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Comments
As a point of reference, some of the world's greatest automotive testers and journalists have given exemplary marks to the new SL and its driving experience. Not bad for a 1st-year introduction. I suggest that people drive and experience this car prior to posting uninformed opinions.
The SL design target was not the 996 (world-class sports car) on one end of the spectrum or the SC430 (pure luxo-coupe)on the other. It sets the bar uniquely for its intended buyers. Funny, MB seems to sell every one they build... often at an unfortunate premium over MSRP.
BTW, as an enclosed coupe, the Crossfire has little in common with the SLK Cabrio... other than sharing the 3.2L engine.
At original MSRP of appx. $100k, they will have to pay over $8k to the break-even for the first owner. How did this work for you?
The real question anyone with that kind of money needs to ask themselves is whether they want a nimble razerlike Ferrari or a musclecar Mercedes 2 seat roadster that weighs more than our Isuzu Trooper. I know which one I would take. I suspect the Mercedes would be more fun to drive at the Bonneville Salt Flats, but the Ferrari on any other road conditions.
M
I think it's because not everyone considers big, powerful, heavy brutally fast touring cars to be the epitome of the automotive experience.
M
I am going to give two more Mercedes a try before giving up and devoting my time to BMW and Audi. I have ordered both the CLK500 which weighs in around 3500 pounds and should be more lithe than the SL500 with the same engine; I also ordered the SL55, but this is because I know I can sell this car in a minute for a profit if I don't like it.
I do agree that a Ferrari 360 outhandles the SL55. With 1000 lb difference, it better do. What I referred to my post was that it is amazing that the Merdeces' numbers (in acceleration) are the best of the bunch, shaming even the 360. NOw, that is no small feat in itself. Ferraristi cannot deny that, as all cars carrying the prancing horse have acceleration as a substantial part of the overall "Ferrari thing". And this SL kicked some serious Spider A.S.S.
The SL 55 in my opinion is a better match for the larger Ferrari sibling, the 575 (It already outaccelerated 550).
If you want a mercedes that handles, wait for the upcoming SLR, which should knock heads with Murcielago and Ferrari Enzo.
<>
There are plenty of cars that are heavy and do just fine, the Ferrari 575M Maranello being one of them. I keep hearing all this talk about the SL being too heavy yet the SC430 and XK8 are all within 200 or so pounds of each other. That hardly makes the SL overweight.
Now the VW Phaeton, at 5000 lbs is overweight compared to it's competition, A8 (1000lbs!!! less), S600 (600lbs less). Now thats "overweight".
benznut,
I'd completely forgotten about the SLR. I don't think I'm going to like the styling though, we'll see.
shoes,
You say the SL is less fun to drive, compared to what? Remember it's not a 911 chaser.
M
I am a respectful fan of AMG, having personally owned an original 300SEL 6.3 many years ago. But I am apparently not as easily impressed as you and some others who think dropping a nearly 500 horsepower engine in a 4,300 pound two seater is the epitome of automotive engineering. Spectacular engines? yes. Spectacular cars? not really.
Trust me, no one that owns or aspires to a Ferrari 360 is going to somehow feel inferior thanks to the SL55 any more than they would have next to my cousin's Buick. One is a drivers car, the other one is not. Period.
I agree though that only area where the SL55 impresses compared to a 360 Modena is in a straight line, but put it against Ferrari's own heavyweight cars the 575M or 456GT and the Benz is all over them.
The 360 and SL55 are in totally different classes. But to say the SL55 isn't at all a drivers car is just not accurate.
M
I guess having money doesn't equate to having class.
As far as Biuck SS and Pontiac GTO, Truly and honestly I would not know these cars if they rearended me. Maybe it is the generation gap, or maybe that I was born and raised in Europe (among Alfa Romeos and Fiats).
If your feelings were hurt about the Ferrari, here is another one for you: For $100G less, I can get an M3 BMW and still have a ferraristi next lane taste German exhause fumes (at least if he is slow in shifting action;-))
I agree that there is little difference in weight between the Jaguar XK8, the Lexus SC430 and the SL500. I have owned them all and none of them were much fun to drive.
I do not like your off-kilt remarks about lack of class and chemical imbalance. I thought this was a place for enthusiasts, hence the enthusiasm. Show your class at your local country club, every fine-dining Thursday, and do not belittle others, especially you do not know anything about them.
I am now pulling back from this back and forth futile debate. I sugest you do the same, and talk what we are supposed to talk about: cars - not each other.
