WSH

Would appreciate any input from those who've driven '06 SL55 w/Perf Package vs SL65, esp in terms of steering precision, handling in mountain curves and traction (dry and wet, off-the-line and in mid-range spurts). Any comparos of 55 vs 55PP on these criteria would be great as well.

Haven't had chance to drive SL65/55PP yet, but had 2 SL55s in past which I enjoyed greatly; currently drive TurboS Coupe (love the TurboS for its precise steering, great traction and 800-odd lbs less wt than SL but not a fan of the turbo lag; and P's small gas tanks are annoying for commuter duty). Would be using cars for daily urban commuting and wkend mtn twisties in CA.

Thx.

CynCarvin32

As a canyon driver my self the SL55 is a wonderful car and it does things you would never expect a big heavy cabrio to do.

But the 65 is just to nose heavy and I hear its far less fun to drive (other than for the power). I would pick the SL55PP over the 65 any day simply because of the better weight distribution.

The SL55 is simply a blast between Cornel and Malibu canyon. That darn M3 comp. pack had no idea what was going on

Pick the PP and if you need the added power call bob brady at RENNtech and do some motor work. You will love the car. Not quite a 996 but still a wonderful car and just perfect for a daily driver/fun car.

r3v1ls

Well i don't own either car but I do have some knowledge about them. Overall i think the sl55 is a perfectly balanced car when it comes to handling/speed. I think the SL65 is just plain overkill, the thing doesn't have enough traction for all the power it has (w/ stock wheels and tires). Accoriding to 1 magazine it got the same 0-60 speed as a Sl600. Also has the big n heavy v12 twin turbo, while the sl55 has the smaller supercharged v8. I'd say the Sl55 would do a lot better in the twisties. One thing the Sl65 has over the 55 is the INSANE passing speed and 1/4 mile speed. It's just a monster and can take out most exotic cars in a straight away. Looks wise there isn't much dif between the 65 and 55, other than the wheels. I think the sl55 is just a much more balanced car than the 65. It's also 30-50's cheaper (depending on options) and you could spend that for some HRE's or other goodies :p

Bilal

VKSF @rennteam?

Schiznick

The steering and brakes are the same between the PP and the SL65.

I have commented a couple of times on the topic of the SL65 being nose heavy. I traded a SL55 for my SL65, the small additional weight is not noticable. Even on the race track the weight is not an issue. As with any car on the track, once you get used to the handling chrs of the car you don't even notice the turbo power delivery.

I personally think all this talk about the SL55 being a much better handling car is just the results of a couple of magazine tests that have said that. These are also the same mags that tested a stock SL600 at 3.6 0-60....... yea ok........

The delivery of power in the 65 is a bit less direct than the 55 but it pulls like a runaway frieght train.

The only thing I miss about my SL55 is the sound of the exhaust. The 65's turbos muffle the exhaust quite a bit.

I drive my SL65 every day. In fact I am on my second one after I put 10K on my first.

Enjoy

tandan

c'mon schiz-- everytime i punch my 600, i'm thinkin (3.6,3.6,3.6)! lol by the way, how many mi. do you have on your second 65 now?

DBERRY7578

I just traded th 55 for the 65 and I haven't noticed any handling differences. The difference in the power is very noticeable, and the fear factor that you put in other cars are very noticeable.

Frank Wiesmann

Not quite. The SL 55 PP has 380 mm/15 inch rotors up front and 330 mm/13 inch rotors at the rear. The Sl 65 has 390 mm/ 15.7 inch rotors up front and 360 mm/14.2 inch rotors at the rear. They both have compound rotors up front however. The SL 65 may even have rear compound rotors, the SL 55 PP does not, its rear brakes are the same as the stock 55.

CynCarvin32

I will have to respectfully disagree. Adding 200+ pounds to the nose of any car will make a very noticeable difference in how it drives and turns in. Same tire size, same suspension, same steering rack -- therefore the car must be more understeer prone.

I never find my SL55 plowing along but I have seen 65's plow until you make the back end slip with power. The 55k would likely be faster around a tight road course.

AMG&AMG

Haven't drove the 65, but the performance package is worth it, better road feedback , ok stiffer ride, due to the suspension setup , the brakes are upgraded. power is boosted to 550hp, now Iam thinking of getting the AMG PP for my SLK55 030 performance package .

Schiznick

I hate to say it but the Performance Package does not increase HP to 550. If your dealer told you this or charged you more for this, you should get your money back.

Unless you got the car tuned by Renntech or Kleemann you car has stock HP. AMG does not offer ECU or pulley packages to increase HP.

Schiz

amgrocket

Definately no hp increase from the performance pack. Though the handling of sl55 vs my e55 is night and day. The sl55 with pp handles very well compared to e55. I never drove a sl55 without pp , i would be interested to know of anyone who has driven both or a 65 also. Its not a 65 but hell i LOVE it nevertheless

AMG_55

as some1 who drive really really hard (see pics of brake smoke under the calabassas oct 30th) thread
i agree 100%
adding power kinda levels off after a while b/c there is no traction
200lbs more than makes up for 100hp in the twisties, especially if the hp #'s are 500 and up

Schiznick

I would agree "IF" the 200 pounds is on the nose of the car but it is not all on the nose. The 200 pounds is spread across the car as well. Engine, trans, driveshafts, half shafts, brakes, differential to name a few.

All I am saying is before you all talk about the handling of the SL65, drive both back to back.

It is quite easy to say it's heavier on the nose so it doesn't handle as good as the SL55. I have had both, balance is slightly different but the reason is not the 200 lbs in my opinion.

I have spent a great deal of time on the track as well in my GT3 and have turned my share of AMG calipers gold as well. In my opinion, the reason the SL65 laps the ring slower than the SL55 is far more ESP related than anything else.

