bgomez

Just curious how the SL55 compares to the 996tt or various Ferrari's. Any of you guys that have both or have replaced a 996TT with the SL55? I'm sure it probably doesn't compare favorebly in the handling department but how about in acceleration. I don't necessarily mean 0-60mph but more "seat of the pants" impressions. Thanks in advance.
Bill

dNA3D

Your answer can be found here......

http://www.rennteam.com/showflat.php...b=5&o=&fpart=1

The SL55 is not faster than the 911 Turbo, let alone the 911 GT2, contrary to popular assumption.

morebhp

I swapped my 360 for the SL55.

I concede the 360 was a far more exciting ride. It was a race car on the road. As Jeremy Clarkson stated (UK Journalist) the Ferrari was as relaxing to drive as being tickled.

But as for an everyday usable high performance ride (with the drop top and sound track as bonuses) the SL55 takes some beating as a top performance GT.

Proof I guess is the fact I covered 2100 miles in a year in the 360 (of which I loved every single one!) but have already covered a very enjoyable 2600 miles in the SL55 after 3 months.

Differenet beasts - I belive the SL55 is aimed squarely at the far higher priced Vanquish/Ferrari 575 market and I feel it beats both of these hansomely.

My two-penneth!

bgomez

morebph,
Does it "feel" like the SL55 has more acceleration than the 360?
Thanks,
Bill

blueSL

If I compare the SL55 with my F355 (which is a bit slower than a 360), I would say the acceleration is pretty much the same, providing you're in the correct gear in the Ferrari. If you're not, you can be seriously embarassed. The lack of torque in the Ferrari means you have to stir the cogs to get the performance, not a problem with such a wonderful manual change and the engine noise at 8500 rpm is spine-tingling. Just don't expect it to last as long as the Mercedes engine. Keep in mind too that the SL55 is lower mileage and will be tighter, so I expect there's more to come from it.

The SL55 performance is more impressive overall though, because you just do not expect it to perform so well for a comfortable and well-built car. The Ferrari is a more hair-shirt experience, but still very enjoyable for all of that.

If I had to sell one of them, it would be the Ferrari... but there would definitely be a few regrets at seeing it go.

bimmerlover

i love the sl55, but i think its more appropriately compared to the maranello and the vanquish. the 360 spider isnt really a GT. and when the 420 comesout i fear what it will do.

in terms of acceleration that test iwith the mb beating those supercars was a farce, it can hang with any gt2 and murcie. it will get pulled on consistently, those cars are all out track beasts.

with all that considered i would still take the spider over the sl55 if given the choice, nothing beats aprancing horse

morebhp

I would state the SL55 feel like someone pulling you into the back of the seat and long and, in comparison to the 360, relatively smooth G force which goes on and on. With the 360 it feels like someone is kicking into the backj of the seat with every gear change. But as stated above you have to be driving it very well - ready and prepared in the right gear, etc.

The Merc gives the push in any gear at any speed.

IMHO - The 360 is a racer (intense and superb but you don't want it all the time), SL55 a very fast GT, drop head, every day car, etc.

Mmmm

All the articles I have read, suggest that the SL55AMG
is more accelerative than renncom tested

Top Gear magzine tested (licence plate KR02ZTX)
SL55 AMg
0-60mph 4.6s
0-100 10.0s
0-120 14.2s (0-200kph) (quicker than the 16.6s of renncom)
0-150 23.1s
1/4 mile 12.8 113.2mph
EVo Magazine tested (licence plate KR02ZVO)
SLAMg55
0-60 4.6s
0-100 10.2s
0-120
0-150 24s
1/4 12.9s 114mph
Two different cars performing very well.

EVO got a standard 996t
4.1s 0-60
10.0s 0-100.
Autocar standard 996t
3.9s 0-60
9.4s 0-100.

So I think the gap is a bit closer, although the 996 is very slightly quicker and its 4wd drive system may give further advantage in the wet.

morebhp

I believe the 996TT used in most of the recent UK road tests has been fitted with an optional Porsche engine upgrade (450BHP from memory!).

