Back in the late 1980s, one of the premier muscle cars money could buy was a thundering Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 6.0 Wide-Body from AMG. Insanely powerful, insanely expensive and, with only 50 or so examples ever built, insanely rare.

At the upcoming Russo and Steele collector car auctionrunning January 15 through 19in Scottsdale, Ariz., a stunning tribute to the legendary Wide-Body Benz coupe will go under the hammer, with an impressive $250,000 to $300,000 estimate.

A restomod 1989 Widebody Mercedes 560 SEC Coupe. being offered by Russo and Steele.Photo: Courtesy of Russo and Steele.

Based on a pristine 1989 560 SEC with just 32,000 miles on the clock, the car was given a total, ground-up restoration by Southern Californiabased Bespoke Motors, which included a complete, one-off Wide-Body body kit re-created in carbon fiber.

In addition to those iconic, bulging front and rear fenders, AMG-replica front and rear lower fascias and spoilers were also molded in carbon, along with carbon rocker panels.

The one-off automobile has only 32,000 miles on it.Photo: Courtesy of Russo and Steele.

To complete the unmistakable look of an original Wide-Body, AMGs super-wide, polished monobloc alloys were reproduced. Then, the entire car was painted in that sinister shade of Mercedes-Benz Blauschwarz metallic black and every piece of chrome trim blacked-out.

Open one of those huge, vault-like doors and its hard not to be wowed by the period-correct, body-hugging Recaro bucket seats trimmed in gorgeous, hand-stitched red leather. The restorers also created a unique Gray Zebra wood veneer for the door panels and dash, and sourced a period-correct AMG Momo steering wheel.

The car features Recaro bucket seats trimmed in hand-stitched red leather.Photo: Courtesy of Russo and Steele.

As part of a full mechanical rebuild, the car comes with new coil-over suspension, bigger brakes (front and rear), and a bespoke stainless steel high-flow exhaust.

The dash, door panels and period-correct AMG Momo steering wheel dressed in a Gray Zebra aesthetic.Photo: Courtesy of Russo and Steele.

If theres a major shortcoming with the car, however, its that it retains the stock 5.5-liter V-8 from the 560 SEC. The crowning glory of the Wide-Body was AMGs conversion to a heavy-metal 6.0-liter V-8 with new AMG-designed cylinder heads, twin overhead cams and 32 valves.

This modified V-8 took max power up from the standard 238 hp to an impressive, for the time, 385 hp. Even more formidable was the engines ability to produce twice the torque of the original 5.5 at half the engine speed. It was a monster, giving the car swifter acceleration than a Lamborghini Countach.

The lack of the latter will likely turn-off purist bidders, though the cars stunning restoration and conversion to a carbon-fiber Wide-Body look should excite lovers of the eras Mercedes muscle.

The example on offer has a new coil-over suspension, bigger brakes and a bespoke high-flow exhaust.Photo: Courtesy of Russo and Steele.

As for the estimate being as high as $300,000, that could be a stretch. At last Februarys RM Sothebys Paris auction of the Youngtimer Collection, an original 1989 Wide-Body 6.0 with just 27,731 kilometers sold for $338,972. But then a similarly original car auctioned by RM Sothebys at Amelia Island last March fetched $179,200.

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This Stunning Restomod of One of AMGs Baddest Benzes Is Heading to Auction - Robb Report