Well not bad for a year and half wait but I am finally getting my SL55 a week from tomorrow.

Blk/Blk (Charcoal)
Bi Xenon
Parktronic
Keyless Go
Phone
I did not go for tha panaromic because I really dont understand its purpose and truth is, I wont be using this car unless the sun is out and the skies are blue!

Questions...do any of the existing owners know what the "break in" period is and what speed is considered ok to venture to without adversely the engine.

Also, has anyone contemplated putting 19" on the car? I have a friend who put them on his CL55 and had nothing but problems with the suspension due to the balance shift and had some over steer problems.

One other question...what is the sound system like in the car? Is it the same in the S55 (which I have now) Does the sound automatically increase with the speed of the car? Does wind resistance have a noticeable change in the sound of music?

I read this forum a lot and appreciate all the insight from everyone.

As soon as I pick it up, I will post some pictures.

 

You will love your SL55, the power is intoxicating! The sound system is custom for the SL class, the level goes up and down based on unwanted sound not speed like the old system. It also recalibrates when the top is up or down. It does this with a microphone that monitors the sound at all times. CDs sound best with this system.

I have to tell you that the engine sound is the best soundtrack.

I have had a C36 C43 and E55, but when I drove the SL55 it was very special, I would have to say the perfect car! It is everything I put on my dream list years ago coming true,I can not wait until mine comes in this spring!

As I said you will love this car, please post pics and thoughts when you pick it up.

Thanks
AMGBENZ

 

At least 1000 miles before going crazy, I had bad luck changing rims on my 2000 S500, I would stay factory or if you have to have 19s go with AMG otherwise you could get some shake in the steering wheel, that has been my experiance with changing to Brabus rims, tram line can also be a problem with 19s or bigger on bad roads, with steering pulling all over the road.

The shake is caused by bad balance or the wrong weight of the rim, messing up the electronics in the ABC

Just something to think about.

AMGBENZ

 

My car is pretty much broken in now (1100 miles), there's a recommended limit of 4000 rpm during the first 1000 miles. It's very easy to find yourself beyond this because the car is so quick and under acceleration, the car holds on to the gear it's in. In particular, using the manual shift program, you can find yourself in too low a gear and the revs being higher than you would like.

Think of it too as being a break in period for the driver also. I found during the early days that I was arriving at some corners too fast, such is the stupendous acceleration. Even coming from some previous fast hardware, this car is in a different league.

Keep in mind though the engine has spent significant time on a dyno during manufacture at high speeds to make sure it's not going to dis-integrate. You will not be the first person to take the engine to its rev limit.

So the bottom line as with any car is to let things warm up properly and during the break in period, be just a little restrained. What you will not need to do is put a sticker in the back of the car like they used to in the 60's in the UK: "Running in - please pass"!

I think the sound system is great. It sounds a bit lifeless at low volumes but comes alive when you wind up the volume and there's more than enough of that. Actually, thinking about that, the stereo matches the car, quiet and docile when you want/need it to be, loud and exhilarating when "school's out".

As for the wheels, the real revelation for me in this car (as I've posted before) is not the straight power of the engine but the uncanny ability of the ABC to disguise the weight of the car. The ABC is super-smart and I'd be wary of changing anything which might upset it, so I agree with AMGBENZ to stay factory.

The car weighs itself and its occupants to adjust the ABC by measuring the compressive stress on the suspension struts but it will not know - cannot know - that you have put different wheels on the end of them and any changes in what it sees dynamically will be interpreted as a change in road conditions. The handling and especially the ride might suffer.

You wouldn't think of putting different springs or shocks (don't exist as such anyways) on this car - like some Dodge from the 60s - and I think the same thinking should extend to the wheels which form an integral part of the suspension calculations.

Enjoy your car, I know I am, just wish I was getting some work done too

 

I'm totally agree with BlueSL, consider that at 4.000 rpm You reach 210 km/h and at 3.000 rpm You are at 160 km/h.
I have 5.000 km on tachimeter.
For the wheels, imo, i will change only if this it's necessary for reach the 325 km/h.
As You know the car is limit to 250 but AMG can delimit to 300 km/h for 2.150 € (4 hours of work at the factory).
Now I'm looking somewhere else to find wheel and tyre able to support the wheigt of the car at high speed (more than 300 km/h).
Someone can help me?
I' don't want change all the car, only to have the speed reach from the original stock car in Nardò circuit.

Bye

Andrea

 

Ho man! October 25th, My Birthday. Why don't you ship over that SL to my house as my Birthday Present?

2fast4u: My dad's BMW 740iL with "only" 282HP does 160km/h @ 3000 rpm.

 

Happy birthday DNA3D in advance, but I'm sure that You agree with me that it's different drive a SL55 and a 740iL, but I beleive You that Your dad's car is so fast, with my previous Audi RS4 I reach 220 at 5000 rpm ...... and it has 420 HP.

Personally I prefer class S to BMW 7 series, especially if we consider the new 7 series from BMW.

Bye

Andrea

 

Congrats NYC SL55 , waiting for mine but not due till jan, perfect for driving in the snow! You registerd recently so there is plenty of reading u can do on this site. Go and read the previous postings and all the comments, u will find a lot of useful info and maybe some that not so useful but all in all alot of good reading. I take it that u live in NYC. A great car to drive because of its ability to use in the city vs a Ferrari or other exoctic which is all most inpossible to drive there. If u find yourself in NJ by the short hills mall send me a e-mail and I will day hello. I am right next door. Good luck and enjoy looking foward to pics and more stories.

