AMGfan

Driving home from the gym and I merged onto this "Mexican" highway...right next to a red Ferrari 575...looked great. So we were side by side for a half mile due to traffic but as soon as there was an opening he let loose the hounds...so I'm thinking to myself...its sunny and cool and I'm in a SL65...what to do?

I had a clear track in front of me and so I went into M and into 4th and giddy up and went...I caught up to him since he hit traffic and we both waited until traffic cleared up and we both hit it...

My Sl65 loves this cool weather and the addition Kleeman tune really makes this a monster so I wasn't too worried (a 599 is a different monster/matter) and I pulled on him pretty easy...we were hitting some high speeds and traffic was an issue so we both shut it down...

He rolls his window down...gives me a thumbs up and says that our cars are too much for the road...he is right. Oh...he was a bald guy with shades, earrings in both ears, and a hot brunette in the passenger seat...!

Overall, it was pretty cool...too short but we were limited to traffic and our common sense (which we both lost for about a minute)...I didn't think 130mph could seem so serene...

PS I don't do this often at all but...its a Ferrari for goodness sake. Plus no traffic helped for the minute we lost our mind.

Carl Lassiter

Nice writeup. Ran a red F430 last year 70-140. Don't normally do it but I had to oblige as he was doing the speeding up slowing down thing to get me to bite. He hit it first for a two car jump but after that he didn't pull an inch. Very even match. Only other F car I've ran was an F360, that was not up to the task. Sounded lovely though.

Yes, a 599 is a totally different proposition and I would get a schooling. A member here ran his Kleeman SL65 versus his wife in his stock 599. The 599 pulled on it a fair few car lengths, increasing ever more as speeds rose, but it was a reasonably close if I recall correctly.

Stock-stock, not much this side of a Veyron can best a 599 on the freeway. 599 vs LP670 SV would be a great run.

SRQLAW

Nice run. I am headed up to TPA tonight to pu wife from airport. So... we will see what the traffic is like on 275...

cal1

Damn I’m jealous. Enjoy your cars and the nice weather down there. The wintery mix we had all day today wasn’t real favorable for driving the SL. I did sit in my SL while it was in the garage today though. I guess April isn't too far off.

IngenereAMG

Sometimes the 'juvenile delinquent' comes out in all of us from time to time. I can spank 550/575s fairly easily in my 55. You should have no problem with 65.

Gondon

Nice Kill

How fast were you going when you shifted to 4th?

AMGfan

I was around 65mph...

Gondon

Wouldnt 3rd then be the optimal gear?

AMGfan

I did when we both gunned it later...I put in 4th to catch up with him and he was getting held up in traffic...

TMC M5

Jon:

Way to represent la famiglia!!

Tom

OUTCAST

Yes very nice kill there!

carcommander

Interesting. I have an F430 but I didn't think seat of the pants it would keep up with my SL65 from a 60mph roll.

AMGfan

It's the weight of the SL65 that really kills it...I think its around a 800lb difference...4674lbs vs. 3865lbs...even with the extra torque afforded by the Kleeman tune that weight difference is hard to make up.

599 (stock) vs SL65 Kleeman (projected)

611.5 bhp - 630 bhp
101.9 bhp/liter - 105 bhp/liter
448 ft/lbs - 828 ft/lbs
348.83 bhp/ton - 296.47 bhp/ton

Rio_C30

Cosa abbiamo qua... la mafia italiana? Fatemi capi' un´pó!

What we have here?

bryanc4

straight line straight line... very very hard to stomp your foot all the way down... dont get me wrong i love my sl65 but lets face it.. its a ***** car with big ***** in a straight line... ANY ferrari and I SAY ANY FERRARI post 1995 will smoke any sl65 on the track.

p.s: i own a 360 and a 65.

TMC M5

Yeah...I'm gonna have to go ahead and sort of disagree with you on that (said with my best Bill Lumbergh impersonation). I think the SL65 would be able to handle a Ferrari 456 on most any track...with the SL65 opening up a huge advantage on longer tracks.

Tom

sound 8

Tom

I'm gonna disagree, remember our discussion on what is a sports car.
Even with 600 bhp the P/W ratio on the 65 will not make that much difference even on longer tracks.

TMC M5

The 456 isn't the greatest "sports car" in the world either. It was a 2+2 that could be had with a 4 speed automatic. It weighed in at a not so light weight 3,800lbs. According to some online sources a 456GT did Nürburgring in 8:31... an SL65 did it in 8:14. On a shorter course the lighter 456 would close the gap...so I will stand by my original statement.

