Exercised the C55 at Mosport (again)
07-07-2011, 01:56 PM
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C55 AMG, 135i, 911 GT3, GLE43 AMG
Exercised the C55 at Mosport (again)
Well, we're into another track season. I have been quite busy this year with work, so I haven't been able to attend as many lapping days as I would have liked. A few weeks ago, I took my 135i to Shannonville......great day, but now I have essentially bald tires on the 135i as the tires already went through 1 track season last year.
With the forecast for possible rain/thunderstorms yesterday at Mosport, I decided to take the C55 instead. The weather tunred out to be pretty good. It did rain, but it started just before lunch and ended during lunch. By the time the afternoon session started, the sun was already out and the track was dry. It was another great lapping day with the 6th Gear group. Lots of high powered and capable machinery, and lots of experienced drivers who can DRIVE. I don't think there were any newbies at all.
2 F430 Scuderias, 1 F430, quite a few Corvettes (Z06's, ZR1's), many 911's (including several GT3's and GT3 RS's), 1 Cayman R, and several fully prepped race/track cars. Other cars of note include a Cobalt SS (which was pretty fast), and even a 1987 190E 2.3-16. The only BMW present was my friend with a E30 M3. North44C63 and I rounded out the group with a monster tuned C63 AMG, and my C55 AMG.
Here is a video of me trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to keep North44C63 in my sights (a very hard thing to do on a high speed track like Mosport when his monster is pushing ~480wHP!!!). Both of us on street tires. 2 different 911 GT3's get into the mix during this video. At the end, you can see a slower 190E 2.3-16, who essentially terminates my chase.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtP6a8Z5HmU
With the forecast for possible rain/thunderstorms yesterday at Mosport, I decided to take the C55 instead. The weather tunred out to be pretty good. It did rain, but it started just before lunch and ended during lunch. By the time the afternoon session started, the sun was already out and the track was dry. It was another great lapping day with the 6th Gear group. Lots of high powered and capable machinery, and lots of experienced drivers who can DRIVE. I don't think there were any newbies at all.
2 F430 Scuderias, 1 F430, quite a few Corvettes (Z06's, ZR1's), many 911's (including several GT3's and GT3 RS's), 1 Cayman R, and several fully prepped race/track cars. Other cars of note include a Cobalt SS (which was pretty fast), and even a 1987 190E 2.3-16. The only BMW present was my friend with a E30 M3. North44C63 and I rounded out the group with a monster tuned C63 AMG, and my C55 AMG.
Here is a video of me trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to keep North44C63 in my sights (a very hard thing to do on a high speed track like Mosport when his monster is pushing ~480wHP!!!). Both of us on street tires. 2 different 911 GT3's get into the mix during this video. At the end, you can see a slower 190E 2.3-16, who essentially terminates my chase.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtP6a8Z5HmU
07-07-2011, 04:19 PM
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C55 AMG, 135i, 911 GT3, GLE43 AMG
This is what is listed in his signature here on this forum (except he doesn't have the RacingBrake rotors yet; he still has the Evosport rotors):
MODs:
+ Eurocharged Stage II Tune
+ Ceramic/XMC Coated Kleemann Shorties & Cats
+ Carbonio CF Air Box
+ AFE Filters (Dry)
+ VRP 530 Kit
+ SS Brake Lines
+ Endless ME20 Pads all corners
+ Endless RF 650r Brake Fluid
+ RacingBrake 2pc Rotors all corners (on order)
+ SMERC Upper Strut Brace
+ AMG 19" V.16 Spoke Wheels
+ RE-11's 245.35.19F - 275.30.19R
MODs:
+ Eurocharged Stage II Tune
+ Ceramic/XMC Coated Kleemann Shorties & Cats
+ Carbonio CF Air Box
+ AFE Filters (Dry)
+ VRP 530 Kit
+ SS Brake Lines
+ Endless ME20 Pads all corners
+ Endless RF 650r Brake Fluid
+ RacingBrake 2pc Rotors all corners (on order)
+ SMERC Upper Strut Brace
+ AMG 19" V.16 Spoke Wheels
+ RE-11's 245.35.19F - 275.30.19R
07-07-2011, 05:27 PM
#5
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Fun to watch, thanks for sharing. To be honest, that video was the first time I have ever gotten a sense of how the C55 stands up to the C63 in a real world situation (rather than just reading statistics on paper). Man can that C63 move in the straights! It really just pulled away every time it got onto an open straight. This is certainly no surprise given the 115 plus hp it has over the C55. Glad to see you representing the C55s - looks like a blast.
07-07-2011, 09:32 PM
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C55 AMG, 135i, 911 GT3, GLE43 AMG
Fun to watch, thanks for sharing. To be honest, that video was the first time I have ever gotten a sense of how the C55 stands up to the C63 in a real world situation (rather than just reading statistics on paper). Man can that C63 move in the straights! It really just pulled away every time it got onto an open straight. This is certainly no surprise given the 115 plus hp it has over the C55. Glad to see you representing the C55s - looks like a blast.
