I was just curious what the actual HP of a 05 SL 55 is. I've heard anything from 469,476,493, to 500. I always thought it was 493 but now i'm confused.

 

MB has it at 493.

 

55=493, 600=493(2006), 65=604

 

600 biturbos make (corrected) 543hp, which is the same as the Maybach. Also, they make 460-470 wheel horsepower.

 

It is not uncommon that the motor will make more than 493 hp. True, MB states it at 493 hp and 516 tq, but they (MB) tend to underrate their cars. I've seen several examples where a MB car made more power than the factory claimed.

 

The fact that the 600TT and the 55SC engine are both rated at exactly 493 is complete marketing Bull*****. I don't think two dozen engineers could do that if they tried.

 

I don't know why marketing gets dragged into the discussion. Auto manufacturers are legally bound to make accurate HP claims because car insurance companies base their rates partially on HP.

HP isn't an exact science and it probably varies slightly from car to car within the same model line. The 493 is probably a aggregated estimate.

~ Ian

 

The only reason MB rated both roadsters @493 was because they did not want to **** off the 03/04 SL55 customers who just paid MSRP (or maybe more) and thought they bought MB's quickest roadster. All the SL55 buyers had to do was spend an extra few grand and they could have a roadster that would crush the SL55 in the quarter & at highway speeds.

Isn't it funny how both cars will be rated @517 for MY 2007? If you dyno a stock SL600 it will make at least 525-530 hp, you can't say the same for the SL55.

Hey, if I bought a 55 I would be pissed off too. AMG does have great marketing though. For example:

2005 CLK55 AMG 5.5L engine 362hp
2007 CLK550 (non-AMG) 5.5L engine 382hp

 

Congrats on your SL600. Great car... I can totally see myself in one when I turn 50. It's got that old style cool to it...

However...

To UNDERSTATE HP as not to **** off current owners of the SL55? ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. From a business perspective, it doesn't take a MBA to figure out that if they posted the SL600 HP at "525" or whatever you think it is they could likely charge more for the car AND position it better against the competition AND make it more desireable. All that would mean MORE SALES and MORE PROFITS. That would be the "marketing move". If they lost any SL55 sales it would be to the higher priced SL600. WIN-WIN situation for MB. I'd add if they were worried about pissing off us 5.5 owners they wouldn't raise HP in the 2007 or tweak the look of the car mid-model. It's NOT ABOUT past owners it's all about current prospective buyers.

Now... it's common to see HP vary from car-to-car, even day-to-day. When car manufacturers compute HP they average a number of cars with controlled parameters (same dyno, octane, temperature, etc). You might very well be getting that type of HP, but you also might be running higher octane gas or just have one of those cars that's outside of the curve.

That fact is that all car engines manufactured in Europe are required BY LAW to be within 2 percent of advertised horsepower. There's no such law in the USA, although 2 percent is considered the acceptable limit. All European engines are certified by a witness, something Society of Automotive Engineers (US) is mulling with a plan that would use Underwriters Laboratories as witnesses.

In the end, it would be foolhardy to purposely understate horsepower, as insurance companies would have a field day with lawsuits against the auto manufacturers (as they use HP to help compute insurance rates). Not to mention it simply doesn't make good business sense.

~ Ian

 

I do not understand how you can account for the actual real world dyno results conducted by SL600 owners of stock cars all resulted in a actual rear wheel horsepower rating which was GREATER then SL55s.

BTW IF your logic was correct, then Ferrari numbers would be quite a bit different then what you see....

 

I've never seen the results of a SL600 v. a SL55 on the same dyno the same day under the same circumstances and in a statistically significant number to say that HP is any different - so I really don't know (is this how you're testing? Maybe running 10 different SL600's and 10 SL55's on the same dyno the same day?). Measuring HP in the real world is FAR from an exact science - maybe the SL600 has more... maybe it doesn't, or maybe it's the same. I'm much more confident in MB"s numbers than the dyno here, dyno there results.

It's also not about logic as it's more about how manufacturers in Europe report horespower. German's are VERY big on accuracy and I'd repeat that car manufacturers would be idiots to understate HP from a marketing perspective. Maybe they arrive at their number differently over there, maybe they have to take the lowest value. I can't say for sure but that 2% statement is factual and I doubt MB would be breaking the law UNDERSTATING. If you're going to go that route you OVERSTATE because it helps sales.

~ Ian

 

Why thank you, that is why I bought it. However, I guarantee that I am younger than you and I did not fall victim the Daimler-Benz marketing department.

