bzliteyear

interesting reading...they actually didn't like it, and reco'd the S550 or S63.
hmmmm...

http://blogs.automobilemag.com/10061...lts/index.html

transferred

Interesting read.

I still love the SL65 though. Great second hand buy. But then, so is the M6...

whoover

If the W221 S65 drives anything like the W220 (and the drivetrain has much in common), this description doesn't match the real world at all. Unless you're completely ham-footed traction is nothing like the problem this article describes; nor is lag. This car goes from any speed to Warp 9 in most any gear with no chirping and no yellow triangle unless you're foolish enough to treat the accelerator as an on-off switch.

absent

At first I thought he was describing a Flying Spur with that "on/off" throttle response.
Otherwise the writeup is worthless and baseless and is not truthfull entirely as a description of a 65 series.
Having been lucky of owning both SL65 and Bentley I can confirm unquestionable superiority of the MB engine in refinement,turbo lag (lack of it) and vibration.
The writer was obviously biased against the 65, before he even had a chance to spend his 5 minutes in it.

whoover

I went back and reread the review. My favorite line has to be:

Firstly, it has that narrow power band.

I won't comment on "firstly," but narrow power band? The engine produces over 500 ft-lb from 1,300 RPM to redline! Yes, the peak torque of 738 ft-lb is "only" available from 2,000 to 4,000 RPM, meaning the HP peak (604) is at a low 4,800 RPM. What he doesn't mention is that between 4,000 RPM and redline the engine delivers over 570 HP! Not exactly useless above 4,800 RPM as he intimates. This guy is writing propaganda, not a review of one of the greatest production engines ever built.

Germancar1

Automobile was just feeling themselves and taking themselves far to seriously. This same type of feeling was given on the S65 in a recent issue of Top Gear, wonderful car, but useless and pointless. Don't worry they still love Mercedes-Benz for the most part and the S65 certainly doesn't need their approval. Wait until Road and Track or Car and Driver get a hold of it and run an actual test on it as opposed to a ride-n-drive like Automobile. The others will be raving about the power and capabilities of this car. Now Automobile will come through when they test the CL63, they'll call it the best Benz ever watch.

M

canadaneedsmusi

I have not personally driven a 65 anything, however my father owns an S55 and is ordering a S65, so I don't have any first hand experience with this engine. But I know even with the 55 flooring it from a stop is somewhatpointless, so I can only imagine what doing it in a 65 is like, meaning, that flooring it simply isnt the best way to demonstrate its speed. Secondly, for someone like my father who drives a lot to the US something with the power of a 65 is going to be greatly appreciated, as will the extra smoothness of a V12. He isnt going to be driving around town flooring it.

Furthermore, my mother has an M3, and honestly, flooring it from a stop is completely useless to. Because the power band is so high it's useless from a stop. Yet everyone praises the M3.

Just some random comments.

Chucky300

And you know what? Anyone with an S550 - Floor it from 0 and there is NO WAY you are getting full traction......... not just in those HIGH TORQUE cars....... even in the base models............. if i floor it - i will skip and ESP turns power off.

Doctodd33

537 HP and 654 lb-ft torque at the wheels???........looks like MB underrated the engine. Cool.

T

fasttommyv

I fail to understand how an engine that makes 748 pounds of torque at 2000 RPM has a narrow powerband. A 4 banger Honda that needs 7500 rpm to make the whole whopping 180 hp has a narrow powerband.

Maybe they should learn how to drive and not mash it to the floor with a RWD TTV12. At least turn off traction control and do some sweet burnouts.

carsinamerica

Don't be so sure. C/D was at points to note that the SL65 took *longer* to hit 60 than the SL600, because it was harder to launch, with too much power and not enough traction. The advantages in passing power for the 65s just don't seem to justify the expense. The S600 is already as quick as a Murcielago, for heaven's sake. Sometimes too much is just too much.

absent

C/D did not have either car long enough to really form a credible opinion.
I put 20k miles on 600 and 2k miles so far on 65 and found the latter to be easier to launch with it's standard LSD.
No comparison between the two at any speed....

russjr

of all the car reviews i have EVER read this is without a doubt the MOST inaccurate and ill-informed. the 07 s65 is enormously fast and extremely easy to drive. an example of a writer exercisng his talent at the expense of one of the world's best sedans.

ClayJ

You meant to say, "lack of talent", right?

russjr

thanks for the correction.

Jakpro1

Note to self....11.5 in the 1/4 is a now "lumbering fool" territory

http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Be...slip-9696.html

terrence

I doubt this guy really even drove the car. What lag? I had an SL65 for 8 months and it has less lag than my chipped 996TT's. Barely noticeable at all.

And who cares about the stop light traction problem. The car is not meant to be a stop-light king but more like an 1/4 mile monster, plus highway passing power.

EVO loves the car and they are not into straight line muscle cars.

I wouldn't give too much credit to this guy's review.

whoover

When I want to go fast from a start I leave the transmission in S, tap the button to 1, take off with a little less than full throttle, then mash it. The transmission program upshifts at redline and if the road is dry I never see the ESP light flash. I don't have major traction issues at all, and certainly no turbo lag.

I don't know why our C55, same year, doesn't upshift at redline. It just bounces off the RPM limit. Maddening little differences in two '06 AMGs.

Either the '07 drives very differently (which I doubt), or you're right -- this guy didn't drive the car.

Germancar1

Bingo! Most of the British mags love the car and there is no way they would if it were anything like this guy from Automobile described.

M

csumt76

IMO the 2007 S65 is the sexiest car I have ever seen. I saw three in the last week. Two black ones and a silver one. The silver one had a pano roof and chrome stock rims........