M5 getting it's ass kicked by SL55

[Rave TT]

This a a very sad day for me :bawl
BMW better get their act together, MB is coming out with some serious kick ass cars.

Click link for videos of the beat down.
http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21085

A really good write up of the new MB line with pictures.
http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21092

[SDbboy]

Serious ass kicking prices for that SL55 more like it.

Brian

[Preppy]

That SL55 is SOOOOOO purdy....unfortunatly the sticker price is not :(

One of these days....one of these days I'll get an SL55 :az:

[C.Yang]

a family friend just ordered his. That thing will be ridiculous. I think they estimated it would be like 140. honestly, that isn't that bad for such a tweaked mercedes. I heard that the doors unlock automatically if you have the keys on u and u try to open the doors, or somethin like that.

[Preppy]

Originally posted by C.Yang
I heard that the doors unlock automatically if you have the keys on u and u try to open the doors, or somethin like that.

It's an unlock feature that senses the key. MB has the coolest features. I still love the door close feature and on the CL there is an automatic trunk close button for the elderly.

I love MB...but it's more of a car for the ripened ;)

[makken]

Originally posted by Preppy


It's an unlock feature that senses the key. MB has the coolest features. I still love the door close feature and on the CL there is an automatic trunk close button for the elderly.

I love MB...but it's more of a car for the ripened ;)

heheh, I love the little metal handle that comes out of the previous generation S Class when you press the trunk release button =)

[Stockman]

I dont think the M5 was racing?

[Oxcart 1]

ok remind me to take a video of me passing a non racing viper on the freeway so we can all say the 325 is faster :astromile

[SDKCM3]

I thought I was the only one for a second.


Originally posted by SS328
I dont think the M5 was racing?

[DiScoTeknix]

The new eClass looks really nice. And uuhh... that M5 wasn't trying.

[Tai Pham]

What the heck was that? Technically if that counted as a win then in my M3 i must have beaten a 360 Modena and a 911 TT. Cmon the SL55 is a nice car but for that much money i might as well be riding in a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo. Nice car but too pricey.

[Preppy]

Heh, I take it's a good thing I didn't bother to d/l all those videos ;)

[Rave TT]

The M5 and the SL55 where racing, it looks like they weren’t because of the ease that the SL passed the M5. Believe me, I wish this was BS.

[Stockman]

I still doubt the legitimacy of it

Thats about how fast a viper overtakes a civic.

[Tai Pham]

Yeah i agree with ss328, i wanna see the two off the line.

[Solokron]

Agreed.

The car does have a rated 496 hp though. If it is lighter than the M5 this is a good possibility that it was racing though.

[Solokron]

And aren't AMGs supercharged? Supercharge the V8 on the M5 and I am sure it will surpass the SL55.

[ablahad]

They were both racing. The new SL55 did 0-180 faster than a GT2 by 8 seconds and a Murcielago by 2 seconds. At speed it will destroy most anything. Its a blown V8, what do you expect?

[r6e36]

I agree, theye werent racing at all. If they were racing the driver of the SL55 woudn't be able to tape the video. However i woudn't be surprised that an SL55 can smoke a M5 considering it costs almost twice as much.

[Antonio]

<~~~~Is dating a chick who's dad will soon have his SL55;)

[vjlax18]

One of my bast friend's father runs the MB plant in Northern Maryland. He had the first one in the country a couple of weeks ago. It was bad ass, and extremely fast. I was supposed to race it through Loch Raven in MD, but I needed new tires. By the time I got the tires, he had to give it up.

[badbadm]

Umm, the M5 was on the brakes in the 2nd video people.
When an M5 is racing, it makes quite a spectacle. Usually alot of noise, some black smoke, and it squats. That M5 was not noisey, smoking, or squatting in eithe clip.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by r6e36
However i woudn't be surprised that an SL55 can smoke a M5 considering it costs almost twice as much.