Tom

sound 8

We have rather got off the subject, agree 456 not so great but original thread is about 575. This at 1700kg and just over 500 bhp, and the 65
at 2000kg with 600 bhp gives them the same P/W ratio, so given the Ferrari
will have the edge on handling then the 65 wouldn't match it on any track.
As you have said before, it's the weight that kills it.

IngenereAMG

OK. Enough stat racing. I am a chief driving instructor with the FCA, and I have used the SL55 for track days and instructing. The last time I was out in the instructor group, I was able to chew up and swallow other instructors in the following cars.... E92/E46 M3, NSX, 996 GT3, Gallardo and a 575. The Z06 that was out there never gained on me, and I never lost ground. However, after 10 laps, my brakes were a bit warm!

The moral of this is that these cars are extremely capable in both a straight line as well as the corners.

TMC M5

sound 8:

Here is a synopsis for you...bryanc4 made a statement that any post-1995 Ferrari (...and he emphasized ANY) would smoke an SL65 around a track. I pointed out that a Ferrari 456 (which was produced from 1992 until 2003) would not smoke an SL65 around most tracks...particularly longer ones (i.e. longer straights). You disagreed with my statement. I pointed out some evidence in support of my assertion and that I stood by my original statement. You then responded that the original thread was about a 575...and point out a 575's power-to-weight ratio and agree that the 456 isn't a great sports car. Let me point out that I never mentioned the 575 in any of the previous posts where I made any other assertions, opinions or statements...

So my question to you is...why did you disagree with me when I clearly stated that I was talking about a Ferrari 456 (which was in direct response to bryan c4's assertion that all Post-1995 Ferrari's would smoke the SL65 around a track)? Do you think a 456 will beat an SL65 around a track?

Tom

bryanc4

you made a point that was just barely valid...sure you picked the slowest most undesirable and cheapest ferrari post 1995.... and even with the unfair comparison of a v8 versus a biturbo v12, the sl65 proved only very minimally faster on the track if at all.

both my sl65 and sl55 were very boring and slightly dissapointing....i raced the 3.7 mile sebring and i believe 2.2 mile homestead... i saw miata and honda s2000's with superchargers passing me easily and Ive been racing for 8 years at least 4x a year enough to have track experience.

the SL's are very heavy and sluggish on serious turns.... and the shifting points are terrible... the car does NOT know how to react on the track.... one big reason is that THEY WERE NEVER MADE FOR SUCH PURPOSES!

dont get me wrong.. I LOVE MY 65 but its a track pig.... the 65 is nothing more than a luxury sedan in the body of a sexy coupe fortunate to have a convertible hardtop and a big engine.

sound 8

I was trying to answer both points. You were a bit unfair to choose a 456, but as I have driven a 65 and didn't buy it because compared with my 55 it felt heavy, stodgy and a bit like driving my S600. It's totally unsuitable in standard form for track duties and there's a chance the 456 would still beat it on all tracks. The OP was about the 575 which would annihilate a 65 on all tracks. I am not a Ferrari fan but I love the 550/575 Marinelo, also I am not bashing the 65, for high speed cruising it's untouchable. I was also pointing out our dispute regarding the the word sports car, where you kindly pointed out that everything that ways 2 tons cannot be regarded as a sports car.
I am trying to get across how important P/W is, particularly on the track.
Still, it's nice talking, and I wish you and all MB World Members a Merry Christmas.

TMC M5

I hate to high-jack this thread any further but some misconceptions need to be addressed. First of all, the 456 sported a 442hp 5.5L V12 (detuned 550 engine)....not exactly a push over in the HP department and definitely not a V8. Secondly in its last year of production (2002) in 456M guise its base price was nearly $230K...not exactly the "cheapest" Ferrari at the time (that designation would belong to the 360 Modena). Thirdly, I am not the one who made a blanket statement that any post-1995 Ferrari would "smoke" an SL65 around a track...so I certainly wasn't the one who added emphasis on the "ANY" point (BTW only a Sith speaks in absolutes.... ). Lastly, the Ferrari 456 is actually a stunning grand touring car (much better when seen and touched in the flesh) and is only "undesirable" because the general public "desires" a Ferrari to be a 2 seat sports car. However, that shouldn't take away from the 456 great ability and character.

Tom

sound 8

Yes it has gone a bit astray, but you never mentioned the P/W which is about
280 on the 456, so not that much less than the 65, it must be more agile so
I would still think it to be to quick round a track than the 65.