M3 vs. CLK55
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
From: United States
2002M3
M3 vs. CLK55
This past weekend, my first lost to my friend W208 CLK55. I was so surprise that I lost to him because I have been winning him for YEARS. Before our runs, he offers a friendly wage just to spice it up as he's describing it. We run 6 six times, I manage to even once and the rest I lost between half a car length to full length. Afterward I ask what he did to his car, he said he changed to bigger tire setup. I make no excuses a lost is a lost.
He ended up frying his brakes in track but I can see he didn't mind a bit over dinner, which I paid for our friendly run wage.
He ended up frying his brakes in track but I can see he didn't mind a bit over dinner, which I paid for our friendly run wage.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: East Bay
clk55, 06 Cayman S, Vishnu EVO 8 stage 1 +, and X5
Yep. Bigger tires on that car really help
the launch. The stock 17 inch tires/rims are not good. My 265/35 at the rears really helped a lot in launching the car from stop.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,679
Likes: 0
CLS55 AMG
Yeah, a little extra traction goes a long way!
The US car mags, with the exception of Motor Trend, failed to point out that the CLK55's times were traction-limited by the too-skinny 245's. My best 0-60 time dropped by almost 4/10 after I installed the 18" w/265's, but even with those, it is still pretty tricky to launch on anything but an optimum surface. Motor Trend noted this when they compared the 210 E55 against the M5: they said that the M5 was actually easier to launch, and that the Benz lost time due to traction issues---this with 275's and weighing 200 pounds more than the CLK55, both of which help traction!
Shoot, CamaroZ28's and Firebird TransAms came with 275's stock! Throwing 245's on a car with around 390 peak ft-lb of torque was a travesty.
With proper traction and a good driver, the car is capable of *much* better times than most of the mags got. I'd love to see what one would do with drag radials in a 265 size (or larger)!
Shoot, CamaroZ28's and Firebird TransAms came with 275's stock! Throwing 245's on a car with around 390 peak ft-lb of torque was a travesty.
With proper traction and a good driver, the car is capable of *much* better times than most of the mags got. I'd love to see what one would do with drag radials in a 265 size (or larger)!
