High Speed Handling
Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 88
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From: Kingston Jamaica
2007 Avalanche LT, 2009 C300
C300 High speed handling, slow speed handling... it just isn't there and I am rolling on 18's. I truly miss my Evo VIII wanted a X but couldn't get over how cheap the interior looked. Kind of hard going from a car that stayed glued at any speed and in any weather to one that feels like its trying to kill you.
Last edited by jamaicakevkev; Apr 22, 2009 at 07:54 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
D - They are all progressive springs - But ROW have higher spring rates, firmer damper settings & less boost dialed into the PS. ROW like them firmer than America - It was not your imagination. The cars we export to you are not the same as SA setup. That's the way the Americans like them so that's what they get. Even Toyota do this. Drive a Camry in America & it's a lot softer sprung and IMHO under damped.
MBworld Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
Likes: 19
From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
tossing the stock 300 on stock 17 with stock touring michelins at 85mph into a 45mph marked on ramp? you got ***** bro. I'm curious how wide is this ramp?
stock michelins or contis are touring tires. don't mistake it for performance tire or you will get yourself into a lot of trouble.
there's still too much body roll on the stock chassi btw not to mention the firm dampening trying to cope with the softer springs on the US cars.
stock michelins or contis are touring tires. don't mistake it for performance tire or you will get yourself into a lot of trouble.
there's still too much body roll on the stock chassi btw not to mention the firm dampening trying to cope with the softer springs on the US cars.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,601
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From: Atlanta, GA
2008 C300 Sport 6 Speed Manual, 1953 Chevy Bel-Air, 2015 Audi allroad, 1963 Chevy Apache
tossing the stock 300 on stock 17 with stock touring michelins at 85mph into a 45mph marked on ramp? you got ***** bro. I'm curious how wide is this ramp?
stock michelins or contis are touring tires. don't mistake it for performance tire or you will get yourself into a lot of trouble.
there's still too much body roll on the stock chassi btw not to mention the firm dampening trying to cope with the softer springs on the US cars.
stock michelins or contis are touring tires. don't mistake it for performance tire or you will get yourself into a lot of trouble.
there's still too much body roll on the stock chassi btw not to mention the firm dampening trying to cope with the softer springs on the US cars.
I don't drive like that very often and runs like that remind me of why it's best to keep hard driving on the track...
Last edited by C300Sport; Apr 23, 2009 at 09:20 AM.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 145
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From: Waldfischbach-Bergalben, Germany
2008 MB C300 Sport (Mars Red)
I've found that the MB was performance-tuned for driving in Europe. I bought my C300 sport in the US and brought it here with me. I didn't feel as if it had great cornering capability in the US, however, I feel it handles exceptionally well here.
So, what's the difference? In town, the streets are arguably narrower here and with tighter turns. You can't help that and you drive slowly. However, their autobahns, while having narrower lanes, are also designed with much longer on/off ramps and very gentle and banked curves once you're on the autobahn. The car handles like a dream at 120-130 mph.
That said, I also didn't feel as if it were the best-tuned auto on the on/off ramps in the US. If you think that the car was tuned and developed for the US market: think again. I checked into it and they're the same underpinnings in Europe and in the US. I think MB understood that we don't push our cars in the same way and are severely limited in rate of speed and therefore did not make changes due to our roads specifically because of the speed.
I may not be all into the technical lingo and knowledge of aftermarket tuning of a vehicle, but I CAN tell you my subjective experiences haven driven the same car on both continents.
So, what's the difference? In town, the streets are arguably narrower here and with tighter turns. You can't help that and you drive slowly. However, their autobahns, while having narrower lanes, are also designed with much longer on/off ramps and very gentle and banked curves once you're on the autobahn. The car handles like a dream at 120-130 mph.
That said, I also didn't feel as if it were the best-tuned auto on the on/off ramps in the US. If you think that the car was tuned and developed for the US market: think again. I checked into it and they're the same underpinnings in Europe and in the US. I think MB understood that we don't push our cars in the same way and are severely limited in rate of speed and therefore did not make changes due to our roads specifically because of the speed.
I may not be all into the technical lingo and knowledge of aftermarket tuning of a vehicle, but I CAN tell you my subjective experiences haven driven the same car on both continents.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
I can assure you that SA produced W204s for the US have different spring and damper rates to those sold on the SA market. They are firmer here. But then most cars on this market are supplied with suspension tuned for SA eg VW & Toyota - Our two top sellers.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Apr 23, 2009 at 01:51 PM.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,056
Likes: 47
From: Orlando, Florida
E350 Sport/ML350RWD
I can't speak for all but the high speed handling of my C300 Sport saved my life 2 weeks after I bought it. It's my first European sports sedan but I truly believe if it wasn't for the incredible handling of this car- I would be dead. Just because someone is deciding to exceed speed limits on off ramps where the condition of the road is unknown doesn't accurately determine the handling of a car.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,031
Likes: 7
From: Orlando, FL
2026 AMG GT63 Pro
I can't speak for all but the high speed handling of my C300 Sport saved my life 2 weeks after I bought it. It's my first European sports sedan but I truly believe if it wasn't for the incredible handling of this car- I would be dead. Just because someone is deciding to exceed speed limits on off ramps where the condition of the road is unknown doesn't accurately determine the handling of a car.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
that's not to say that I don't agree with the guys arguing that there is more wheel hop and chassis disturbance when hitting an imperfection in a turn's plane than i'm used to, but the car is phenomenal when it needs to be.
i think we are all guilty of focusing too much on the outlying complaints than on the beauty of what lies under the preponderance of the bell-shaped curve!
If you really want to improve stability, throw some 18's on like I did and widen the track by using marginally wider tires - worked for me!
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 19,942
Likes: 192
From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
I can't speak for all but the high speed handling of my C300 Sport saved my life 2 weeks after I bought it. It's my first European sports sedan but I truly believe if it wasn't for the incredible handling of this car- I would be dead. Just because someone is deciding to exceed speed limits on off ramps where the condition of the road is unknown doesn't accurately determine the handling of a car.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Apr 24, 2009 at 03:08 AM.
MBworld Guru
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22,058
Likes: 19
From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
I agree whole-heartedly. This car got me out of a situation last week on the highway that I would not have been able to avoid in my previous 07 e350...
that's not to say that I don't agree with the guys arguing that there is more wheel hop and chassis disturbance when hitting an imperfection in a turn's plane than i'm used to, but the car is phenomenal when it needs to be.
i think we are all guilty of focusing too much on the outlying complaints than on the beauty of what lies under the preponderance of the bell-shaped curve!
If you really want to improve stability, throw some 18's on like I did and widen the track by using marginally wider tires - worked for me!
that's not to say that I don't agree with the guys arguing that there is more wheel hop and chassis disturbance when hitting an imperfection in a turn's plane than i'm used to, but the car is phenomenal when it needs to be.
i think we are all guilty of focusing too much on the outlying complaints than on the beauty of what lies under the preponderance of the bell-shaped curve!
If you really want to improve stability, throw some 18's on like I did and widen the track by using marginally wider tires - worked for me!
