Test Drove 04 E55
05-04-2004, 11:53 PM
#101
This thread is better than all the other M3 vs C32 threads combined! You can't compare them fairly. The same holds true for the M3 vs M5, the RS4 vs. RS6. The smaller cars will always feel tighter and more sporty in the corners while the larger cars will always feel more powerful and stable at high speeds. Appreciate them both for what they are.
I spent some time on my favorite roads in both a 2004 E500 and 2004 E55 last week. Both cars feel more planted at speed and exhibit less understeer in the corners than a stock C32, but the C32 is probably faster in the same corner if you were to measure trap speed. With a modified suspension (Carlsson RS), the C32 is far more neutral and faster in the same sections of road. No doubt the E55 has and feels more powerful on the straights, but you can't use most of that power in the corners. The E55 has tremendous grip, but it weighs a few pounds more and you can't cheat gravity forces. Even the E500 feels more stable in the corners than the stock C32, but it is probably slower. The sensation of speed or lack there of does not necessarily correspond with faster times. A MINI S will feel faster and more fun in the corners, but at a clocked slower speed. It is just a much more tactile and involving ride, and should not be compared in this discussion's primary content, as it is as different as the rest on acompletly different playing field.
It would be interesting to get them all together at the track and see how they compare in both short and long track format. I would put my money on the C32. Just as I would with the M3 and the RS4 over their own marques' bigger siblings. What would I rather drive for long distances at higher speeds? The E55, M5, and RS6, of course.
I spent some time on my favorite roads in both a 2004 E500 and 2004 E55 last week. Both cars feel more planted at speed and exhibit less understeer in the corners than a stock C32, but the C32 is probably faster in the same corner if you were to measure trap speed. With a modified suspension (Carlsson RS), the C32 is far more neutral and faster in the same sections of road. No doubt the E55 has and feels more powerful on the straights, but you can't use most of that power in the corners. The E55 has tremendous grip, but it weighs a few pounds more and you can't cheat gravity forces. Even the E500 feels more stable in the corners than the stock C32, but it is probably slower. The sensation of speed or lack there of does not necessarily correspond with faster times. A MINI S will feel faster and more fun in the corners, but at a clocked slower speed. It is just a much more tactile and involving ride, and should not be compared in this discussion's primary content, as it is as different as the rest on acompletly different playing field.
It would be interesting to get them all together at the track and see how they compare in both short and long track format. I would put my money on the C32. Just as I would with the M3 and the RS4 over their own marques' bigger siblings. What would I rather drive for long distances at higher speeds? The E55, M5, and RS6, of course.