Anyone who drives the SL65 hard will quickly notice that the LSD combined with 604 HP causes huge tire spin when turning. On the track the ESP rewards early power application with a little sliding and a whole bunch of electronic intervention. This car takes patience on the track and rewards you with being blinding fast.

The SL65 is what it is. I know the topic is are they similar. Yes, they are similar but not the same.

I think the SL55 is easier to drive quickly on the track because with a Kompressor, the power delivery is more linear. The SL65 rewards patience on the track but is a rush like no other.

For your mountain road jaunts you can not go wrong with either car!

Enjoy

AMG_55

200lbs is 200lbs
no matter how you look at it
more momentum, less agility and will to change direction and more weight transfer

natec

If you want go fast in a straight line, buy the SL65. If you are concerned with handling, buy the SL55. It sounds better and is hands down faster through the curves.

Juice it

So you are saying an SL500 should be faster on a track than an SL55 because it is lighter? Power and torque have to play a part as well. I think the extra power and torque in the 65 should make up for the 200lbs if all else is equal.

natec

Aside from a straight line, the extra power and torque of the 65 clearly do not overcome the disadvantages of its mass. It is 8 seconds slower around the Nurburgring than a 55.

amgrocket

I had a chance to drive my sl55 w/pp on thunderhill raceway and boy was it fun. It handled much better than i would have believed it would. The e55 i have would have been left in the dust. Once again i dont know if this is just because the sl55 has abc and the e55 has adsII or its because of the pp in the sl55. After the last session i got the message" brakes are overheated drive carefully" and during the day i must have either braked/and or accelerated so hard the rollbar deployed. It was tons of fun. needless to say i love the car. hopefully someone can chime in on the sl55 w/pp handling difference vs, sl55 and a sl65.

Juice it

Clearly to whom? 8 seconds on a 7 1/2 minute track doesn't tell me anything. Was it the same day? Same driver? Same weather? You haven't convinced me. I still think that on the same track, same driver etc. the 65 walks away. Just my opinion but I,(like you) have not driven an sl55 and 65 back to back on the same track.

Schiznick

To amgrocket, in my opinion and I have owned and tracked both, the feeling is very similar between the SL55 and the SL65 with the exception of the raw power and torque of the 65 engine. ESP is much more pronounced in the SL65 becuase of more traction issues but the ride and turn in is quite similar. the 100 HP and torque are much more prounounced than you would imagine.

An example of that would be the feeling you get driving your SL55, you know it is fast because cars in your mirror dissapear at a fast pace yet you may also find yourself saying the car doesn't really feel that fast. In the SL65, not only do cars dissapear at an alarming rate but you are pinned into you seat and you feel the sensation of speed.

I must say that I am quite amused by some of the posts here.....

"Aside from a straight line, the extra power and torque of the 65 clearly do not overcome the disadvantages of its mass. It is 8 seconds slower around the Nurburgring than a 55."

Clearly the extra 200 pounds destroys the 65's ability to keep up with a SL55 on twisty roads. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think the 8 seconds around the Ring can be explained. The times are taken on the first flying lap with ESP on correct?

Do you have experience in driving either the SL55 or SL65 or is this just more bench racing?

"200lbs is 200lbs"
no matter how you look at it more momentum, less agility and will to change direction and more weight transfer

200 lbs is not 200 lbs in racing.... Where the 200 lbs is located has huge implications on the handling of a car.

Seriously, all I was trying to do was give some simple observations of the differences between the SL55 and the SL65 since I owned one and own another and spend quite a bit of time enjoying them on the street and on the track.

If you can afford the 65 you will not go wrong, it is a step up from the SL55 even on the twisty roads.

The SL's are not race cars..... use them for daily driving and track time on occasion and you will not be dissapointed with either car!

Enjoy

AMG_55

its weight advantage doesnt make up for the power disadvantage, the outputs are way too far apart, unlike the amg's, after u get past 500hp 100 isnt that big a deal and so on as the power increases. especially on a tight traction limited track

the sl55 is definitely faster around the 'ring
a cayman s w/ 295 hp is faster than a carrera w/ 320
its all in the balance and weight, there is nothing else to it

after reading all ur post under this thread
there is only 1 conclusion that i can come up with
u bought a 65 and now are upset b/c the only thing nicer than a 55 on it is tyhe engine cover and front brake rotors
sorry, that sucks, u got sold

i will now say no moe on this subject b/ some people are just simply stubborn

Schiznick

You crack me up.....

It is quite funny how you interpret my post as being upset about my SL65 while it seems to be you that has a problem with it. What can I say, I enjoy the extra HP and Torque, some of us can handle it just fine.....

Someone asked a question about differences between the cars from people who have DRIVEN the cars.

What are you doing posting here again? Do you have something more to contribute other than what you have read or heard?

Juice it

Yeah, I am real upset I got sold an SL65 instead. I guess a CLK 430 would wax your clk 55 as well because its lighter. The extra HP doesn't mean anything. I guess you got "sold" as well. Unlike you and me, Schiznick has owned both and tracked both and is even on his 2nd SL65 so I guess his real world experience doesn't mean anything. Go back and troll in the "c"class section!

natec

You guys are right, real world experience must not mean anything at all. That must be why my friend who is an automotive journalist in the UK prefers the SL55 over the SL65 because...guess what, it handles better and is faster through the curves. But what the hell does he know, he has only driven both, and tracked both, and is likely a far better driver on (and off) the track than the vast majority of the board. Still though, you can't "feel" the difference, or better yet, prefer to attribute it to ESP and nothing more, so you must be right.

I honestly fail to see the advantage in owning an SL65 for the price difference...as I have already said it is only marginally faster in a straight line and it is not faster on the track, nor is it equal.