Don't know about the 65s, but the 55 030s are $1k each.

 

In comparison to what?

 

The CLS55 actually cornered relatively flat through the corners, but my primary disappointment was not being able to power out of the corners under full power and throttle steer. When the car started to go sideways, the ESP came back on and cut power and I could not go full throttle until I straightened the car out.

I like the overall handling better than my E55, but I guess I was under the impression that the CLS55 handled closer to an M5.

Are you able to get your 030 car to power oversteer fairly aggressively?

 

Hmm, odd...while I haven't personally disabled it yet on this car, it worked fine when disabled on my CLK, although the lack of an LSD on that car made it prone to snap oversteer around corners (one reason the 030 appealed to me, but I'm going slowly at first ).

In terms of absolute grip, etc., it does, but the dynamics of BMWs are different--more of an edgy feeling while simultaneously offering excellent control and grip with a bit more body roll than the Benz stuff; otoh, the Benz stuff corners with a bit less body roll, offers the same if not more ultimate grip, but doesn't communicate what it's doing *quite* as well as the BMW, but this is a matter of degrees, not leaps and bounds.

The tradeoff is rougher ride, etc., which for my purposes is not a tradeoff I'm willing to make (not to mention that I'm not a big fan of the 5 Series, and to me the M5 doesn't stand out as much as the CLS).

For a great article comparing the M5 to the CLS along with each car's strengths and weaknesses, read this article from EVO:
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/67221/maserati_quattroporte_v_bmw_m5_v_mercedes_cls_55.h tml

But I'm perplexed, as in the videos I saw of Jeremy Clark's road test, it seemed to break the rear loose quite well and get quite sideways, far more so than would be sane on any public road.

I tend not to do that very often, as I have this thing about burning through $800 worth of rear tires several times a year. If I really wanted to do that sort of thing, I'd get a different car. I suspect that the new Pontiac V8, which unlike most AMGs has an LSD as standard equipment at half or less of the pricepoint (this is kind of a sore point of mine wrt Benz, in case you haven't guessed it already ), a nice big V8 with tons of torque, and is actually a pretty decent-looking car....of course, the manufacturer is probably going to be going bankrupt within a year or so absent some sort of bailout, but that's another story.

But back to the oversteer thing: I have inadvertantly broken the rear loose a few times, and when it goes, it does go in a much more linear, controlled fashion than my open-diffed CLK55 did, fwiw, altough again I haven't tried it w/traction control off. I suspect the same comparison would be valid to a non-030, although I didn't try to pop the back end out in the non-030 examples I drove...but this is always the case in comparing LSD vs non-LSD cars, in my experience.

 

Improviz,

Thanks for all the feedback to my questions. It has been very helpful.

I watched the same Jeremy Clarkson video as well and wondered the same thing how he was able to drift the CLS into some lurid slides. My guess is that U.S. bound cars either have extra programming that keeps ESP from totally being off or maybe they ran the CLS in dyno mode.

Thanks again for the help!

 

The 55 with the 030 package has upgraded brakes above and beyond the 55. They are as published in the MB order info package [front] as 15 in dia. 2 piece compound brakes. That is why they are so expensive. Much more than the regular 55.

 

Does anyone know if you ever have to replace the 030 brakes?

I only ask this because GM claims with the new ZR-1, that you NEVER have to replace the carbon-ceramic brakes, they will last the entire life of the vehicle.

Are other carbon ceramic brakes the same way?

 

At some point, they would probably need replacement.

Don't know about carbon fiber brakes on cars other than the Z06, but I do know that the 030 brakes are not carbon fiber.

 

That evo article was a good read, thanks for posting, I missed it until now. While a little more expensive, it certainly sounds like you did the right thing in getting an 030 car. I just saw Evo and in the back in big saloons they have their number one choice as the E60 M5 and the CLSAMG a close second, but noting that the CLS is more cosseting when big mileages are thrown in. The lack of range is my only fault with my car- an extra 10liters (80 instead of 70) would make all the difference- but I must say it makes L.A. to LV almost fun.

Oh just to keep you honest, you typed Z06 which has steel brakes. ZR1 has the ceramics, as you know.

 

1 LSD but from what i recall locking was at 20-30%? maybe 15 can not remember. It is not like the LSD in the 63's.

2. Speed limitation delete, is nice, but can be done for much less from any tuner, but i guess u could lose warrenty.

3. The wheels are to die for i have to admit and them alone really cover the price, but they are 19's and i do not think they are the lightest either

4.Steering wheel hmm maybe its nice, but alactar has a problem if you wear them in alot no? sweety hands from all that racing n speeding?
The steering wheel is also thicker and shaped a little different compared to a non 030

5.Brakes i suppose you can not fault this and can only bee seen as a +++, but stock brakes are nothing to laugh at either
In my opinion the brakes on a 030 look alot bigger. The 030 brakes look like they were just jammed inside the wheel. My buddy has a CLS63 030 and I have a CLS55 non 030. When he is parked next to me, his brakes look alot larger

6.The suspention, This needs to be checked, does the 030 have a different suspention?

I believe the suspension is different. The 030 feels liike it is a little firmer.

 

Yeah, it was a close call (M actually is more practical interior-space wise, a factor w/kiddies, which I didn't have when I got the CLK), but for me the appearance was worth the rear-seat space hit.

Wrt handling, it's definitely much-improved w/the 030: the rear end actually breaks progressively rather than the snap oversteer the open-diff CLK55 treated me to...not fun!

Ack! Confsued i tdayo ma!!

 

Man you aint kidding..

The 030 packaged CLS in eith 63 or 55 out handles non 030 cars.

 

I still cannot believe it Improv and I are twins!!! well cept fer the PP, dam noce CLS buddy

 

Thanks, juice, and likewise!

 

does anyone know if the rotors of a CLS55 with performance package would fit on a non PP CLS55? would anyone know the part numbers for the rotors?

i wish i could have gotten the PP, but it wasnt even an option when i ordered my car. (took delivery in july of 05)

 

The PP Front Rotors are Part # 230-421-09-12 and the pads are # 004-420-45-20. Im pretty sure the calipers are different also!

 

To disable ESP you need to run the car in dyno mode. Or tune the ECU more agressively. You can also pull the fuse . On the new 63's C63 SL 63 09 CLS ESP can be defeated

 

thanks for the info.
i was thinking to get those rotors instead of the regular oem ones when i have to get a brake job done.
should be soon.

i guess it cant be done if the calipers are different as well