sound 8

I test drove a SL65 to day, I was going to part ex my SL55.
Well it was a great disappointment. The 65 felt big and heavy,very smooth
with hardly any exhaust bark, in fact my CL65 has more bark.
The SL55 by comparison felt more nimble with a great exhaust burble and
to be quite frank didn't feel that much slower. Even the sales guy said
he thought my SL55 was more sporty.So the SL65 is great for those who want a 2 seater S Class. I am now going to get a full upgrade on the 55
including a set of 65 wheels.

NSM

Not a bad decision. With a little tuning you can make the 55 perform like a stock 65, and have a much more enjoyable, visceral experience...

TMC M5

The problem with the 65's is that the ECU/TCU is somewhat adaptive. If the car has been babied for the last couple hundred miles...the car will be a bit sluggish until you start smashing the pedal a few times. I am not sure if that was why it felt only faster than the SL55.

Tom

jmf003

Like TMC M5, I'm surprised the torque difference wasn't more noticeable. Maybe it was the ECU/TCU adapting to a previous driver.

That said, it's perfectly reasonable for any given driver to prefer one car over the other, so I'm not at all suggesting that you revisit the decision.

As far as wheels go, 19" AMG Style IV wheels are in the neighborhood of 10 lbs heavier than the 18" wheels used on most SL55s. As a result, you'd be adding something like 40 lbs of unsprung mass if you switch over to them. If you want a different set of wheels you'd be better off performance-wise if you bought lighter weight forged wheels from HRE, Iforged, CCW, etc. FWIW....

retardedmunk

The SL65 is not great....in a roadster fashion....I would take the 55 over it...because it is lighter and more nimble....and in no way as punchy as a CL65....

CL65 is God's Jet....

carcommander

Hmmm my SL65 is much faster and smoother. I owned an SL55 for a year before the 65. I think the handling is similar. Niether of them are balerina's. A Porsche turbo or Ferrari is much more nimble, it just depends on what you have in mind. My 65 will break the tires loose at 50 mph or anytime below that. It always makes me laugh. Mine is a daily driver and a great car for that. My SL55 never did that. The SL55 is a great car though.

alx

actually the result is as expected. a blower torque is instantaneous and makes the sl55 feels just as fast as the sl65 as long as you are not flooring it... adaptive ecu or not...

also, as good as the tt setup is on the 65 - there is some lag- especially if you are at part throttle. that creates additional feel of unresponsiveness and unsportiness.

the only situation where a 65 car is faster is wot roll-ons from 50-60 and above... but around town and and part-throttle scenarios the twin-screw delivers the goods in more dramatic fashion

alex
few cars

IngenereAMG

I have gone through this challenge, countless times over the past few years, especially when we have a 65 car that we are tuning, and each time I actually prefer the character of my 55. They are both great cars, it's all about personal preference.

sikhkd

Two different engines, the sl65 has a v12 which explains why it might be smoother than a sl55

Marcus Frost

I have both engines, and only now (with all my mods) does my 55 feel as fast as my 65, so I don't know how anyone could feel their stock 55 is as fast as a stock 65 unless like V12Godspeed said, the adaptive characteristics needed to be reset.

The 55 motor is definitely has a more brutal, instantaneous feel to it... but the chest-pressing TT V12 is really quite an experience.

Both are great cars, so no loss either way...

-m

TMC M5

Marcus:

V12Godspeed!?!?! What ...all CL65 drivers look/post alike? That is so CL65-ist of you...

Tom

sound 8

Well thanks for the replies. In no way was I suggesting that the SL65 was slower, I imagine as you say a few hard drives may help it to feel quicker.
I am lucky enough to have a CL65 and I am glad I get to keep it. My CL
did feel a bit quicker than the SL65, but I was amazed driving my SL55
back to back felt so good, and almost as quick as the 65.
I think the 65 is more of a powerful cruiser and the 55 more of a sports car.
If I had bought the SL65 it would be like driving the CL65 which I don't want.
I expected the SL65 to be far more raw, instead it was more refined.
As far as wheels go for my 55, if the 65 wheels are heavy can anyone
suggest a lighter wheel that will bolt straight on the 55, 19 inch with no
mods required. I like the Carlsson's. I would love to work for a week at a dealership, so I could compare all these combinations. To day was an eye
opener.

Marcus Frost

Sorry Tom!

TMC M5

No problem....just don't let it happen again...otherwise you will be staring down the barrel of one nasty hissy fit...

Tom

sound 8

Hi, your car looks great with the 65 wheels on, I presume yours is a 55.
Someone said not to fit them cause there very heavy, Did yours go straight
on without mods and what size tyres do you now have. Thanks.

carcommander

If you like the wheels, I would not let 40 pounds of unsprung wieght on a street car stop me.

BenzBoy12

lol I would, you'll feel it very strongly under braking or any tight/low speed turns. Besides, there are plenty of aftermarket rims that look better and weigh less, imho.

CA_E55

I wonder why the SL65 'feels' big & heavy, although the actual weight difference is a mere 190 lbs (SL55: 4365 lbs, SL65 4555; from MBUSA website April 2007) -- 190lbs is less than the average American passenger.
Not arguing your perception is wrong, I just never felt a car to be that much more nimble with or without wife... ooopsy, she is just 110 lbs...

Just tell your salesman to put in good gas, push the ESP switch to off and put the hammer down at 50 MPH - if the ensuing grin is not disfiguring your face permanently its probably because you suffocated on tire smoke inhalation

sound 8

Hi, I think the 65 engine was designed more for a smooth quiet response
with of course incredible power. When I drove the SL65 it felt like driving
my CL65 and my S600, I am sure this was what the engine was designed for.
Even the SLR as far as I know has the V8. My SL55 definitely felt more
nimble with more exhaust rumble , exactly what you expect with a sports car.
Buying the SL65 would mean I had 3 cars that felt similar, this I do not want.
Perhaps the heavier wheels on the 65 had an affect!!

Marcus Frost

sound,

My car is a 65, not a 55. My E-class is the 55. The OEM 19" wheels are heavy. I have sourced 20" Carlsson 1/16 Ultralights for the car which will be fitted within the next month.

-m

sound 8

Hi, how much are the Carlsson's and will they go straight on. What size tyres
will you fit.
Thanks.

Marcus Frost

The Carlsson wheels are quiet expensive, at just under $10k USD for the set. Adding to the insult of such a high pricetag, they actually are not a direct bolt on nor are they hubcentric, requiring another $150 in hardware (hubcentric rings, spacers, and wheel bolts) to have them fitted.

I am waiting on tires, sizing will be 255/30/20 and 295/25/20 or 285/25/20.

-m