Probably to ensure it does have the edge over the SL55 :o

Mmmm

450bhp 996t
0-60 4.1
0-100 9.2s
0-120 13.0s
0-150 20.5s
1/4 12.6s 117.8mph

TG did know it was the 450 bhp car, even still it was only a bit quicker than the SL55.

Wolfman

There is one aspect that many overlook and it's THE determning factor in the real world; the performance of the car is a combination of the car AND the driver.

My observations were surprising, especially in Germany and would love for you to comment on as well, knowing that we have a number of Porsche, BMW and Ferrari owners on the board.

To drive fast (140 mph+) over an extended period of time in real traffic takes concentration and a certain amount of gut (specially because you may only have 30 feet between cars). In Germany for example you are always have slower cars clogging the passing lane and you'll be using the brakes as often as the gas pedals.

There are of course exceptions, but in general only BMW drivers stuck out as competetive drivers. Porsche drivers usually bailed out fast and Ferrari drivers disengaged fast after an initial sprint. Audi drivers always tried to keep up and usually failed to do so. Jaguars kept up for a sprint and the bailed as well. Many Mercedes drivers were actually quite competetive as well, but to a "much" lesser amount than BMW's. One of the reasons was the they often gauged their chances by seeing in the rearview mirror which model was trying to pass them.

I contribute part of this driving behavior to the way the cars feel when driving fast.

A BMW or Mercedes feels very comfortable and competent at top speed, potentially not even realizing of how fast the car is moving. The landscape just moves faster
When driving a Porsche or Ferrari, the feedback from the road, steering and ambient noise makes it also "feel" going very fast, making it very rewarding but also tiring.

Again, these are my observations and no pun intended

Wolfman

1115

996 TT stands for the twin turbo yeah?

any how if i got the choice of a 575m, AM Vanquish,Sl55 Amg or a 911 turbo.... i'd choose the the vanquish. its slower then them all but god! the looks it has and the sound of that 6 lite v12 sounds awesome. but if i had to pay for them (not that i could afford them) id buy the benz...because its the cheapest and u get more bang for ur bucks!

anyone saw the top gear test with the 575 and vanquish? if u did then u will know what i mean about the engine sound of the vanquish....its glorious

the sl55 sounds like a full on throghty NASCAR...love the burbleing grunt

u know what amg stands for? All Mighty Grunt

Mmmm

At the moment I own a 02 BMW M3 SMG and a 01 Porsche Boxster S Manual. I've driven a couple of 996s, lots of BMWs and several Mercedes over the years.

Wolfman I would agree with your observations.

Both my current cars are excellent drives , but different in nature.

The Porsche has great steering, bags of feel and a great chassis with lots of feed back the throttle response is good and its easy to change the whole attitude of the car in a corner just using the throttle, the whole car comes alive as you approach its limits and its fairly easy to correct when things get out of hand.

The Bmw has good steering, but nothing like the Boxster, a good chassis but again less feed back, the throttle response in sport mode is quick but not as progressive and the car cannot be balanced with the same ease. Having said that the BMW is still great and is in fact easier to drive quickly as there is less drama as you approach its very slightly lower limits.

Although its very good the Porsche car be more tiring if you are having to push towards the cars limits on a long journey on twisting roads, particularly in the wet.

Generally in the Uk my cruising speeds on the motorway are below 100mph/160kph, both car are very composed at these speeds. I’ve only had a couple of journeys in the Porsche when I have cruised for any length of time above this level at between 120-140mph, the fastest I have had the car is an indicated 155mph, it was very stable but not as relaxing as the BMW. I’ve had the BMW cruising at 150 for a short while and had it against its limiter in 5th gear for a while just between 155 and 160mph, the car is remarkably stable at these speeds and I have had more opportunity in it to cruise in the 130-140 ranges more often than in the Porsche. I have driven various

The BMW is slightly more relaxing to drive at a very fast cruise for longer, however both these cars have stiff suspension, the Porsche is more supple, but the BMW is quite hard and this even shows up on some of the UKs newer bumpy motorways. This is only slightly tiring for the driver, but as occasionally either myself or my wife may wish to work in the car on a long journey the harshness of the ride is a pain. Because of this following the line of your comments above, I am looking to get a 2nd hand S55AMG or perhaps a well equipped E55AMG (old model) in the spring in addition to the other car to use for as relaxing cruiser for longer trips, business use and when we need to ferry about other people. (I still want a performance car though which is why I am considering the AMG versions).

