I picked up my car at Affalterbach on Thursday and what an experience it was going though the AMG headquarters and their exclusive shop. More on that latter.

The four hour drive was a blast with a caravan of seven CLK63 black series cars down the autobahn. This car drives like any mercedes, and those who wonder what it will be like as a daily driver, I can tell you it isn't like the boy racer's from the P car company. Several on the new owners have GT3's and RS's and commented on how driveable the it is over a long period. I intended to change out the US spec seats as soon as possible for the euro shell, but after the long drive they are staying.

I'll continue the post later with details on the handling.
Jimmy

Clk 63 at the Sachsenring cont...long.

The Sachsenring is a 3.7 Km long, 15 turn very very technical course located in Germany about an hour south of Dresden. It has 10 left hand corners and it seems like your always turning LEFT. There are elevation changes, which adds to the difficulty of the circuit. The Moto GP for motorcycles are held here, and the track is in top shape. If you excell at auto cross rather than point and shoot tracks you will like it. This is an ideal track to test the handling of the CLK 63 black. So much so, that AMG was going to hold their first AMG Sports Trophy race there.

For seven CLK owners from America who chose to participate, they would compete with the europeans form Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland. We had five SLK 55 Black series, (one lightened from the Japan race series). Four CLK DTM's , Sl55 with the performance package, a CLS63 performance package, and the most outrageous E55 on the planet. It has a SLR engine developing over 800 hp, carbon fibre roof, monster brakes and tires. It has been clocked at 360K and the guy can drive. Twenty cars in total.

Day one, it rained early so the morning session was spent learning a new track in the wet. Only to have to relearn it when it dried out. But this was a great test for the Black in the worst conditions. For those who base their opinions on car magazine published weights, you've been lied to. This car feels lighter than my porsche turbo. Please consider that the CLK 63 BS published weight is with a driver of 165 lbs, 90% of a full tank, 100 lbs, and luggage of 20 lbs which totals approx. 300 lbs. BTW, Porsche and Corvette do not use this european standard in their published weights. So please don't tell me the cars 900 lbs more than either of them. On to more important facts.

AMG provided all competitors with the following support:
Pirelli tire engineers and techs
KW suspension engineer, (CLK 63 black suspension is from KW)
AMG techs for any problem of just to check car.
Medical staff for heart rate monitoring (if you want) more on that later.
Driving coach for all particpants
Data logging AX 22's for all cars
Complete food and beverage.
Basicly we had the same support than your top on the line DTM Masters team had.

The key to this car is the fact that AMG spent a serious amount of time developing the suspension. 10,000 Km on the Nordschlief. One hundred thousand miles on the hiway. The KW system departs from many others like Bilstein as it uses a newer technology. The adjustment system has a far greater latitude so it can be tuned over a wide variatons. After several runs, I stiffened the front of the car to tame lightness in the back under hard braking. I solved the problem, but couldn't improve on the inital set up they recommended. The engineer said look, the manual is 50 pages, but try different setting and you will feel the difference unlike some other adjustable units.

Handling.
Turn is right now. Steering effort is high at low speeds but just right at speed. It is not as heavy as a go kart. The mechanical grip of this car is unbelievable and with the saftey aids, you can drive at insane speeds. I thought the Pirelli tires were a good choice. I've tried just about every R tire on the market and for all around performance its a good tire. I know some like the MPSC, and thats OK. The Pirelli's performed better than the MPSC that I've driven in the wet but that was sometime ago. I tried to run some laps with the ESP off and with damp portions of the track it's a dumb idea.

Transmission:
AMG has done a great job. I ran in S mode and downshifted which worked well in fact I got my bet lap times using that technique. I tried several sessions in manual and didn't run faster, but with more time I think I would on a faster track. The only negitive was the upshift at the apex of a fast corner upset the car in S mode. That is fully controlable in the manual mode. This car has plenty of power, and from a power junkie thats hard to admitt. We had some wet patches during a run with my ESP off. Later in reviewing my heart rate monitor, that is when I achieved my highest heart rate as I was closing in on a wall with my brand new car. Advise to self, run with the ESP on in the damp.

To be continued....

...........keep it coming !

Cont...#3. Lost three pages I'm on a hotel computer that has a mind of its own.
Driver coach Roland is about 24 years old and has been racing karts since he was 5. He's raced German super trucks (the big diesels) and open wheel formula cars. I was assigned to him and in spite of my 20 + years of road racing found him very helpful in getting me up to speed.
I found that I was missing my turn ins due to the instant engine response, most likely the result of my turbo car driving. The CLK 63 black responds immediately to throttle input, and I had get use to this massive torque that was available now!. I'm a power junkie, and I'm here to tell you, one doesn't need more power on the track unless you get paid to drive for a living. The mechanical grip is beyond what I expected. This thing just grips and bites. If you turn off the ESP, I'm sure it will displace anything in the drifting world.