 

i live in a nyc can i have a ride one day please!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Appreciate all the "congrats" from everyone as well as the info from BlueSL and others. I have been an avid reader of this site for about 6 months and really enjoy the inout from everyone - especially those that have such an enthusiasm for it.

There is no question it is not a City car and I dont plan to actually drive it in the city much but more out to the Burbs where I have a home and the roads are more fun to navigate on (with the exception of the Long Island Expressway which is a parking lot unless you go later at night). If anyone knows some good highways in the NY area, please let me know as I am always game for a good run.

I am sure I will make it over to NJ just out of an excuse to drive somewhere. I am not one of these people who will just leave the car in the garage to admire and have no miles on it...I bought this car to actually drive it as much as time allows me to.

Do any of the people that already have the car have Bi-Xenon? If so, is there a noticeable difference in driving at night - especially in fog?

Thanks again to everyone for all the really good info posted here.

 

The bi xenon light a dark country road like it is daytime, but I do not remember them helping in the fog, they are too bright for fog from what I remember on my 03 SL500 with bi xenon

 

Agree with that, the Bi-Xenons are excellent, have not driven in fog but I can imagine back scatter would make it very difficult. Once again, enjoy your car, you need to find something to do over the weekend to take your mind off it!

 

Oooh, Andrea, you're missing out on SO MUCH. You MUST test drive the New 7, both from a driver's and a passanger's perspective. Me and my dad test drove the New 7, here's my very short review of the 735Li from BMWM5.com Forums.

"Me and my dad took a test drive of the 735Li a few weeks ago; because I was 14, I couldn't drive the car. We arrived in the showroom with our 1996/updated to 99 740iL. I sat in the rear, and it was splendid. The leather was top notch, wood panels everywhere were finished so well it would make Rembrant's paintings look like child sketches. For some reason though, the interior felt smaller than that of our 740iL, but I have to agree with M5ing; it smelt wonderful.

The rear seats were ultra cool, I mean they were bucket seats. Hence you could adjust them to just about any position you desired. Dropping the armrest revealed a mini-fridge (Note: Not Available in the US for all I know) that could hold quite a large quantity. The rear cooling systems were great, I mean, there were 6 friggin air-con vents to freeze your car during a hot summers day.

iDrive, well, was pretty easy to use for a tech-whiz like me, but it now takes 6 steps to change the radio station, rather than pushing one button. The sound system was nothing short of breathtaking. Completely thrashes anything the 740iL could offer. The art of Logic 7 can be heard and felt with the two subwoofers located under the front chairs. This is easily the best car stereo I've heard to date, perhaps even better than the highly acclaimed Mark Levinson in the Lexus LS430.

But what impressed me most was the drivetrain. The engine was dead silent below 4,000 rpm. And I mean, Lexus-like levels. Anything above that gives out a quiet engine sound, reminding you that you are not in a Lexus. The 3.6-litre engine felt just marginally less powerful than the 740iLs (Less torquey, bulkier car). But despite the huge 19" tires we had on, ride quality seemed to remain equal to the 740iL's. Speaking of ride, absolutely no body roll. Dead flat. We took the car up to about 180km/h, and little wind or tire noise was audible.

Yes this is a great car, no question about it. Test drive a Mercedes S320/S430, then any one of the New 7s and you'll be amazed. No 745Li test models were available for testing here. And the 745Li costs an equally amazing $117,600 fully loaded in this country. The 735Li costs $87,000, NOT fully loaded."

 

But, at the end of the day, the 7 series is one huge ugly runt, BMW have messed up big time and are rushing through a redesign of the front and back. And while they're at it, they should tame the geeks who developed i-drive.

The SL55 on the other hand is just so satisfying to look at, be in and drive. It's a long time since I sneaked out late in the evening, glass of wine in hand, just to look at my new car and appreciate the skills of the people who put it all together.

 

honestly a panoramic roof is really sweet, my friend has one on his r129 sl and i dont....this makes me very jealous everytime im in his car.

 

You will love the car, I know that mine has been great.

As fas as NY/NJ roads...there are plenty, but of course you have to get away from the city. NY 17 up past Suffern can be fun. There are some great roads in N Jersey....9W from the GWB north of Tenefly. Take 80 out to Netcong and then head North to Lk Mohawk and Sparta and then on to Newton and High Point is a great back country drive. Then there are virtually any back road in CT. Just get off the highway and have some fun. You should be able to enjoy some great foliage drives before winter sets in.

Have fun and be safe!

 

Congrats on your SL55,

Concerning the panorama roof; if you get a lot of top-down time, I don't think it's necessary but I need it because I live in the city (downtown) and I don't see too much sun so I need it... but being in the suburbs you won't really miss it.

I have 19"s on my SL55 and the ride is pretty smooth to me, just be careful of the potholes.

The sound system is OK. Not the best. The 2003 and 2004 model SL55s had better sound systems. Yes, it does go up and down as the cabin noise increases. If you don't like the system and want to upgrade look into a Reus system upgrade.

You'll enjoy the SL55, I use it here in the city pretty much daily and I'm satisfied. It's the perfect daily car IMO, even though I don't have anywhere to use all the power... it's not too bad in the snow either.

 

2002? Found an old one and brought it back to life, huh?

 

come with 19" standard? The AMG one piece cast 5 spoke?

 

You guys.............................HE BOUGHT THIS CAR 5 YEARS AGO!!!
How funny. This thread is from 5 years ago: 2002. I love it when this happens.

 

I see now....