What is up with the "old style" comment An SL600 with the AMG package looks pretty much identical to your famed SL55:

same front bumper
same foglamps
same side skirts
same rear bumper (you have black mesh instead of black plastic with a wider exhaust cutout)
same wheels (AMG)
same 8-piston 14.2" brakes

Yeah, you have the quad exhaust and the ///AMG badge but is that really worth having a slower ride? On top of that I get exclusive leather everywhere!!! That is a $3,750.00 option on your vehicle!

AMG these days is alot about marketing. The SL55 is a wicked fast ride and sounds great. But don't think for one minute that the V8 Kompressor engine is identical in power to the V12 Biturbo. The V12 Biturbo has more horsepower and more torque, period. It is that torque that allows me to pass any SL55 at 90mph+.

 

Old style cool is a compliment. It's like a solid gold Rolex. Men aspire to that type of status in time - but most simply don't jump into it. I see someone in a SL600 and I think he's arrived... in a SL55 he's still in the process of getting there - how is that bad?

I'm not defending the "FAMED" SL55, simply stating that MB can't by law understate HP. If I wanted a "FASTER" car I'd have bought one. Speed means nothing in this discussion. My one minute of thought is that the E55 owners who say their cars dyno at 510HP are of the same mold as the SL600 owners who need to think that their car is superior to everything with 4 wheels. It's about choices not HP.

If you took some pictures of your car, posted them with a DYNO report showing 530HP all you would get from me is "WOW. That's awesome... Very nice car enjoy it!" with two thumbs up. Most SL55 owners would probably say the same exact thing. It's not a pissing contest.

I have no doubt you're younger than me only because you feel you have to mention it - don't be so defensive, nobody is saying the SL600 isn't a terrific sled. Now personally, I don't care if a Subaru or Honda passes me at 90+ MPH let alone a SL600 - I don't take chances like that... That's how I've survived to 39. Enjoy your car...

~ Ian

 

the U.S. does have a law on advertised HP. its 1% and i believe its the same way in europe. theres an article about it in the new Car & Driver Mag.

 

If the torque is what allows a 600 to run a better 1/4 time, then why is there a reason for disbelief in the HP. I refuse to believe that MB did all of this research and didn't know that a equal size engine with twin turbo's would outperform the 55. I have even heard someone at MB state that the 600 performed so well that the 65 had to be created so that AMG would have the top perfoming roadster. Regardless both are great vehicles, however according to MB the 55 holds it value better that the 600.

 

I don't question performance - I do question the rationale for understating HP of ANY CAR... not just the SL600... particularly if it's going to be postulated that it's done as to "not **** off previous owners". That simply makes no sense from a business perspective. I mean, does anyone think that when the new 500HP+ E63 rolls out MB won't be squaring it up against the M5 and publish the correct HP? Or are they going to understate it (again - lol) so that E55 owners feelings don't get hurt - at the expense of positioning the car for better sales vs. it's direct competitors at BMW and Audi?

~ Ian

 

I totally agree with you. Higher numbers = Higher sales.

 

Ferrari gas been overquoting HP figures for years!

 

Oh no...not this V8 vs V12 nonsense again. It is plain knowledge that the 12s are nose heavy sleds (that's why I sold my SL65 contract). The 55 is a much better sports car.........it goes, stops and handles brilliantly, and if you have any skill at all the 55 will run away from most cars on a road couse or mtn road. The 600 and 65s that I drove were nose heavy and basically overkill. Great drag racers and cruisers.

But once again............its about what you want.

 

not too many road courses/mountain roads in my area, just highways & stoplights.

 

I didn't know that if you took away 149 lbs from the nose the R230 became a Porsche! Thanks for the enlightenment, I think I might trade my 600 for a 55.

 

As I said before, if you can feel the 2-3% weight difference in such a heavy car in normal and spirited street driving, you should be working for a race car company.

No sports car weighs over 4000lbs, only GTs.

 

That was my point. It is a lot harder to get away with overstating then understating.

And Porsche understates....

 

WHAT! North Jersey has some of the best driving roads around. If you head N of Princeton on Rt 206 towards Sparta and High Point.....great stuff. If you are in the South..........go to PA. Also....NY state and New England........all great roads. As for tracks...........Lime Rock in CT.

There are lots of places to practice those apexes!!

 

Ahhhh! I love that 'ol East coast sense of humor. I do miss the sarcasm!!! Merc just did a great job with the 55. I have ran away from more Porsches and Ferrari buddies that I can count......at race tracks and mtn roads with the 55.

I have owned far too many exotics and I have to say that the SL55 has been an amazing all 'rounder..........easily the best road car I have owned.