Costs twice as much, only seats 2, has limited trunk space... oh and has a supercharged V8 opposed to a NA V8. Oh and it's an automatic... where's the fun in that? :confused:

[SilverStreak]

Isn't the SL55 0-60 in like 4.3 seconds...??

[91M5]

I hate to make this argument (because Civic owners usually do) but even at Dinan's prices you would have trouble spending that much on an M5, even after adding a supercharger. $140k? No way. I will take a Ferrari please.

[Jgent]

Motorweek just did a feature on the Benz on SpeedTV with Mario Andretti.

Didn't seem like the numbers that they generated were that much better than an M5.

Different classes of vehicles though. Completely different price ranges completely different purposes. Benz is nice showcase of technology not certain what the point is though. You know what a Viper is for, you know a M5 is for the Autobarn, where does the Benz fit? The country club? good luck fitting your clubs in the trunk. Its not exactly a canyon road carver or track car.

I don't know, I watched the show and found myself being puzzled as to what the point to the Benz is.....:dunno

[SilverStreak]

The point? A really nice, fast, solid, yet still comfy car. It's for the SL crowd that just wants more balls...

[Jgent]

I guess...

I know several SL owners. I don't think any of them have even given their cars full throttle. But I guess you are right, they already spent 100k on there cars to them another 50k doesn't mean that much.

Damn I envy them, I wish 50k didn't mean anything to me. $50 means something to me.

Anyway, the MB SL seem to be very capable of attracting nice young women to otherwise old balding guys that's even with corny colors like gold (not even a nice champagne gold, we are talking nasty gold). Maybe it isn't the car but that's the impression I have (the guy is always after my wife...).

[J10B]

Sorry guys a few tenths isnt THAT fast. Comeone there are a few guys that ran with a e46 m3 in a s52 Mcoupe and it didnt walk like that. If the m5 was really trying I would see the MB walk slowly away NOT like that. PLus its about time a new car finally caught the m5 seeing the M5 is done its production run.

[SilverStreak]

Jgent, my point was, it's for the SL that WANTS MORE BALLS, not the typical SL owner (read: Doctor's wife...) :D

[Rel44 M3]

Okay, the SL55 isn't that much faster at lower speeds, but it literally takes off at the higher speeds. Supabimma posted a pic of a magazine clipping where they tested the speeds all the way up to like 200mph or something of the SL55 versus some Ferrari and the GT2. After like 100mph it creamed both of them.

[SilverStreak]

:eek: at those high speeds it beat a Ferrari and Porsche GT2?? That's THEIR territory, holy crap!

[Rel44 M3]

Okay, let me try this again. Here's the pic. Notice the total time it takes the SL55 to reach 300kph and how much it gained between 200 and 300kph.

[AbeM3]

lol, you guys crack me up. . C5's have had that passive keyless entry thing going on since 97.. It's only cool cause Merc does it...


That thing is fast from 100 up tho! Wow... Easy to imagine it sucks off the line cause it weighs almost 4400lbs!

Too bad they are still automatic boulevard cruisers.. they seem to be built especially for the NBA or something.

[Rel44 M3]

Yeah that thing'll still get eaten up on the road course and autocross by the M5. Just watch out if you're trying to race one at triple digit speeds!

[540Rob]

Hrm...
M5 HP394 Weight 4024lbs
SL55 AMG HP350 Weight 4310lbs

Where does all that weight in the MB come from... its a 2 seater? Could there be that much added weight to strengthen it since it is a convertable?

[540Rob]

Originally posted by AbeM3
lol, you guys crack me up. . C5's have had that passive keyless entry thing going on since 97.. It's only cool cause Merc does it...


That thing is fast from 100 up tho! Wow... Easy to imagine it sucks off the line cause it weighs almost 4400lbs!

Too bad they are still automatic boulevard cruisers.. they seem to be built especially for the NBA or something.

It may suck off the line (0-20) but still gets to 60 in 4.6 secs....

[540Rob]

Originally posted by Solokron
Agreed.

