SL500 has better brakes than the SL55

[Chicagoland]

I am puzzle to read from Car and Driver that the SL500 has better brakes than the SL55. From Car and Driver: Consistent with the law of opposite and equal reactions — that which goes must stop — there's also extra mass associated with the SL55's braking apparatus. The rotors are big enough to double as manhole covers — 14.2 by 1.3 inches in front, 13.0 by 0.9 in the rear, vented and cross-drilled at both ends. The diameters are bigger than the garden-variety SL's, and the fronts are squeezed by eight-piston calipers. Oddly enough, braking distances failed to match those recorded by the SL500, and by a bunch: 155 feet from 70 mph for the SL500, 175 for the SL55. Moreover, although we didn't record any brake fade during our testing, we did encounter a squishy pedal while lapping Road America, even with all the electronic enhancements (Sensotronic Brake Control) incorporated into this system.

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[London Lad]

This can't be correct. I've driven both and the 55 is far better. Electronic aids not set up properly ?

[blueSL]

You don't want to believe everything you read in magazines. If these guys were any good technically, they wouldn't be eeking out an existence writing this stuff. Some of the UK magazines are much the same.

The feel of the pedal in the SL is completely artificial and is there to provide a familiar response of rapidly increasing force against distance pressed. There's actually three stages - 2 springs with different spring rates and a conical shaped rubber bung to provide a hard end-stop. All the electronics is actually measuring is how far you have pressed the brake pedal and how quickly you pressed it.

So all this "encountering a squishy pedal" is nonsense. The pedal feel is just there to make the driver feel at home.

[Chicagoland]

Originally posted by blueSL
You don't want to believe everything you read in magazines. If these guys were any good technically, they wouldn't be eeking out an existence writing this stuff. Some of the UK magazines are much the same.

The feel of the pedal in the SL is completely artificial and is there to provide a familiar response of rapidly increasing force against distance pressed. There's actually three stages - 2 springs with different spring rates and a conical shaped rubber bung to provide a hard end-stop. All the electronics is actually measuring is how far you have pressed the brake pedal and how quickly you pressed it.

So all this "encountering a squishy pedal" is nonsense. The pedal feel is just there to make the driver feel at home.

Thanks blueSL!