Its very useful to log on to a site such as this to view others experiences.

Frosty

Wolfman, I agree with some aspects of your post but disagree with others.


From the aspect of what type of person drives which car, I tend to think the Porsche people are the most die hards. If your ever track your car (or have) i'm sure you'll agree all the fastest cars around the track are the Porsches. Also, the drivers of Porsches as a whole (if we are tryin' to stereotype ) seem to be the most knowledgable (sic) when it comes to cars.

Now, not to be mean to Ferrari owners, but sometimes I find rich people driving these cars on the track while having no clue what they are doing. They are getting passed by civics simply because they don't take the time to learn how to drive the car. This, of course, does NOT mean that all Ferrari drivers are like this, simple some of them.

As for BMW I would say the same, you generally see many knowlegable people driving and tracking BMW for the feel of the car (same reason I would expect for the Porsche) As for Mercedes you tend not to see as many. Possibly cause here, at least (Canada) all the cars come with uto trannies and any die hard would not except this. Also, possibly, because the faster AMG models or now only becoming more popular.

As for Jaguar and Audi they tend to be the same as Mercedes, more of a luxury type car than a car you would rack. I believe the cars follow the characteristics of there owners though.

This is simply what I see, I was surprised by what you said about Porsche owners, that is all.

Wolfman

Frosty,

I think it's important to separate the crowds a little; I was referring to people you encounter in real traffic. I have no doubt that people that actually take their cars to the track, especially on a regular basis are "die hard" drivers that want to push their cars and themselves. I don't have track experience and can't comment on the folks there.

It's also hard to compare the US (including Canada) with places like Germany (or France & Italy).
The reality is that nobody drives really fast in the US (sorry to generalize ). Some may go above 100mph for a quick sprint, but usually don't want to risk their drivers licenses. And that is just not fast nor does it test the drivers abilities.

It's a big difference going 150mph in traffic where other cars and trucks may be 80mph slower than you on narrow two-lane highways. They usually don't bother looking in the mirrors before trying to pass a truck slowly, either.

That type of driving takes concentration, especially when done over hours, not minutes

By the way, these high speed chases are wicked fun and have helped me turn many boring long-distance business trips into fun experiences

Wolfman

mookie

Never had a car that would do 150 mph but I have driven 100-120mph in lighter traffic having to pass and move lanes for 10 minutes plus and its very dangerous in the US. There are so many morans that have no idea how to drive let alone looking in their mirrors before changing lanes , so you never know when someone is going to move to the fast lane and drive 50 mph, or something stupid like that. I do run my car up to 100-110 once a week when I get a patch of open road and know one is around. Sometimes I stop completely on the road and gun the car to 100+ just to have some fun.

Frosty

Haha, very true. I don't even want to get started on the skill level of drivers in North America, its just depressing. Especially after having visited Germany or Italy and see the flow of traffic even at peak hours moving at a respectable rate.

One day when i'm rich (I have a dream) and get a nice Euro i will definately be picking it up from the factory :p

Ian

Mmmmmmm, were you referring to 'true' speed in 5th gear?

My 02 M3 smg does an indicated 170 mph @ 8000rpm in 5th gear or 6500 rpm in 6th gear, then the limiter stops the fun. BTW this is a true 163.5 gps mph , US spec car.

I test drove an 03 911 tt today for about 70 miles and respectfully disagree with the Porsche vs BMW comments. The Porsche felt a bit better but not $70k better and was too bloody quiet.

360 Modena was lovely and loud but the build quality was crap!

I'm going to try an 04 E55 AMG next, hopefully it will be a lot better than the boring 03 E500

I find the comments relating to top speed quite interesting, BMW & Porsche felt pretty solid but nowhere near as solid as either of my motorcycles which run to 208 and 212 mph respectively.