I agree with whoever mentioning that the R230 SL500 exhaust is way too loud. To me, engine or exhaust noise is not music to my ears and I rather have Bach over a Ferrari engine at 8,000 rpm. Yes, if I were in the market for a sports car, I would prefer the 996TT over the 360, it's quieter and is a better deal.
The SL55 will be a unique animal, will have to find a way to test drive it before commenting further but I sure am looking forward to the new E55.
drive than any of these. "
Thats just it though, the SL500 doesn't compete with any of these, now compared to the XK8 or SC430 I would say the SL500 is more "fun". The SL500 is still a luxury car first, something of which none of the above can close to matching. Different cars excel at different things.
The Mini Cooper is more fun than cars that cost waaaay more money, but that doesn't make the more expensive cars "bad" cars.
Lastly "fun" means different things to different people.
M
Here you can find, among others, two videos of SL55AMG (really good sound), as well as a plethora of other MB videos and other brands. Check it out.
Mario's choice... the MB. It was his "overall" choice to drive for a variety of reasons. Think he would turn away the 360 or Z8? No way! MB-AMG has built a beast of a touring car, not a track car. Most people who can afford such vehicles will also have their 996, M3, etc. to "play" with!
This inane bashing of the MB is ridiculous.
I did not intend any of my previous comments to be interpreted as bashing the SL55. I perhaps overreacted to the title "SL55 beats all". I agree they were not meant to compete. I should be so lucky as to someday have the choice between an SL55 and a 360.
M
I decided to get a BMW 540, a Porsche 911 and a Mercedes SL500. Of these three, the SL500 was the least satisfying to own. It was too flabby, the brakes had no feel, it did not feel fast and it was not enough fun for the money. I sold it and got a Mini Cooper S until I can figure out how to reallocate my car resources.
Do I get an SL55, a CLK 500 or something else?
Sounds like your SL was somewhat of an anomoly, as I have yet to read similar experiences elsewhere. It is, in its purest form, a very different ride than your 2 current vehicles.
Sounds like you "need" something either in their class (sharper-edged) or something totally different (i.e. the pickup)! How about an S55 or the upcoming E55?
Ferrari 360 Modena (Manual) - Black/Tan
SL55 AMG 125K
M3 SMG Convertible 60K
Perfect garage for me.
Benznut, I think you've gone over budget......
M
Thank god the M5 only comes in a 6-speed. "SMG" is simply obscene for cars like the M3 or Ferrari 360 unless you had your left foot amputated. And even then, there has to be a good prosthesis for serious driving enthusaists.
P.S. Please don't make any excuses. My wife is barely 100lbs, we live in DC and have a 5-speed Isuzu Trooper, 5-speed Maxima and 6-speed S2000. We may not have $250k to spend, but we do have 16 "row your own" gears in 3 vehicles.
Put your name down now!
2003 E55 (75K?)
2003 996 Carerra4 (85K?)
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab (30K)
1967 Corvette Conv. - 327/365HP (guessing 20-30K)
2003 Thunderbird (for the bride... 40K)
Love many of the new roadsters (Boxster, S2000, etc), but my 6'4"/250lb frame just doesn't fit well!!
M
But it is my personal opinion (which you obviously disagree with) that anyone who picks a cadre of three cars totalling $250k and over 1,200 horsepower - ALL with automatic transmissions - is no serious "driving" enthusiast. I'll give you the two mercedes to deal with a boring commute, since AMG can't figure out how to do a mnual anyway, but a SMG on an M3? Is there no car out there that you would like to have the opportunity to truly interact with?
Perhaps you can drive a stick better than me. But if so, your election to go with 3 slushboxes is even more puzzling. IMHO, rowing your own is the way a sports car was meant to be driven.
Perhaps we could settle this over a friendly round of golf. I'm a 10 handicap. If you're higher, I'll give you the difference, if you're better, I'll still play you even up. Just this condition: the course has to be at least 7,000 yards from the tips and have a slope rating of 140; we play from the tips and we play by USGA rules. IMHO, that's the way golf was meant to be played.
Again, don't take me too seriously, everyone is entitled to their opinion and although I like to debate, I don't want to offend.
The New SL500 (and numerous other MBs) are so beautiful in my eyes that I would definitely have one of them in my garage. Besides the fact that as far as automatic transmissions go, MB is the best in the business (just ask Jaguar, I mean Ford why MB supplies the transmissions for the Supercharged Jaguar line of cars).
Mercedes doesn't make a manual transmission that can handle the power of the SL. The 6 speed from the C230K would get torn to shreds with the torque from the V8.