The car does have a rated 496 hp though. If it is lighter than the M5 this is a good possibility that it was racing though.

MB says it's only 350 and it weighs more than the M5.

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by 328isRob
Where does all that weight in the MB come from... its a 2 seater? Could there be that much added weight to strengthen it since it is a convertable?

How much do the regular SL's weigh? I bet there's already a lot of weight in that hardtop mechanism.

[SilverStreak]

All Mercedes are hefty in general, nature of the beast. And if you ask me, the fact that all the AMG cars are equipped with wus****tics just tells me they aren't serious sports enthusiasts cars, even with all that speed and hp- but that's just 1 guys's opinion on that... :D

[mpbmw318is]

I will never buy an AMG reguardless of how much cash I have until they start putting in a nice 6 speed box.

[J10B]

Even though some RAGS say the roadster AMG 320slk is better than the M have seen nothing but HORRIBLE reviews on teh handling. They say the handling matches the slushbox for Crap.

[makken]

ok, if the SL55 AMG can do this, imagine what the new M6 is capable of...

if the rumors are true, then the M6 would feature 500hp V10 at around 3800 lbs. It looks like it has the potential to basicall school the SL55, too bad its still 2 years away :(

[Rel44 M3]

Like I said before, the current M5 will school this SL55 on a road course. When BMW does bring out the next 5-series, it will have more hp and less weight and have that great balance we've come to expect in all the ///M products. I have no doubt it will be a superior product.

[makken]

Originally posted by Rel44 M3
Like I said before, the current M5 will school this SL55 on a road course. When BMW does bring out the next 5-series, it will have more hp and less weight and have that great balance we've come to expect in all the ///M products. I have no doubt it will be a superior product.

I don't know about that, I believe the SL55 just barely edged out the z8 (or was it the other way around) on the Nürburging with a time of I think 8 minutes 18 seconds or so.

[J10B]

OMG I watched it again NO fing WAY. To pass an M5 that was trying like that he had to be a 2 sec car. That M5 was passed like a 18 wheeler on the highway.

[Kyle K.]

yeah... theres no damn chance the m5 was racing...

AlphaLead, I think I remember seeing that the sl55 had a faster time around Nurburgring than a z8 too... so no, the M5 wouldn't eat the sl55 on the road course... but guess what? its 5 years newer and twice the price... how about we wait 5 years for BMW to make a 300k car:rolleyes:

[Rel44 M3]

I guess you guys are right. I'd think the M5 would negotiate the turns better and carry a faster exit speed though. There are enough high speed straights at Nurburgring for the SL55 to make use of its hp advantage. But maybe on a very tight technical course? We'll just have to wait and see what happens when the M5 guys meet up with the SL55 guys at the track.

[makken]

hrmm, I remember seeing a map with various speeds at different points on the track, the SL55 matched the Z8 in speed almost everywhere, and pretty much killed it in the straights

[Rel44 M3]

Okay, now I'm curious as hell. Where'd you read all this?

[makken]

I think in a forum on www.supercars.net
some guy scanned a page from a german magazine where they pitted the z8 against the sl55 on the nur... I've been trying to find a copy of that image, but so far, no luck.

[Rel44 M3]

Dang, well, please post the link if you find it. :) You wouldn't happen to know the name of the magazine he posted it from, would you?

[ablahad]

Think of the tunability of the Sl 55, a blown V8. People could easily get into the 6 and 700's in this thing. I can't wait to see what Renntech does to it.

[makken]

Ok, looks like they took down the image, here's the thread though
Magazine was german SportAuto (anyone got a copy)?
Z8 ran 8:18, SL55 ran a 8:12
http://www.supercars.net/cMsg?viewThread=true&year=2003&make=Mercedes-Benz&model=SL%2055%20AMG&fn=119

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by ablahad
I can't wait to see what Renntech does to it.