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07-08-2011, 12:40 AM
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2013 C63 AMG P31, 2014 GMC Sierra (6.2)
PC Valkyrie - You are really making me want to try out the C55 on a road course now! How many of these track sessions do you think you have under your belt with the C55 now? How has it held up under these conditions? Oh, and what brand/size of tires are you currently running?
Last edited by wawy; 07-08-2011 at 11:12 AM.
07-08-2011, 10:36 AM
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I will chime in here and say that from what I have read of PC Valkyrie's post, he has a nice BMW 135i that he uses for tracking so that the DD C55 doesn't take as much of a beating on the track. I am curious to now the answer to this too though - how much time does tracking your C55 take off the useful life of brake pads, for example?
07-08-2011, 11:41 AM
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05 C55 AMG
I have tracked mine a few times. Pad and tire wear depend a lot on how you drive and track conditions. The track I usually go to is fairly short and the surface tends to eat up tires (TGPR). Still though my pads survive 3 sessions and I get a little excessive wear on the front right shoulder but not enough to ruin the tire.
07-08-2011, 05:28 PM
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C55 AMG, 135i, 911 GT3, GLE43 AMG
PC Valkyrie - You are really making me want to try out the C55 on a road course now! How many of these track sessions do you think you have under your belt with the C55 now? How has it held up under these conditions? Oh, and what brand/size of tires are you currently running?
I will chime in here and say that from what I have read of PC Valkyrie's post, he has a nice BMW 135i that he uses for tracking so that the DD C55 doesn't take as much of a beating on the track. I am curious to now the answer to this too though - how much time does tracking your C55 take off the useful life of brake pads, for example?
The first time I attended lapping days at at track was around 2003 or 2004, when I took my old C240. The car understeered horribly, but I also was a track rookie at the time so I wasn't driving well at all. Didn't go to the track again until 2006, about a year after getting my currrent C55. At that time, I had attended BMW driver training levels 1 and 2, so I had a much better understanding about basic car control. After that, I got hooked; read books on track technique; had intructors teach me on lapping days, and have been attending about 4-6 track events per year ever since. I did EVERYTHING in my C55 for about 3 years (daily driver, family car, and occasional summer track car). Then I got the 135i in 2008, and that has taken over as my winter daily driver and summer track car. I only drive the C55 now when there is no snow/salt on the ground. I still take the C55 to the track about once per year to give it some "exercise", as the track is the ONLY place where I can drive the car to its full potential.
The C55 has held up VERY WELL to occasional track duty. The major wear and tear item are tires. Second are brake pads. My C55 is essentially stock (other than a Renntech CF airbox). I'm even using stock brake fluid, brake pads, and brake lines. The stock suspension is acceptable, and the stock brakes are actually quite good. The C55 performs best on higher speed tracks with fast sweeping turns (like Mosport). It's weakness is slower, tighter turns, where it will understeer more than one would like. The stock brake system may also fade a bit on these tighter circuits. However, I've also learned that it's all about driving style and adapting to the car's strengths and weaknesses. That by far is the biggest determining factor in how much wear and tear the car experiences.
My current tires are Dunlop Sport Maxx TT. 235/40 R18 in the fronts and 255/35 R18's in the rear. They were a cheaper replacements for my previous Michelin PS2 tires. Our cars are really hard on the front tires, especially the outer shoulders, where there is always excessive wear due to not enough negative camber.
07-08-2011, 06:05 PM
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2013 C63 AMG P31, 2014 GMC Sierra (6.2)
The first time I attended lapping days at at track was around 2003 or 2004, when I took my old C240. The car understeered horribly, but I also was a track rookie at the time so I wasn't driving well at all. Didn't go to the track again until 2006, about a year after getting my currrent C55. At that time, I had attended BMW driver training levels 1 and 2, so I had a much better understanding about basic car control. After that, I got hooked; read books on track technique; had intructors teach me on lapping days, and have been attending about 4-6 track events per year ever since. I did EVERYTHING in my C55 for about 3 years (daily driver, family car, and occasional summer track car). Then I got the 135i in 2008, and that has taken over as my winter daily driver and summer track car. I only drive the C55 now when there is no snow/salt on the ground. I still take the C55 to the track about once per year to give it some "exercise", as the track is the ONLY place where I can drive the car to its full potential.
The C55 has held up VERY WELL to occasional track duty. The major wear and tear item are tires. Second are brake pads. My C55 is essentially stock (other than a Renntech CF airbox). I'm even using stock brake fluid, brake pads, and brake lines. The stock suspension is acceptable, and the stock brakes are actually quite good. The C55 performs best on higher speed tracks with fast sweeping turns (like Mosport). It's weakness is slower, tighter turns, where it will understeer more than one would like. The stock brake system may also fade a bit on these tighter circuits. However, I've also learned that it's all about driving style and adapting to the car's strengths and weaknesses. That by far is the biggest determining factor in how much wear and tear the car experiences.