Roland was really taken by the car, and said that the car was as fast as the CLK DTM's around shoter tracks. It would take a Spa, Road America or Willow Springs for the more powerful DTM's to out pace the CLK 63 black.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the CLK DTM it has the 5.4 supercharged motor with 582 hp and several hundred pounds lighter. It is a true work of art with the carbon firber interior. There were four at the track of the 100 produced. The selling price was 370,000 euros. I spoke to Mr. Lados who has two and he thinks they are a steal. The sound they make is incredible, not that the CLK 63black sounds bad, but the more track orientiated DTM's are well above the decibile limit at wide open throttle. After seeing the performace of the black against the DTM's, they are a bargin at $135,000.

The RACE:
Because we have differenct types of cars a format was set up to encourage consistancy of driving pace. It started the night before with a kart race to determine your place on the starting grid. BTW, the germans think karting is like baseball, they are very good. It was close to 20 years since I'd been in a kart and it was hardly like the current ones. Bottom line I was 12th out of 20. Each contestant starts with 300 points and you can loose points for deviating from your reference time. The format was one pace lap, which required a lap not to exceed a certain time. Then the reference lap where the contestant sets his own personal reference time. Then six laps as close to the reference time as possible. Each 1/10 of second resulted in a deduction of one point with a max. of 60 points deduction per lap. Lap nine was then a fast lap were you can gain points back based upon your lap time.
The trick was you had to anticipate traffic, yellow flags and someone wetted down one of the corners from a skid pad school, so some of the hot shoes really lost time.

The laps were recorded by an AX22 gps. In addition you could loose style points as there were instructors on several corners judging your turn in, apex and corner out.
Boys, I got to tell you, I thought I brought a knife to a gun fight. I had been using the lap timer in the car and felt it gave me some consistancy, but I had no chance, so I thought against the germans. I planned my referrance lap at a 1:55 so it would be easy laps. Then on my referrance lap the guy in front of me losses it and I have to park it in the omega turns. Thank god for the lap timer, as I droped to a 2:01, slow but by using the lap timer I could duplicte the times. I finished the race and thought I'd done ok.

Ed Strickland who is an avid autoXer and I hoped we got someone in the points, then it happened. I heard my name called, I finished in 6th., then German name after German name, until the 2nd place finisher, ED Strickland's name was called. WoW! Two out of six positions for the up start Americans.

The day ended with everyone being showered with Champaign. We then had another hour of free track time and spent trying to cathch our coaches driving SLk 55 blacks. I can only say, AMG put on the equivelent of a Formula One event for their customers. And as the head of AMG said, "This is AMG, we love horsepower."

next post the new stuff thats coming.
Jimmy

Report #4...cont.

I'm sitting in a London hotel presently, reliving the last few days and thinking if I left anything out. Of course I did. I didn't want you to stop reading.

During our tour of the AMG facilites we were taken through the exclusive studio where they will customize a car for you. Like the customer who wanted to go hunting at night in is G wagon. He had AMG install a nighttime vision system from the military, cost 7mm US$. Oil prices were up that month. Then there were also the interior redo's with customized leather and suede. Someone of the group asked a very good question, why Brabus will do higher horsepower modifications than AMG. The answer was, yes, but we will not compromise the over all performance by over stressing one componet at the sake of another. For example it is easy to get more power, but what will that do to the braking system. A good lesson for internet tuners.

We were not allowed to photograph any vehicles in the exclusive studio, but what did my eyes see but a german CLK 63 black series with an aero kit.
The front air dam was much more aggressive, meaning deeper and not painted body color but real carbon fiber. In the rear was the spoiler lip but it supported two carbon fibre uprights carrying a carbon fiber wing with end plates. The wing was about the same dimensions as the CLK DTM, but the uprights didn't come out of the trunk, which I didin't like anyway. The were monted to the spoiler so there was no holes in the trunk. We were told this will be available soon. You must however have an AMG vin# to get the parts.

We then went to the engine assembly room where we watched a 6.2 or 6.3 going together. The technicians are very proud of their work and one of the group
Mike Sein got to meet his engine builder. I'm telling you the tech was excited to see his customer as Mike. I wish I could of met the builder of my Jeep engine, so I could have known who he was when it blew up with 8,000 miles. We were told the motors are understressed, but they wouldn't tell us by how much. At this point we were dying to take delivery of our cars. Mario Spitzner the director of Marketing & Sales presented us our keys. A tech met with each owner explaining the car, and if we had any questions. As the realization sunk in that the car was now in my possession, little thoughts crept into my head, like don't ball it up driving out of the showroom. As we caravaned through some small towns we would get thumbs up from all types of people, even little old ladies knew these cars were special. How could they not, we had our names on the windows with an American Flag in front like race cars and the AMG numbers on the side. How cool is that.