They already have one. It's in the latest C&D. They got it up to 575hp. If the blower is anything like the ones they have in the C32 and SLK32 then it's already running 1 bar, and may not be able to push much more boost.

[NoSoup4U]

I personally like the SL cab class. Although the SLK 430 is pretty damn nice as well. This is ONLY my opinion.

I personally would choose the Mercedes. It's a great daily driver. It's luxurious, etc. If you've ever driven the SL600 V12 it's just as nice as the 850Csi BMW. MB has some of "THE" most advanced technology. I mean, they are YEARS ahead of BMW in some respects in my opinion....and they have very classic styling.
Nothing to hip or trendy....they do some changes; but, still stick to the basics....and that's why their vehicles remain classy...I mean no offense, some of the new bimmer styles...I wonder about....

If you would give me the SL55, E55 AMG, versus a Ferrari or Porsche...I would choose the Mercedes.

Sorry to vent here; but, it seems some of the posts are like the ones found in Lexus, or Audiworld. Everyone is quick to point out, OH WELL, for $150K, the car SHOULD beat the M5.....or that the car was not racing.

I mean, just like Honda Civics that can beat a BMW M3...it's NOT a BMW....and same thing, the M5 is NOT a MB.....M5 is a great car don't get me wrong; but, I don't think you can compare it with the MB...MB is in a class of their own....I mean the S-class is sweet, even the S320 is a sweet ride.

[SilverStreak]

I respectfully disagree. MB vs BMW is almost as old a rivalry as Ford vs Chevy.

And from my personal experince with lots of friends with Mercedes and BMWs, if it can be asserted that MB and BMW aren't in the same class at all, it's cuz every single person I personally know with a Mercedes has had reliability problems with their cars, tons of them, serious ones, whereas most of my friends with BMWs have had pretty reliable cars on the whole...

[NoSoup4U]

Perhaps your right silver; but it's only my personal opinion. I still disagree, I think one is for let's pile the kids and drive to church...and the other is a little more free-spirited saturday driving....

My response is only meant that sometimes it's easy to say it's ONLY .2 seconds faster for $60K more... but, that's like saying, to my neighbor, I live next door to you but your house cost $400K more than mine and my house is only 200 square feet smaller. To me, comparing apples an oranges. The price doesn't make them comparable...perhaps SL55 v. Z8.... But, I could tell my neighbor, you're an idiot, you paid too much and look at what you only got... but, that would probably be my envious side, wishing I had 400K extra to blow on 200 extra square feet.

I also think numbers mean crap, because most of us (well, maybe you silver) could never achieve those numbers that C&D obtains from test-driving it. I know bimmer owners tend to do it, so do I, OHH...the 0-60 is 4.9 and 1/4 mile is 13.03 versus 13.2. But, it really means nothing.

I mean, give an experienced driver the RSX type S and the brand new M3 2002 to someone that "thinks" because they are a good driver because they race people on the street from stoplights and who would you place your money on???

I mean, a neighbor who was on the N-something circuit for 11 years.....took me for a ride in my OWN car...and I had NO IDEA it handled, accelerated, turned, etc...like it did. I mean, to me, it was night and day difference. I mean, literally, he scared the bejesus out of me. But, he wasn't recklessly driving . . . at the end, he was like, I could push it harder, but it's not my car...I thought I was a pretty decent driver ......

Plus, I think the claims to the Porsche and Ferrari are a little inapplicable here. The MB IMO, is a daily driver, the two sports cars are not. I like the M5 and wish I could afford one, not to mention the insurance costs...but, the MB is a sweet car......and I think people detract from a great car when you point out 1/4 mile times, or $$. I mean, all car enthusiasts do it to an extent, that's a POS mustang, or camaro, etc...I have an E46 2002 M3 that can beat your Camaro/mustang...etc...and camaro/mustang people say look at how much you paid.....etc.....and people that will say it doesn't handle like an M3...haven't ridden in one...the mustangs and camaro's...can handle surprisingly excellent....with a few tweaks (and relatively CHEAP tweaks) ..... the mustang/camaro's look like a bargain....

