klenbore

Thought this might be of interest for the good folks on this forum. This last weekend we lined both cars up from a dead stop. Well as much as it hurts to admit it, I got my doors blown off by the Hemi. Two runs through the quarter mile and a car lenghts difference. I'm sure the dodge has a better top end too.

I've made no mods on my E500, mine is a 4-matic, the hemi (sons car) is also AWD. He did put a power chip in it, but I don't know if this made a big difference as this is the first time we raced.

Oh well as all the old gear-heads used to say "cubes are king". I'll just have wait for the next generation E550 or better yet maybe an AMG.

DWP

Must be the power chip, unless AWD slows down the E500 a lot more than it does the Magnum.

If you believe Road&Track tests of the 2WD versions, the E500 is faster to 60 (5.9 vs. 6.1), faster in the quarter (14.4@98.8 vs. 14.6@97.4) and even faster at the top end (130 vs. 126, both electronically limited). That's with the 2003 E500; the current E500, with the 7-speed transmission, might be even faster off the line.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....article_id=417

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=1604

("Download Data Panel")

While you're at it, compare the braking and handling numbers for the two cars. Not nearly as close as the acceleration numbers. Being 0.2 second faster to 60 is nice, but it's even nicer to have a car that takes 13 feet less to stop from 60.

klenbore

Yep, I was confident the E would take the hemi. As you said might be the chip or the 4matic drags it down. Any way it was fun, even though it cost me a dinner out.

And you are right on about the braking and comparing the other aspects of the two cars. It's really not Apples to Apples is it.

pasto27774

When you compare the two side-by-side, the Magnum has the advantage.

Magnum: 5.7L Hemi, 340HP, 390 torque, 4,339 lbs.
E500: 5.0L, 302HP, 339 torque, ? lbs.

The Magnum, even w/out chip mods, has more engine than the 500. 38HP and 50 torque is huge!

DWP

Ahh, but the Dodge is dragging around 300-400 more pounds than the E500, thus nullifying the Dodge's power/torque advantage. Weight-to-power ratio, not just power, is the key.

A Lotus Elise, with a 190 hp, 1.8 litre, Toyota engine, will blow away both the Dodge and the Mercedes in acceleration. How? It weights 1950 pounds.

********************

Post-relocation addendum: If you want your kill story to stay where you originally put it, boys and girls, better give it a title like: "A treatise on the relative efficacy in linear acceleration of the Dodge Magnum and E500."

vraa

Moving to Kill Stories.

e1000

I'd say it was the 4-matic that killed you.

Roupin

Wait wait wait....a chipped Hemi? There is no such thing UNLESS it's an SRT8 with the 6.1 liter 425 horse engine. That runs low 13's/high 12's.

A regular Hemi would get its doors blown off to an E500, 4Matic or not.

Also, the Hemis are not all that fast. It's just a marketing gimmick (they aren't REAL Hemis either). I don't want to get too technical here, but just take it for what it's worth.

klenbore

Well, if you're thinking of drag racing one take my advise and don't put your pink slip up. In true life I got dusted, 2-runs through the quarter, and It's not a SRT8. I also had the chip in my hand and watched as my kid installed it. I believe it's sold by JET, check it out for yourself. Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is the hard facts, I thought the E would come out on top too.

slk320

Klenbore is right - Jet makes a power module for the HEMI - I have one in my 300C. Additionally, with a good intake, exhaust, headers and a stage 2 chip the HEMI is a rather potent contender at tire scorching. The E500 is a different class vehicle and people looking for luxury and quality craftsmanship are surely going to go with MBZ, but I readily believe that the HEMI is a capable contender to tkae down the E.

Of course it is no Buick Roadmaster

AsianML

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember the E55 AMG Wagon being faster than the E55 AMG sedan in 0-60 because during acceleration, more weight is put on the rear wheels, giving it more grip.

So, could this be another reason the Magnum beat the E500?

klenbore

The Hemi is probably the BEST bang for the buck right now, and the Magnum looks boss. Not that I'm about to trade my E for one.

merc655

i hate to bring this thread off topic, but I have heard about a few Charger SRT8s around here that are running in the 12s, one guy ran a 12.56!

The Hemis are quick for what they are, even though its not a real Hemi, and with a chip they get a nice power gain.

Its too bad the E went down but Im sure its due to the torque difference, weight balance and the 4 wheel drive of the E.

ProjectC55

What makes you think they are'nt real hemi's? Should I assume you know what that term implies?

ProjectC55

AMG E55 wagon will never beat the 4dr sedan E55 in real life.Don't mag race!

vraa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemi#Chrysler_Hemi_engines

Roupin

I DID run a 300C back when they had just come out. We went from a 40-90 run and I simply outpulled it the whole time. I was in 2nd gear the entire time, while the 300C went through 2nd and into 3rd. My friend who also had just bought one touted the article in Car & Driver in which they ran a 13.8, and he proceeded to run a 15.2 at the track.

When 300C's had just come out, it was all over their forums that they weren't running quite as fast as the magazine tests.

That said, I haven't been following the Mopars since then because I lost interest in them. I didn't realize the chip was now available; I just remember when the tuners were going through hell trying to write a program while keeping the cylinder deactivation. A few of the earlier beta programs required the lifters to be swapped out with regular lifters and deleted the whole cylinder deactivation crap altogether. I'm going to guess that the JET chip works wonders on that car, since I wasn't impressed by a stock Hemi.

On the other hand, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 looks damn interesting though. With a blower that would be the ultimate daily beater.

slk320, here's a right back at you.

ProjectC55

Gotcha,I researched it as well! Thanx!



]Every person we've contacted who has driven a Hemi has been impressed by its power - and the economy beats the much less powerful 360 it replaces. However, the proportion of regulated pollutants is a problem for Chrysler. Bob Sheaves noted:

The Hemi design combustion chamber is one of the poorest designs for emissions - why do you think it took so long to get it into production? It almost did NOT make emissions test requirements even with the modifications. ... Today's Hemi is that (a "Hemi") in name only. [Editor's note: Bob is referring to the head design. It is not a true hemispherical head, but looks vaguely like a hemispherical head with parts filled in.]

AsianML

Really?

Are you sure?

Would've be one helluva wagon if it could beat the sedan.

DarrenCT

lined up w/ my father in law's 300c, not awd, vs my cl500 ..... about 5 runs, we were both dead even -- he had me by a fender, and vice versa, maybe it varies car to car?? the hemi weighs about 200lbs more than the cl, and the "E" is even lighter, so it will be close either way with the 4matic added.

newton22

You're talking about traction. Theoretically, assuming both cars are identical in weight, the E55 wagon would receive better traction because of the weight in the back, and even more so at launch because weight shifts to the back.

All of this really means nothing because we have ESP and ESP does a good job of keeping the cars in traction.

Furthermore, we are talking about a four wheel drive E500 and a four wheel drive Magnum. Even with with traction control off, neither car can have any traction issues on dry pavement.