W208 CLK's in the news . . . . .
03-15-2010, 06:24 PM
#1
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W208 CLK's in the news . . . . .
Cut from what started as a respectable review of the C207, before it descended into literary excrement (the stench from letters section is unbearable - MB engine blocks from China?)
I remember it like it was yesterday.
The silver bullet passed us ferociously and I was left wondering "What kind of Mercedes was that?" It had two doors, an aggressive body kit, four circular headlights and awesome five-spoke wheels.
Did you guess?
Well, it was a W208 CLK430, of course. I adored that car.
Then, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W209 CLK and it was not terribly exciting. Lacking that certain gusto of the original CLK, it did not speak to many male buyers – excluding the Black Series. Soon enough, Brittany Spears was pedaling one around town and I am pretty confident that was equal to stabbing a vampire in the heart with a silver blade.
The rest can be read here
I remember it like it was yesterday.
The silver bullet passed us ferociously and I was left wondering "What kind of Mercedes was that?" It had two doors, an aggressive body kit, four circular headlights and awesome five-spoke wheels.
Did you guess?
Well, it was a W208 CLK430, of course. I adored that car.
Then, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W209 CLK and it was not terribly exciting. Lacking that certain gusto of the original CLK, it did not speak to many male buyers – excluding the Black Series. Soon enough, Brittany Spears was pedaling one around town and I am pretty confident that was equal to stabbing a vampire in the heart with a silver blade.
The rest can be read here
03-15-2010, 06:58 PM
#2
Cut from what started as a respectable review of the C207, before it descended into literary excrement (the stench from letters section is unbearable - MB engine blocks from China?)
I remember it like it was yesterday.
The silver bullet passed us ferociously and I was left wondering "What kind of Mercedes was that?" It had two doors, an aggressive body kit, four circular headlights and awesome five-spoke wheels.
Did you guess?
Well, it was a W208 CLK430, of course. I adored that car.
Then, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W209 CLK and it was not terribly exciting. Lacking that certain gusto of the original CLK, it did not speak to many male buyers – excluding the Black Series. Soon enough, Brittany Spears was pedaling one around town and I am pretty confident that was equal to stabbing a vampire in the heart with a silver blade.
The rest can be read here
I remember it like it was yesterday.
The silver bullet passed us ferociously and I was left wondering "What kind of Mercedes was that?" It had two doors, an aggressive body kit, four circular headlights and awesome five-spoke wheels.
Did you guess?
Well, it was a W208 CLK430, of course. I adored that car.
Then, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W209 CLK and it was not terribly exciting. Lacking that certain gusto of the original CLK, it did not speak to many male buyers – excluding the Black Series. Soon enough, Brittany Spears was pedaling one around town and I am pretty confident that was equal to stabbing a vampire in the heart with a silver blade.
The rest can be read here
That's exactly what I though in my mind when I first saw one, and then had to have one.
03-24-2010, 02:56 AM
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2002 CLK 55 AMG Coupé
For some reason, the editors of the UK-based Mercedes Enthusiast magazine seem to think the 208 was "bland" and the 209 improved the styling. I think it's safe to say their view is in the minority.
03-24-2010, 07:32 AM
#7
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Neilbo, did you complete your suspension project with the KWs? I'm anxious for your feedback.
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03-24-2010, 06:18 PM
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Sorry, Chappy, to leave you hanging ... Yes, I had the KWs installed by Birds garage in the UK last summer, shortly before returning to Nurburgring for the AMG Driving Academy event. They also put in Kleemann headers, a Qaife LSD and hooked up my SPA gauges. Rumor has it the project might be featured in said MB fan magazine. They did a photoshoot and I had a nice day talking with Kevin Bird and journalist Dan Trent but no article so far. Maybe someday.
As for the KW V2 coilovers, first of all, ride quality in usual street driving has not suffered much at all - you could say it's a breakeven proposition. There is a bit more bang and jitter on small bounces but that is offset by more aplomb in the big ones - so take your pick.
As far as sport driving goes, my only frame of reference is Nurburgring - where I did the AMG Driving Academy in 2008 as well. There the KWs made the car smoother, considerably more easy to drive close to the limit. As I think you know, the factory suspension, even in the AMG version, starts to act like a drunk old lady when pushed too hard.
The initial KW settings done by Bird (following the manufacturer's recommendation) however leave a little to be desired. The car rides a bit high - it could be lowered a finger, give or take, just to reduce body roll without giving in to the "slammed" look of the day. The rebound might also be changed so that the car does not "squish" down so much on dips. These kind of adjustments can be done on the KWs, so that is on my 'to do' list....
.... and there is no better way to get this sorted than on a track with a KW technician. The AMG Driving Academy's top-rung Master Sports events provide just such an opportunity. So on my 'wish list' this year is to attend such an event! As luck would have it, there is one scheduled for November in southern France, around Thanksgiving time. So I'm very tempted, even if my car is too slow and its driver skewed towards the hopeless. If you or other forum drivers could come over (SLSs are available for hire ....) that would make it more fun!
As for the KW V2 coilovers, first of all, ride quality in usual street driving has not suffered much at all - you could say it's a breakeven proposition. There is a bit more bang and jitter on small bounces but that is offset by more aplomb in the big ones - so take your pick.
As far as sport driving goes, my only frame of reference is Nurburgring - where I did the AMG Driving Academy in 2008 as well. There the KWs made the car smoother, considerably more easy to drive close to the limit. As I think you know, the factory suspension, even in the AMG version, starts to act like a drunk old lady when pushed too hard.
The initial KW settings done by Bird (following the manufacturer's recommendation) however leave a little to be desired. The car rides a bit high - it could be lowered a finger, give or take, just to reduce body roll without giving in to the "slammed" look of the day. The rebound might also be changed so that the car does not "squish" down so much on dips. These kind of adjustments can be done on the KWs, so that is on my 'to do' list....
.... and there is no better way to get this sorted than on a track with a KW technician. The AMG Driving Academy's top-rung Master Sports events provide just such an opportunity. So on my 'wish list' this year is to attend such an event! As luck would have it, there is one scheduled for November in southern France, around Thanksgiving time. So I'm very tempted, even if my car is too slow and its driver skewed towards the hopeless. If you or other forum drivers could come over (SLSs are available for hire ....) that would make it more fun!
03-24-2010, 08:02 PM
#9
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Thanks so much for the valuable feedback. I just signed up for a day at Road Atlanta, and was wondering about the KWs. I'm tempted....
Apologies Marcus for the threadjack!
Apologies Marcus for the threadjack!
03-26-2010, 10:18 AM
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2001 CLK55 AMG
I wasn't even in the market for a car at all when I saw a w208 (CLK430) an hour away for sale. Instantly I fell in love, and went straight to the bank. While looking it over online I found the CLK55 I currently own for sale a few more hours out. I've always wanted a silver Mercedes, and damnit I was gonna have one. Drove her home the following week, and I still stand in the driveway, and look at it when I park her.
