue with the driver's seat been resolved yet?

@Ace8800 The black IS-F at Bristol is my old car. You're welcome to PM me for more info. I've sent you a PM as well.

Oh, just to add, leaking water pump issues only seemed to be an issue on the earlier cars (2008 and 2009), I think the updated design pump may have been used by the time yours was built.

I can only echo what every one else has said, lovely car :) I had my IS-F for three years and it didn't cost a penny other than servicing and consumables. I still had the warranty for peace of mind though.

UK spec is different to US spec. There's no DRL function on the pre-facelift UK spec cars. We only got the DRL function with the facelift (LED DRLs) around 2011.

I had a lovely VR6 with leather so almost Storm spec other than the wheels, colour and badge. Held its value really well too. Sounded good and the 2.9 VR6 engine had excellent mid range punch for the 190bhp output - it felt quicker than that.

Well done for getting one to use as a daily. I can imagine every drive is an event. Using as a daily will inevitably have some compromises but I'm sure it's well worth it. The best colour for an Alfa as well. Great choice 😀

Fair enough, good point and very well made

Similar I guess - L110 gearbox in 2012 onwards GS450h and L210 in 2016 onwards RC300h. Maybe it is the same generation of gearbox then.