oldfogey

I'm in the process of swapping an SL55 for an SLK55 then converting to S8 specification. I want to keep the SLK as unmodified-looking as possible - no decals, standard wheels...

Anyone able to comment on Kleeman service & reliability?

Am thinking of shipping the SLK to Farum and driving it back to the UK. Thoughts on the route, hotels in Copenahgen or whatever would be useful.

JamE55

Reliability is

Yellow R1

I know you want to stay as stock as possible, but you better get some more rubber in the back....I can't get traction below 80 mph. I'm getting some 265 Goodyear F1 GDS3s on Friday but I'm not banking on much of an improvement. If you stick with stock 245s, they become worthless with even the slightest jab on the throttle. Just a courtesy heads up.

See ya,
-Matt

SLcharger

So farr i have nothing to complain about, service is great, reliability, ? i havent had any problems yet. everything is working just fine. I love the setup, and my advise is you get the LSD for better traction control.

oldfogey

Thanks. Comforting to hear. I am planning on the LSD.

oldfogey

Thanks for the warning. Sounds like more rubber is a good investment.

BenzoBoi

congrats!~!

Murtaza

Awesome, can't wait for the videos

SLK55R

Matt,

Don't get the Goodyears if your just looking for more traction. As you know I have them and I"m losing tracking all the time still. I lose traction up to 60 easily and lose traction over 60-80 occassionally.

I just ordered a set of Pilot Sports Cup tires 265/35 18 and also am ordering a set of 275's Nitto's NT01's (275/30 18s). I got a pair of 18's Renntech rims to use these tires.

Mrdredd

I have Conti ContactSport 3 and they are pretty good for my stock SL55... if you go with contactsport make sure you get 3... they just came out.

R230_Nicke

I'm sure he already got new tires since this tread is almost one year old

shanetoast

You better have a video camra with you when you take it out and a crazy friend thats ready to sit shotgun with you while you take her to her top end speed. Really looking forward to this one.

stefi

WOW!!! Very nice! Congrats on the car!!!

Videos please!!!!

Did you have the exhaust upgraded? Kleemann has amazing sounds!!!!

Bilal

Does it not strike you as odd that the video request was made about a year ago? Perhaps we should just accept such cars exist in fantasyland.

IIIMBPIII

Vids!!! :x

RoydRage

Honestly I think you're right... It's nice that everyone here seems to take people at their word...

But REALLY! Look at the facts... What Stock SL55 makes 520hp at the REAR WHEELS! Early one? This is just BS.

2nd... 200MPH Stock de-limited? Fantasy again... I would love to think so since my soon to arrive SL55 is stock... But, hmmmm, No.

220... Well Theoretical is a good word.

I have it on good authority that 200mph would be extremely difficult even with a pulley and ECU Upgrades... It would require cooling mods for sure, as the supercharger would probably disengage from heat after 180mph. Further more you would need tranny mods along with all this other stuff to crack 200Mph.

Now this is my opinion... And some of you might disagree... That is what a forum is for.

After I get my wheels, I'm going to do an ELM, Pulley, ECU, And maybe a RennTech Carbon Air box... And I won't be expecting 200MPH.

Best,

RoydRage

BlownV8

The Kleeman dyno takes the RWHP reading and converts it to crank hp. I have no idea what figure they use for drive train losses.

jmf003

Well, as far as 200 MPH goes, the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport tested a stock SL55 to 325 KPH, which is 202 MPH. I've attached a copy of the results page.

Similarly our own forum member IngenereAMG has run his SL55 to 202 MPH.

And if you do the math (e.g. http://phors.locost7.info/phors06.htm) it should take about 415 RWHP to push an SL55 to 200 MPH. (0.29 cd, 25 sq ft frontal area for the SL55). A 493 HP SL55 with 16% driveline loss would put out 415 RWHP.

So there are three data points suggesting that a unrestricted stock SL55 should top out at around 200 MPH.

RoydRage

Now this is getting interesting... I like this...

All good points.. But...

a) Magazines tradionally inflate performance numbers... It causes excitement and sells magazines... I've raced professionally since 1986 and raced motorcycles starting at 9 years old... I've never seen ET's from magazines duplicated at the dragstrip with stock bikes.

b) IngenereAMG's car is modified I believe.

c) What looks good on paper seldom works out in real life... There are a lot of intangables that you can't figure.

What would make me a believer is a verified stock unrestricted car clocked by radar at 200MPH... Until then I just don't believe it can do it... If my car can hit it with all the work done, and I back up the speedo with a GPS then I'll almost believe it! LOL!

Thanks,

RoydRage

Bilal

I reckon that the SL55 could probably touch 200mph stock, but thats it. As far as the 325kph SL55 story of AMS is concerned, well thats fiction. The car they tested was an SL55 that was carrying the prototype SLR engine, AMG objected, but DCX thought it would be good publicity and voila, what do you know? 0-300kph in 32.5 is the tell-tale sign. AMS took a fully de-limited stock SL65 to 210mph, but its 0-300kph (186) time was 31.9 seconds, this with a 600hp engine would seem to backup the story that the 2002 AMS SL55 was pushing just over 600hp. For the SL65 story search for my name and Carrera GT in this forum.

On another note, the SL65 is phenominally fast above 100mph, that torque really shines through!

jmf003

Makes sense.

Zod

hehe this might be too late but i have seen a number of magizens state de-restricted 55k motor can run 200mph and i belive top gear also has it in one of their magz so go check it out