The last night of our stay, AMG hosted a banquet at the Wolfsbrunn castle. Remember we were in what was east germany, and the commies probably used this place for the party big shots and not the proletariat. I couldn't help but think how lucky we are to live in free society with opportunites for all. The USA is 50% of AMG's market, and they are very glad to have us. They have now limited the AMG production to about 20K units a year. Their business plan as well as ALL the employees I met were enthusiastic about their job and product. From what I've heard another Stuttgard companies employees are not so happy.

The sun is now setting in London, (figure of speech) and it's time for a martini.
Jimmy is out.

Excellent write up, Jim. Sounds like a blast !!! How many miles did your car have at delivery, or was it already broken in with 1000+ miles on the odo ??

Of course, Jim, you realize you are now Our Hero. You've officially replaced Lewis Hamilton as our new Role Model...

WOW , amazing write up...How did the CLS 63 030 stack up? Any
insights into the trackability of that car? The Black series is truly AMAZINg, now come back to the States and run the pants off her

Mach,
Cars were run in by professional drivers prior to our track event. Mine had 1776 Km on the dial. BTW, there is no way I could be as clinical as these guys. I'd be way over the recommeded rpm and speed. I quized the management at AMG and they said basicly, this is the best wasy to insure the rear axel has had the proper run in. AMG knows we have no will power.
Jimmy

I don't know.....how bout' some pics?


BTW - update your sig with the CLK63BS!

Jimmy,

Ed Strickland has advised he'll be at the AMG Meet here in Atlanta on November 10th. Why not join us as well?

Be a great chance to re-live some stories....

Here's some of the pic. Note Ed Strickland's

Ray,
Please don't tell Ron Dennis, I don't think he wants to pay another $100MM, because truthfully, I've been reading Ferrari technical manuals.
Jimmy

Mach,
The conditions were cool and rainning to strart off, and the Pirelli guys were using 1.7 Bar. which didn't matter in the wet.

When things warmed up, they would feel the tire, then use a pyrometer, and then adjust pressures with one pound more presssure in the left, since the right front got the most abuse due to the 10 left hand turns.
One run I came in and saw 36 psi front and they dropped it to 34.5 psi.and the tech said "perfecto" since I don't know Italian, I think that means this guy is a really good driver. The rears were 36-37 range (hot). They didn't pay much attention to the rears.
Jimmy

Mach,
Yes, the fluid was changed before we picked up the cars. The factory was insistant that the rear axel be run in and the fluid changed before we tracked the cars. It appears this is more critical than the motor break in.

FWIW, I had a conversation with one of the CLK DTM owners who tracks his car frequently. He has 30,000 kilometers of racing with the car and no problems. Says a lot about AMG when they build a club car.

The formula one saftey car for next year will get the same suspension that the CLK 63 BS has, namely KW springs and struts.

Jimmy

Jim,

I'll be discreet...

What a situation; and everyone says NASCAR® is rigged.

Ferrari employee causes problem.
McLaren gets sanctioned.
Ferrari proves, once more, that there are two F1 rulebooks --
the one for the boys from Maranello, and the one for everyone else...

I just did the math Jim... 1776 Kilometers equals 1104 miles.
So... I'll be at the Dealership bright and early tomorrow... for the rear fluid change.

And while there to also to get my tires checked real well..:eek:

Juice,
I didn't get a chance to run with him seem like we were half a track apart as he was in run group three and I was group 4. He was an american who took a euro delivery and kept the car in Germany. Sorry can't comment more.
Jimmy

for all us clk black series wannabes that what to upgrade our clk suspension, did the kw's look at all like the variant 2 or 3?
awsome write-up!

[QUOTE=Jim Brady;2445026]Clk 63 at the Sachsenring cont...long.

Four CLK DTM's , Sl55 with the performance package, a CLS63 performance package, and the most outrageous E55 on the planet. It has a SLR engine developing over 800 hp, carbon fibre roof, monster brakes and tires. It has been clocked at 360K and the guy can drive. Twenty cars in total.


Over 800 HP from our 5.5 block? How did the super E55 guy do it? The SLR itself only puts out about 650 hp, and that's in its 722 special edition trim. Renntech claims they can get that up to 722 hp (what a coincidence!) mainly through use of a bigger intercooler. I'm a bit skeptical RT could get so much more power from an already highly tuned engine. Does AMG really have that many cards up its sleeves?

Does the super E55 have the SLR side pipes? Even without, that must of been one hell of a shoehorn job. My dream is stuffing the CLK DTM engine into my 208. 580 hp would be just fine, thank you very much.