A Mercedes-Benz ML is a 'Buy It Now' car in an auction yard. Whoever pays $5,500 can go home with it even before it goes under the hammer. But why does this Mercedes have the "TESLA" lettering on the hood?
Auction cars are tricky. You never know what you buy until you fire up the engine and start driving. That is if you are, indeed, buying a 'run and drive' vehicle. And even if it does run and drive, it might hide vicious faults that might convince the buyer to send it straight to the crusher or tear it apart and sell the parts on eBay.
Take this Mecedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTec, for example. The model is sitting in an auction yard, waiting for someone to rescue it and give it a new lease of life. Otherwise, it might just as well end up as a car part donor. And that would really be a heartbreaking ending after 200,000 miles on the road.
It is a clean-title, run-and-drive Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTec, which means that it is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine, which generates 208 horsepower (211 metric horsepower) and 176 pound-feet (239 Newton meters) of torque. With the right pedal down, it goes from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 8.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 140 mph (225 kph).
The V6 is mated to a seven-speed 7G-tronic automatic transmission. The 350 BlueTec has never been the sportiest of MLs, but it came with a reputation for being a reliable and comfortable premium SUV.
Photo: LegitStreetCars | YouTube
The SUV is in an auction yard. There is a dent on the rear fender on the driver's side and a scratch on the front bumper. The model is painted dark blue over a beige interior. The driver's seat doesn't look good at all, as the leather on the bolsters has started to peel off.
The model comes with a push-button start, navigation, two keys, and all-weather floor mats. It badly needs detailing, but that still won't turn it into an expensive purchase.
This ML SUV has traveled 201,244 miles (323,870 kilometers) so far. But what is weird about the SUV is that, right under the hood badge, it reads "TESLA" in capital letters.
The turbodiesel engine fires right up, but the "Check Engine" light is on, which could cost thousands of dollars to fix. Alex Palmeri, who is a car rebuild expert, has already seen the photos of the SUV online, and he went down to see it, considering the worst-case scenario. He notices oil leaks under the hood, but can't tell how bad they actually are.
And there is one more thing he can't tell: why this Mercedes wears the "TESLA" lettering on the hood. Probably not even the former owner can explain that! But you can drop us a line in the comments section if you have a guess as to why that ended up there!
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