PC Valkyrie

Well, this month marks exactly 5 years of owning my C55 AMG. I bought the car new, as it was ordered and built to my specifications from the factory. Every time I drive the car, thoughts about replacing it with a new M3 or C63 go away. When the weather is nice, I still occasionally take it out to drive to simply enjoy the car, especially at night when the kids/wife are asleep. On the roads/highways, I've always enjoyed the effortless acceleration that facilitates easy passing of other cars and merging onto the highways from curvy on-ramps.

I've been pretty fortunate so far as the car has been very reliable. I have been taking it in once per year to the dealership, alternating each time between the typical Service A and B. The only time I've had to take it in for servicing outside of the once yearly visit was when the transmission went into limp mode and I had to get the transmission speed sensor replaced.

I still think the C55 provides a wonderful balance between a reasonably comfortable street car and fairly capable track car (especially on higher speed tracks). For the first 3 years, I did everything in this car......daily driver to work, family car for my wife/2 young kids on the weekends, and part time track car in the summer. And it performed all of those duties pretty well.

As some of you know, I'm quite enjoy going to track/lapping days. I started this "hobby" in the C55, and I've never looked back. It got to the point where I felt bad about "abusing" C55 at track days because of all the wear and tear that could happen. As such, I bought a 135i to become the primary track car in the last 2 years. The 135i has also taken over the role as my daily driver in the winter, so I can spare the C55 from the salt/snow/slush, as I really want to keep the C55 for a long time. In other words, the 135i has become the "abuse" car......tracked in the summer, and exposed in the winter...hahaha.

However, I still track the C55 about once per year, as there is no other scenario where I can fully enjoy the capabilities of the C55 that I love so much.

Downsides?......it still has pretty stiff suspension which is not typcially associated with a Benz, so it's not the most comfortable on bumpy roads. It also is not the best winter car, as RWD and high torque make for some challenging situations when trying to go up slippery inclines. And of course, it isn't the most fuel efficient, but it really isn't that bad for a 5.4L V8 when driven sensibly on the streets (it kicks butt compared to the 6.2L V8).

For those who have never seen it, here is the link to my mbworld C55 photo album:
https://mbworld.org/forums/members/p...5-c55-amg.html

For those that never saw this in the C63 forum last year, here is my favourite video of my fastest ever recorded lap at Mosport when I was driving the C55 and chasing North44's C63 in 2009. Despite being close to 90 HP down on power, our laptimes were almost identical on this high speed track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSpNfPShYdM


Anyways, thanks for reading. The bottom line is I've truly enjoyed my C55 AMG for the last 5 years, and I hope to keep enjoying it for many more. For me, it really has been a practical 4 door sports car that my whole family can enjoy.

motorkas

great write up - thanks for sharing

14cue

^^
I've had the urge to jump to a newer car on many occasions. But in the end, I decided to put the money into the 55 to renew my love for it instead. With the nice weather on the horizon, I am glad I did. Nothing beats a clean C55 on a sunny day. She is just as stunning as when she was first driven off the lot.

I am on the look out for a new daily as well and park the car for the winter months. Leaning towards the A4 Avant.

ohfiveC55

Great writeup - expecting delivery of my 05 C55 in 2 weeks and this post really validates the decision. I've never been more excited to welcome a new member to the automotive family.

mrobinso

In the same boat as above. Really appreciate the write-up as it validates the purchase. Picking mine up Saturday - same color as yours I believe - that is, if yours is Iridium Silver?

Hearing about your overall great track record for reliability is reassuring. I hope you keep getting the most out of your car and keep enjoying it for many years to come!

ZephyrAMG

Nice job with your 5 year update. C55 is a fatastic car. Good to know that it has done well and continues to be an eye opener. As long as you care for anything, it will bring your years of enjoyment. Keep up the good work and continue to have fun!

F1Bobby

Very well done!
We C55 people appear to really appreciate the car. For me I've had mine a little over a year and a half. I do love the car just wish it had more HP & TQ but that's the way it goes I guess. Mine is stock with the exception of 19 inch wheels and tint.
Enjoy the cars all...
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

lifetimeofwar

Great to hear! If my dad gives me his C55 I will most likely track it, so it's good to know the car is capable.

PC Valkyrie

Some recent pictures of my C55 AMG with new Dunlop Sport Maxx TT tires.

hooleyboy

PC Valkyrie is a true legend of this forum and the C55. When a lot of the old school guy have faded out he is still here. Not to mention he's just about the only guy who road races his C55.

Man, I really miss the C55 alot.

W203Ramos

great write up....8 yrs for me and still lovin it!!!
john

MACHC5

PC,
I'd like to know how to keep the C55 from burning up it's rear brakes when road racing.

Last year at NJMP every time I got on the high banked "Lightbulb turn" the car would trail brake it self to the point of smoke coming off the rear brake shoes.

At the end of the day the rear rotors where burn't and I had to change them.

PC, If you've got a way to keep this from happening, please share...

MachC5

wawy

PC Valkyrie, what size Dunlop Sport Maxx TT tires are you running with those?

PC Valkyrie

Those are very kind words, although a "legend" is really pushing it. I'm just a car enthusiast who loves my AMG and I truly enjoy getting my daily fix in various car forums like mbworld all these years. Looking forward to seeing/reading about your next big project.

Hmmm.....I've never experienced that. If anything, it's the front brake pads and rotors which consistently get worn. Are you trail braking into the turn?...or is your car's traction control/stability control very active in correcting for understeer/oversteer by using the rear brakes?? I don't quite understand what you're saying.

