Tavarish Makes His SL55 Handle Like a Supercar
The world’s cheapest SL55 AMG gets a set of coilovers installed.
We’ve written about Freddy ‘Tavarish’ Hernandez’s dirt-cheap SL55 AMG before. Proudly proclaiming it as the “cheapest SL55 in the country,” Tavarish has spent a fair amount of time repairing his car, as one would expect.
Now that the bargain-priced SL55 AMG is in good shape again, Tavarish is in the mood to make his once bruised, battered, and broken Benz stand toe-to-toe with its newer rivals. Always one to reach for the stars, he sets the benchmark for improved handling at supercar level.
Now, in the grand scheme of things, Tavarish’s SL55 AMG isn’t that old. In addition, this isn’t your run of the mill SL, either.
Tuned by AMG when new, this car was designed to raise the bar from boulevard cruiser to corner carver. That said, the current crop of supercars represent the absolute peak of automotive engineering. Matching their performance with an $8,900 car, even a Mercedes-Benz AMG, is a tall order indeed.
How does Tavarish intend to achieve this goal? Adjustable coilovers. The complicated hydro-pneumatic suspension was ditched in favor of adjustable dampers. A more conventional, less exotic choice for sure, but hopefully one that pays dividends on the race track and twisty backroads. Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward.
Not having driven the car, there are two undeniable facts we have to mention. First off, the less complicated suspension components will be much cheaper to replace should the need arise, keeping maintenance costs low. That’s been a major goal for this project from the outset.
Secondly, we simply cannot deny that the SL55 looks terrific lowered. Its staggered, multi-spoke wheels fill the fender wells nicely, with a minimum of wheel gap without looking too slammed.
So did Tavarish achieve his goal of making the SL55 handle like a supercar? Watch the video and find out!