I never realized how good bikes really were until i started testing these high end cars.

nguyenth

I do currently own both: a 1999 Modena F1 360 and a 2003 SL55. I've been driving the 360 for almost 3 years now, put on over 3K miles, and just got the SL55 2 weesk ago and have only put 300 miles on it. Although I am breaking in with the SL55, I can tell you that I still prefer the 360 for its feel of the roads, acceleration, and handling. Although I have not yet pushed the SL55 as I could (only 300 miles!), I can feel it is heavy and comfortable as opposed to the 360. Compared to other Benz that I have owned to date (CL500, CLK55 (current), ML55 (current), and SL600), there's no doubt that this SL55 is the best, by far! Bottom line: if you like speed, acceleration, and feel of the roads, you'd want the 360; if you'd prefer comfort, power, and fresh air, the SL55 is the way to go! That's my 2 cents ...

bgomez

Ian,
I am a little disappointed to hear you say the 360's build quality is crap as this is my dream car. What specifically makes you say so.

Nguyenth,
Can you please comment on the build quality of your 360 Modena. Specifically what areas need improvement.

Thanks, Bill

Wolfman

Acceleration? speed? I don't know about that one. I beat a 360 any day with the SL55 because in addition to the car, it also takes a decent driver to get the Ferrari going fast.

Don't get me wrong, I think the 360 is a gorgeous car, but it has no speed advantage...

Wolfman

homemark

I'm away on vacation from London in Miami so this is short but I intend to post a full comparison on my return to the UK in 10 days.



I spent 6 months in a new 996tt and sold it to buy an SL55. All I can say is that the comparison is not really fair - sort of like comparing a V8 928 toa 911.
Both carsare awesome in thier own way although my initial impression is that the mercedes makes the porsche look $20k over priced.
A full report and pictures in a couple of weeks.

Ian

bgomez, the 360 Modena i drove had about 1500 miles and was about 9 mths old, so the car was in good shape.

I was a very nice car but the build quality felt weak, door did not close with a nice 'thud' like a German or Jap car and whenever the road was less than perfectly smooth, the car would rattle or shake a bit like a vette but nowhere near as bad.

It felt only marginally faster than my M3, the F1 paddle shifting was MUCH slower and the brakes were not as good. Handling felt a bit more balanced but not by much.

For $185k v's $56k i was very happy to get back into my M3 and really enjoyed the ride home.

My suggestion is just to rent the 360 for the day and save your money. Here in Tampa, FL. its only $1000 for the day. Very cheap to run the pi** out of someone elses car

When BMW puts the V8 in the M3 CSL i will be first on that list!

Mmmm

Dear Ian,

Slightly off topic, but in reply to your query.

Its speedo indicated speed so it could be out a bit, but the speedo does appear fairly accurate.

In 5th the gear ratio is 1.00:1, the final drive is 3.62:1
so around 7250rpm would equal about 155.

This seems to hold true

Here's a clip of me going from 0-157, this run was for speed rather than acceleration, good fun with the hood down.
My limiter seems to be harder than yours the car was starting to top off in 5th just as it is approaching 7500rpm, before I had to back off a bit.

0-157mph hood down

If I remember right cruising in 6th the car was doing just about 6000rpm at speeds of around 155mph.

nguyenth

Bill:
The 360 was my first Italian car ever. I loved (and still do) German cars, having owned in the past 7 years 8 brand new M-B, from SL600 to CL500, etc. As I said earlier, I have NOT pushed the SL55 to its (regulated) limit yet, for breaking-in, but I did FEEL that speed and acceleration wise, the 360 has an edge. As a driver, I guess you all agree that the feel is as important (at least) as the official clock, if I can ever clock myself racing one car against another at the same time at all! Of course, the SL55 IS powerful, that's also one of the reason why I was the first who ordered 26 months ago down here in TX. Now, built-wise: I had only a couple of minor problems with A/C condensation (and leak) on the passenger side and suspension lights came on when they were not supposed to...(I guess you'd expect those with Italians?!) Besides that, I love the feel of the 360 better, but I am more of an owner than a driver, I have to confess ...
P.S. Although I have not participated actively in these forums thus far, I have regularly read (and loved) comments from Mookie and BlueSL, to name just a few...I'll try to post photos of my cars as soon as I can ...