A handful of modifications allow this AMG SL55 to beat the 616-horsepower Bentley in a close drag race.
In stock form, an R230 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG might have a tough time beating a Bentley Continental GT Speed in a drag race. However, with a few key modifications, the 2-door Benz packs enough power to outrun the big Bentley in a heads-up drag race. And one of our forum members was part of the action.
It seems as though the Continental GT Speed is stock, but the AMG is not. According to the OP’s profile information, this SL55 has an intercooler and intake setup from RENNtech, an 82 millimeter throttle body, an 83-millimeter drive pulley, a Quaife limited-slip differential and a tune from EuroCharged. We don’t know how much power this Benz is making, but it is enough to move the 4,400-pound SL55 down the track more quickly than the 5,500-pound, 616-horsepower Continental.
The Race
When the video begins, the SL55 and the Bentley are already staged at the starting line as the OP’s baby provides the cheerleading from the grandstands. When the green lights drop, the two European performance cars appear to leave the line evenly, but as the cars blast past the camera – the AMG has pulled into the lead.
On the top end, the GT Speed appears to be closing the gap a bit, but the Mercedes-Benz gets to the finish line first. The SL55 ends up running a 12.525 at 111.92 miles per hour while the Bentley ran a 12.532 at 114.19 miles per hour.
Also in the OP’s profile, we found that this SL55 AMG has since run a best time of 12.303 at 112 miles per hour.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