Personally I think the crudeness of the old SL is kind of cool. I think of the old SL500 as "The World's Most Perfect Ford Mustang Convertible." That's just my opinion though.
Habitat: Did I help or hurt your cause? LOL!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
E 55 AMG: the most powerful Mercedes-Benz E-Class of all time
In the new E 55 AMG, Mercedes-AMG presents a worthy successor to the popular previous model. The E 55 AMG confidently positions itself at the forefront of all standard-specification sports saloons in its segment: the high-performance engine, familiar from the SL 55 AMG has an output of 350 kW/476 hp at 6100 rpm and develops a maximum torque of 700 Newtonmetres, which is available across a broad range between 2650 and 4500 rpm.
This tremendous power results in the four-door vehicle's extraordinary performance: the Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG passes the 100 km/h mark after just 4.7 seconds, and reaches a speed of 200 km/h in 16.1 seconds. The top speed is 250 km/h (electronically governed). Despite its sporty character, the new AMG high-performance Saloon is very modest when it comes to fuel, with a consumption level of 12.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the NEDC combined cycle. The exhaust emissions are also pleasingly low: the E 55 AMG already complies with the EU4 limits, which are not due to come into force until 2005.
Motor racing expertise influences engine design
The technical highlights of the sophisticated AMG V8 supercharged engine include the mechanical supercharger, located between the cylinder banks, which places the 5.5-litre eight-cylinder engine under a maximum pressure of 0.9 bar. Integrated in the compact supercharger module is the charge-air cooler, which operates along the highly efficient lines of an air/water heat exchanger. Using AMG's wealth of experience in the field of motor racing, the interior of the engine has been given a totally new design: the crankcase, crankshaft and pistons have been reinforced, the cylinder heads and valve train have been optimised and a more powerful oil pump has been added.
AIRMATIC DC semi-active suspension with AMG-specific tuning
To ensure that the high engine output is delivered to the road effectively, the Mercedes-AMG engineers have redesigned the suspension and the braking system. In the E 55 AMG the progressive dynamic handling systems help set the sports Saloon apart from its current competitors. The air-sprung, semi-active AIRMATIC DC suspension with ADS II allows the driver to opt for a more comfortable or a very sporty ride. Damping and springing automatically adjust to the given situation in fractions of a second, and the required tuning can also be selected manually in three stages at the touch of a button. The spring struts, shock absorbers, torsion bars and the entire electronic suspension management have been specifically adapted to the high dynamic potential of the AMG model.
Experience gathered during over three decades in motorsport also served as a basis for the fully modified power transmission, with the steel rear axle and differential cooling, and for the braking system, with Sensotronic Brake Control, familiar from the SL 55 AMG: internally ventilated, perforated brake discs all-round, sized 360 x 36 millimetres at the front and 330 x 26 millimetres at the rear, ensure excellent deceleration of 10.8 m/s2 and practically no fading. Eight-piston fixed callipers at the front axle allow a brake pad surface which is almost twice as large as in the Mercedes-Benz E 500.
New AMG twin-spoke light-alloy wheels
Contact with the road is provided by size 245/40 ZR 18 (front) and 265/35 ZR 18 (rear) wide-base tyres, which are fitted on attractive AMG twin-spoke light-alloy wheels, eight inches wide at the front and nine inches wide at the rear. In addition to the AMG twin-spoke wheels, painted in sterling silver, striking side skirts from the AMG bodystyling package emphasise the elegant silhouette of the Saloon; the V8 KOMPRESSOR lettering on the front wings draws attention to the fact that this is the most powerful E-Class of all time. At the front the AMG front apron, with its large air intakes and clear-glass fog lamps, sets this exclusive sports Saloon apart from the rest, while a fitting finishing touch is provided at the rear by the AMG rear apron with integral, oval, chromed twin tailpipes, left and right.
Fine leather appointments in exclusive nappa/nubuck combination
The interior style of the new Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG follows the lead set by the dynamic exterior: the AMG sports seats have powerful contouring, unique fluting and AMG badges in the backrests, and come in an exclusive nappa/nubuck leather combination. The leather, which also trims the door panels, is available in three different colour combinations. The three round instrument displays in the E 55 AMG are distinguished from those of the other E-Class models by new dials with the V8 KOMPRESSOR and AMG logos, and the speedometer gauge which extends to 320 km/h. Further AMG-specific interior elements include the AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel with racing car-style gearshift buttons, the fine wood trim in bird's-eye maple and the door sill panels with the AMG logo.
M