Sorry, missed responding to your question above in my last response. Coming off the straight headed toward 'roller coaster' there was a breaking countdown posted that you'll see in my video at about 4:22. Signage was posted track right counting down 5-1 and then a breaking marker. Elsewhere for other corners it was a three cone setup. On this part of the track during my early runs I was braking early, just after the crest. Later in the day I was braking at about the 4 marker and then turning smoothly into roller coaster.

That said, I was taking it easy on my car. During the BMW event I took part in a few months ago, I was brutal on those cars brakes and they all had carbon ceramic. I was STOMPING on them. Here at VIR, it would be interesting to find out how late in the back straight I could have begun my deceleration but I was too chicken to really push it.

 

Great video...very well done!

...but most of us knew already as good as the C450 is performance wise, it's not a viable track car...and never will be in it's current stock orientation.

Good luck finding your future track car...you'd save time you know just getting a Porsche!

 

Thanks! Yes, I knew going into my time on the track with the C450 that it wasn't likely to be the all arounder I wanted. But I wanted to see what it would do without speed limits

As for your Porsche recommendation... Stay tuned to my channel - I think Porsche will be a high-ranking possibility!

 

Thanks. I asked because that is a good test of the cars brakes, and was interested in how they did. On the street, I think the C450's brakes are pretty good, wanted to see what they might do on the track. I'm sure they'll fade more quickly, but for a few laps, I suspected they would do pretty well. In my track-day car, I hit 139 on the straight (could go higher but that is redline in 4th, and requires I shift to 5th, and then quickly back down to 3, and I'm just not that good of a driver) and I brake between 2 and 3. Had a pro driver drive my car, and he hit 144 back there, and hit the brake just before the 1, but I don't have the balloons for that.

 

Yeah, I definitely didn't have the balloons either. I noticed that I had much more guts to hammer the brakes on the BMWs I drove at their M school and I felt more comfortable braking later. There's no question that the mortality of my own car was a mental barrier for me.

 

After 6 months in the market I finally pulled the trigger!
Palladium C450 on a 36mo/10k

MSRP: $63660
Cap Cost: $53500
Residual: 59%
MF: 0.00123
Monthly: $552
Cap cost reduction: $99
Acq fee: $495
Dealer fee: $349
Doc fee: $5
First month: $552
Reg fee: $200

Total drive off $1700
All no tax since I'm in a no tax state.

I opted for the Wheel and Tire protection package for $1495. Seems steep but after spending well over that for rim repair/replacement and tire replacement I'm playing it safe this time.

 

Nice! I'm a fan of Palladium myself.

Read that wheel contract carefully. The F&I guy will swear it covers curb rash (it usually doesn't) and bent rims, but the small print requires that the rim be bent to the extent that the tire no longer holds air, which is rare.

Typically you can request cancellation within 60 days for a full refund. For that kind of money make sure it does what you expect it to.

 

Oh damn thanks for the heads up on that! What about tires? If I pop a run flat does it usually cover it?

 

Possibly. I had a policy on an Audi that blew out a tire and they (slowly, reluctantly) paid for a replacement and labor. On a policy thru First Class I bent an $1100 AMG wheel on my S500 and they denied because the tire held air. I cancelled but only got half back because I waited too long.

Get the long form contract out and read the section titled "Exclusions".

 

Finally took delivery!

 

......

 

Thanks for the tip! I am in a C43, but being from Canada I also need help finding solutions sans mBrace

 

Armytrix exhaust for C450 will be available in the end of Dec.let's compare.

 

It's loud, for sure, but I dunno, I'm not sure I'm as impressed as I thought I was gonna be.

 

Armytrix sounds the best no doubt, awesome work guys

 

I hear ya!!!

 

Quick question:

Does the C450 have a Limited Slip Diff?

 

Nope

 

Thats a great deal, better than mine. I got the car 9/1/16, same MSRP, paying $600/m, with $4,000 total drive off (fees, first month, everything). 36m 10k/year

And I thought I had a great deal LOL.

I guess if I would have waited ALL the way till the end, I would have gotten a better deal, but the color combo I wanted was all but out in my area.

 

You sure?

"Mercedes’s 4Matic all-wheel drive system comes standard on this model, and sends 33-percent of the engine’s torque to the front axle and 67-percent to the rear, for a sporty rear-wheel-drive dynamic that’s aided and abetted by a mechanical limited-slip differential."

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/lat...icle-1.2243979

 

I am 99% sure that the differential is open and uses the torque vectoring to control wheel spin individually. The C63 has a mechanical LSD standard and the C63 S has an electronic LSD standard.

 

Sexy!

 

Does anybody know how many bars need to be displayed on the console for the engine temp (coolant temp?) on cold starts before running the car? I usually go after 4 bars are displayed.

 

There's no such requirement. You can start driving right away, the car doesn't need more than a minute, even in extreme cold. Having the car sit idling is actually worse. The best way to warm your car, is by driving, just avoid heavy acceleration within the first 5 minutes or so.

 

There are tons of information on the internet about this old practice of warming car. Here's one such article. Most German cars are not available with remote start because it is actually illegal in most of Europe to idle cars.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...-harms-engine/