I mean, if I had a $140-150K to place on a car, it would be an old corvette perhaps a 1963-1965 complete frame-up restoration with a custom, climate-controlled, hurricane-wind withstanding, fire proof, sprinkler system, retina-security accessed barn to house it in. I mean, I would gladly choose a classic car over a testarosa, ferrari, porsche, etc...<-- unless they are classic ones...hehe

But- that's why my opinion is biased.

[Hyperion]

NOWACK N500....


...Ok... I am done now...

[SilverStreak]

I see your point, and I see where mine got lost a little in my post. I do think MB and BMW are in the same class. BMW has always offered a sportier edge for a similar car for a little less money while MB always leans a little more towards luxury.

And Mercedes AMG doesn't have any sports cars, cuz they are all automatics, therefore not really sports cars... :devillook :D

But anyways, MB and BMW are competition for one another much like Acura and Lexus, and Ford and Chevy, etc....

[Rel44 M3]

I'm with Dave on this one. I think they are in the same class, but as he said, MB leans more toward luxury while BMW thinks more about sport. And sport doesn't necessarily mean quarter-mile times or lap times. It's more about how does the car feel, how communicative is it, does it do what I expect it to do. That's really where BMW has the edge over MB for a driving enthusiast. SL55 is a nice car, and it's damn fast, but it's still not a driver's car (as attested to by the guy who owns the SL55 in the video).

[Greg]

If you were to give BMW a $140K budget to build a car, it would be fairly easy to create such a monster performance wise. Looks wise with Chris Bangle around, BMW will not compete in the looks category. The SL55 is simple stunning.

I think the Z8 vs the SL55 might be more appropriate...

RMS has a gorgeous supercharger kit which you could bolt onto your M5 or Z8, and it would yield a whopping 590HP!
Of course the kit can cost 15Grand. Which is still under the cost of an SL55.

Now your comparring apples to apples. Two supercharged V8s.

[SDbboy]

Originally posted by 328isRob
Hrm...
M5 HP394 Weight 4024lbs
SL55 AMG HP350 Weight 4310lbs

Where does all that weight in the MB come from... its a 2 seater? Could there be that much added weight to strengthen it since it is a convertable?

The SL 55 actually has 476 HP.

Comparing it to an M5 is not really fair nor logical.

The Z8 is basically the M5 roadster version and it does very well on the track and straight line just behind the SL 55.

With an extra 82 HP on tap than the Z8 yeah thats how it goes.

Brian

[makken]

Hrm...
M5 HP394 Weight 4024lbs
SL55 AMG HP350 Weight 4310lbs

Where does all that weight in the MB come from... its a 2 seater? Could there be that much added weight to strengthen it since it is a convertable?

my guess would be at the retractable hardtop

[Hyperion]

You people are slow....

None has bothered looking up the Nowack N500 yet???

[NoSoup4U]

http://www.m5-n500.de/de/presse/bmwm5/bmwm5_bimmer.htm

Here's some more info for those that are lazy...hehe. But, come on, you are going to send your car to germany - and, I don't think the car would pass emissions in the U.S. then from what I understand they do.

Although 198 MPH+, that's pretty breath-taking. How much does that upgrade cost though?

Even the work on the C32 AMG they did is pretty impressive as well.

When money is no object . . . why not ehh . . . . or you could always say, screw the kid's college fund....let them pay their own damn way in the world...haha...

[Rel44 M3]

I'm still laughing at that thread that Alphalead linked to. I perused the rest of the threads and holy cow, talk about flamers. ;)

[makken]

yea, supercars.net is known for their random flame wars. What do you expect, its infested with 13 year olds :D

[preluder]

Before you preach about the Nowack n500 upgrade, go to bmwm5.com and do a search. A member by the name of Apples had this upgrade. Suffice it to say his car doesn't make anywhere NEAR 500hp at the flywheel.