On slower tighter tracks, the C55's weaknesses as track car become more apparent. The car is not light, and repeated instances of heavy braking without some straights to cool the brakes will toast the front pads/rotors, which have caused me to experience "brake judder" for several weeks after a track event due to uneven deposit of brake pad material from super heated pads. My rear pads and rotors always seem to stay in pretty good shape, other than normal wear.

I've kept the stock suspension/brakes in my C55, so I don't know how much a difference going to aftermarket setups will make. It is very likely that a bigger brake kit, more track oriented brake pads, better brake fluid with higher boiling point, and stainless steel brake lines will all improve the C55's braking performance and longevity. Of all those things, my bet is changing the brake pads and brake fluid will yield the biggest gains (according to my experience with my 135i).

However, I firmly believe that it's the driver (and more specifically, driving STYLE) which makes the biggest impact on how the C55 performs. I think I've simply adapted my driving style to take advantage of the C55's strengths and weaknesses when tracking, as my laptimes have consistently fallen over the years, while keeping the car stock. The C55 works best when driven smoothly, especially on higher speed tracks with long sweeping high speed corners. I try my best NOT to activate the stability control system when driving, as any type of signficant understeer or oversteer means less traction and increased laptimes.

I'm using the same stock tire sizes as the CLK63 AMG. The fronts are 235/40 R 18, and the rears are 255/35 R18.

RLx02

Couple of us here are track enthusiasts too

MACHC5

PC,
Having driven a C55 & CLK63BS & C320 AWD on NJMP's Lightbulb turn all I can figure is the C55's stability control does more then the others and does not like the turning right with the "Ride-A-Wall" banking coming through that section of the track. As a foot note: stock size & type tires & wheels were on all the vehicles I compared.

The Stability Control was never touched and I was driving it the way AMG built it.

However, I did make a believer that day out of a newer SRT8 after I caught and passed him halfway thru a 20 min session. After returning to the pits he stopped for a little bit and stared down the C55 after not noticing it at all in the morning, even though I was parked right next to him....LOL

PC Valkyrie

Have you ever tracked the C55 with the ESP turned "off"? That may save your rear brakes a bit, especially if you're driving to the point of activating the traction/stability control consistently. As you know, all that does is defeat the power cutting aspect of the traction control feature, and it raises the threshold of the stability control (so it will still save you if your understeer/oversteer angle is severe). It actually allows quite a bit of oversteer angle before cutting in with the brakes, so it forces you to be smooth with your throttle/steering inputs in the ESP "off" mode.

I agree with you about the C55 not gaining much attention/respect at the track until I pass 911's, M3's, etc, on high speed tracks like Mosport. Then owners of those cars suddenly come up to me and ask/make comments like "that's supercharged, right?..", or "what suspension modifications do you have?" They don't know what to say afterwards when my answer to both is a "No". They then take a double glance when they also see 2 child seats in the back....... It's those moments when I feel like I want to keep this car forever, and forget about replacing with it with a new M3 sedan.

On a different note, I wish I can drive a CLK63 Black Series on a track like Mosport........well driven 911 Turbos and GT3's will become my targets to pace/pass. Right now, the straight line acceleration of the C55 limits my ability to keep pace with those two particular cars. I envy you....haha.

PC Valkyrie

And by all means continue to enjoy your car at the track! Make sure you get some in-car videos to show us on youtube......it's amazing how much you can learn just by watching your own driving to learn the best racing line for each particular track.

As mentioned before, I mostly track my 135i now, and may occasionally track the C55, so you guys gotta keep this C32/C55 subforum interesting with tracking stories, pictures, and videos!

wawy

PC Valkyrie - I really wish we had a track around here. I think the closest one to me is Race City in Calgary and I'm not even sure how much of a "track" that really is. We do have a regulation drag strip however
I think you may have answered this before in previous threads but can you tell us how the C55 compares with the 135i on the track?

PC Valkyrie

On a high speed track like Mosport with long sweeping turns, I'm faster in my C55 than in the 135i, by a full 2 seconds when I compare my fastest laps from 2009. Part of this could be due to the track/weather conditions, and part of it is definitely due to the fact that I don't have to manually shift/heel + toe in the C55. It's actually easier to go fast in the C55 at Mosport simply because I don't have to row the gears myself....all I have to do is throttle, brake and steer. Subjectively, I feel I can corner faster in the 135i, but it's hard to make any conclusions as I've learned how fast a car "feels" around corners may not necessarily correlate with whether there is an objective difference.

On a slower and tighter track like Shannonville, I'm pretty sure I'm faster in my 135i, as the shorter wheelbase, and lighter weight makes it more nimble around slow corners. The 135i ultimately has more cornering grip than the C55 according to all car magazine tests, which shows the 135i consistently pulling 0.9g even with stock run-flat tires. Having said that, I haven't taken my C55 to Shannonville for a while, so the comparison of laptimes there may not be fair comparison as I'm pretty sure I've gotten better as a driver over the years.

Straightline acceleration on the straights probably is very similar between the 2 cars......maybe the C55 has a slight advantage at higher speeds, and due to fact that I could lose a few tenths each time I manually shift in the 135i.

To really know, I need a GPS based data box to really know my cornering speed and straightline speed differences between the 2 cars.

MIKESV8

i'm going to take my car on the track when my ps2's are starting to wear down and i get my kw coil overs so all this info. is very helpfull. thanks! i'm taking a trip to LA in a couple weeks and i've never driven my car further than an hour at a time and LA is six hours from where i live and i know the risk of road rash, so my question is wether or not i should put masking tape on the front of my car and where i should put it.