The new Drag Racing Star - Mercedes SL65 AMG!
 

Saw a thread about this car over on legacygt.com:

http://automobilemag.com/reviews/con...benz_sl65_amg/

Simply amzing! :cool:

-Chike

Neato! That's some cool stuff! :cool:

That's an old article now. I get Automobile mag, so I happened across it some time ago...but it's hilarious. His writing style is very entertaining. I think he actually learned alot about drag racing, and brought up some good points for the AMG folks to consider. Either they just put way too much power in that car, or they didn't pay enough attention to everything that's necessary to put that power to the ground. That car should have been running low 11's or high 10's (the new ZO6 with 500hp has a shot at 10's), but instead was struggling to even get into the 11's. Tires too small, rear end setup all wrong. Basically they could have gotten the same performance with 100hp less.

It wasn't meant to be a drag car, I got that, but street cars don't need that kind of power.

Hey, if they put power into it, people buy it!

Would you have bought your WS-6 if it had the same looks but a little inline-4 making ~130hp? I don't think so. However, a few decades ago, 300+hp was seen as way too much power to put in a street machine... ;)

-Chike

Well that depends. If the GTP was still making 260hp, then i'd buy it over the hypothetical 130hp WS6...but if this were a world of reduced hp and the 130hp WS6 was one of the most powerful sports cars available, then yes, i'd still buy it :D

I also have to note that my WS6 in stock form, with 345hp is only 1 second slower in the quarter than the SL65 AMG which packs nearly double the power. That's the problem. With a proper rear setup and a launchable driveline, the SL65 would run tens all day. But with a car like that, that's not even possible. So why all the power? Especially with gas prices the way they are. :confused:

big power doesn't mean it needs run to the drag strip and do 1/4 miles. ever heard of the Autobahn?

You don't need 700hp to do 200mph.

why do you have a 345hp car - you don't need that to do 55mph now do you? :D

Now wait a minute here...what is the argument? You were saying that the SL65 wasn't meant to be a "drag car" and that just because it has all that power doesn't mean it's trying to be one. I agree. However, my car IS a "drag car", so while I don't need 345hp (or 450hp, which i'm told I should have now) to do 55mph, I do need it to get there in less than 4 seconds. :D

And to add to that, while you could say that the SL65 has all that power so it can get to 55mph even quicker, i'd like to point out that it could pull the same times with nearly 150hp less. ;)

the arguement is, if you want to get to 55mph quicker, there are people who drive on the autobahn that would like to get to 200mph quicker. get it? obviously the SL65 isn't a drag car, because the computer won't let you rev it up if it insn't in gear. its for high speed blasts on european highways. remember the U.S. isn't the only place they sell these, although many will buy them here for the "i got big horsepower" bragging rights. you say its not equipped to put that power to the ground - but AMG doesn't have the drag race mentality. try pushing your WS6 on the autobahn at top speed for over an hour and i'm sure the engine wouldn't last, if it didn't rattle itself apart first.

But possibly if the car weighs in at much higher than 2 tons! :eek: Probably closer to 2 1/2 tons loaded.

Some of the points made are very valid. I don't know many cars where one could go that quickly (in a quarter mile or on the highway) in as much comfort and the feeling of such a SOLID ride. I have never riden in a SL 65 AMG, but I have riden in a E55 (a sedan that turns 12.6 quarters), and it feels rock solid at triple digit speeds (on a track, of course ;) ).

And as the point was made, the AMG's will run like this ALL DAY long!!

Harry (looking for that $170,000 I misplaced. Now where did I put it??????)

Harry,

The mags got 12.6-12.4 in the 1/4 mile for the E55, however, I've personally witnessed a factory stock (down to the paper air filter) E55 turn an 11.9 @ 118mph at the track. On dragtimes.com quite a few people have run 12.0's stock as well. Those cars are simply amazing!!!!

-Chike

Chike,
Try one at an autocross!! Not only are they fast, but they handle too!!! Especially for a large, heavy sedan!!

Say, how's the trans swap coming?

Harry

This weekend was no good as there was rain first, followed by cool weather. As we have to do it outside, we've pushed it back until next weekend when temps should be in the 70's. :)

-Chike

Yessir, I do. My point is that it could do all this with 100hp-150hp less. That's all i'm saying.

In my car, the engine would not be the problem. Trust me. The problem would be the driver complaining of a sore behind and ringing ears. The LS1 has no problem running at high RPMs for VERY long periods of time. If you don't believe it, watch the World Challenge CTS and C5R (or even the new C6R) cars. Same engine, just more airspace in the heads.

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread...

Not quite...two years in a row now the AMG car that showed up for Car & Driver's "Supertuner Challenge" never even made it to the timed runs. Both years they blew up in the warm ups. If they can't even handle that, how would they run ALL DAY?

You got that right...they are faster than you are led to think. I had a run in with one (at an undisclosed location ;) ), and even with everything my LPE WS6 has, I was just barely able to put a carlength on him. That's one quick car for it's size.