My current tires are Dunlop Sport Maxx TT. 235/40 R18 in the fronts and 255/35 R18's in the rear. They were a cheaper replacements for my previous Michelin PS2 tires. Our cars are really hard on the front tires, especially the outer shoulders, where there is always excessive wear due to not enough negative camber.
The C55 has held up VERY WELL to occasional track duty. The major wear and tear item are tires. Second are brake pads. My C55 is essentially stock (other than a Renntech CF airbox). I'm even using stock brake fluid, brake pads, and brake lines. The stock suspension is acceptable, and the stock brakes are actually quite good. The C55 performs best on higher speed tracks with fast sweeping turns (like Mosport). It's weakness is slower, tighter turns, where it will understeer more than one would like. The stock brake system may also fade a bit on these tighter circuits. However, I've also learned that it's all about driving style and adapting to the car's strengths and weaknesses. That by far is the biggest determining factor in how much wear and tear the car experiences.
My current tires are Dunlop Sport Maxx TT. 235/40 R18 in the fronts and 255/35 R18's in the rear. They were a cheaper replacements for my previous Michelin PS2 tires. Our cars are really hard on the front tires, especially the outer shoulders, where there is always excessive wear due to not enough negative camber.
Oh, which set of rims do you run with?
07-08-2011, 06:17 PM
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C55 AMG, 135i, 911 GT3, GLE43 AMG
Style VI AMG rims (CLK 63 rims....as seen in my signature pic). 8x18" in the front, and 8.5x18" in the rear. The are actually heavier than the stock Style IV rims that came stock with the C55, but I got them purely for cosmetic purposes and I don't track the C55 enough now to justify changing rims just for tracking.
07-08-2011, 07:53 PM
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The first time I attended lapping days at at track was around 2003 or 2004, when I took my old C240. The car understeered horribly, but I also was a track rookie at the time so I wasn't driving well at all. Didn't go to the track again until 2006, about a year after getting my currrent C55. At that time, I had attended BMW driver training levels 1 and 2, so I had a much better understanding about basic car control. After that, I got hooked; read books on track technique; had intructors teach me on lapping days, and have been attending about 4-6 track events per year ever since. I did EVERYTHING in my C55 for about 3 years (daily driver, family car, and occasional summer track car). Then I got the 135i in 2008, and that has taken over as my winter daily driver and summer track car. I only drive the C55 now when there is no snow/salt on the ground. I still take the C55 to the track about once per year to give it some "exercise", as the track is the ONLY place where I can drive the car to its full potential.
The C55 has held up VERY WELL to occasional track duty. The major wear and tear item are tires. Second are brake pads. My C55 is essentially stock (other than a Renntech CF airbox). I'm even using stock brake fluid, brake pads, and brake lines. The stock suspension is acceptable, and the stock brakes are actually quite good. The C55 performs best on higher speed tracks with fast sweeping turns (like Mosport). It's weakness is slower, tighter turns, where it will understeer more than one would like. The stock brake system may also fade a bit on these tighter circuits. However, I've also learned that it's all about driving style and adapting to the car's strengths and weaknesses. That by far is the biggest determining factor in how much wear and tear the car experiences.
My current tires are Dunlop Sport Maxx TT. 235/40 R18 in the fronts and 255/35 R18's in the rear. They were a cheaper replacements for my previous Michelin PS2 tires. Our cars are really hard on the front tires, especially the outer shoulders, where there is always excessive wear due to not enough negative camber.
The C55 has held up VERY WELL to occasional track duty. The major wear and tear item are tires. Second are brake pads. My C55 is essentially stock (other than a Renntech CF airbox). I'm even using stock brake fluid, brake pads, and brake lines. The stock suspension is acceptable, and the stock brakes are actually quite good. The C55 performs best on higher speed tracks with fast sweeping turns (like Mosport). It's weakness is slower, tighter turns, where it will understeer more than one would like. The stock brake system may also fade a bit on these tighter circuits. However, I've also learned that it's all about driving style and adapting to the car's strengths and weaknesses. That by far is the biggest determining factor in how much wear and tear the car experiences.
My current tires are Dunlop Sport Maxx TT. 235/40 R18 in the fronts and 255/35 R18's in the rear. They were a cheaper replacements for my previous Michelin PS2 tires. Our cars are really hard on the front tires, especially the outer shoulders, where there is always excessive wear due to not enough negative camber.
i want!
07-11-2011, 06:10 PM
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2005 C55, 2006 Ram 2500 MegaCab diesel, sold 2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins, sold 87 190e-16v, sold 97 e420
PC Valkyrie - You are really making me want to try out the C55 on a road course now! How many of these track sessions do you think you have under your belt with the C55 now? How has it held up under these conditions? Oh, and what brand/size of tires are you currently running?
