cnterline

looking to get rid of some weight to get better et,s

blueSL

Tough to know what you'd remove. The seats are hugely heavy because they are strong enough to provide seat belt anchorages; the roof mechanism is heavy which is why the SL65 Black is a fixed roof coupe. The fact remains the SL is a bit of an overweight porker which will dull the performance and turn-in. Not much you can do about it.

jmf003

Stuff I've done:

1. Empty the trunk
2. Remove the passenger seat (will cause an SRS error that can only be reset through Star Diagnostics)
3. Lightweight wheels

That will help shave off a tenth or two. After that it gets much more difficult.

faithful_lothario

Just a question but could you also have removed all of the insulation from the doors? I'm just remembering the movie highwaymen, where the cop tells the detective the car they are looking for has no insulation in the doors.

blueSL

Even the most ambitious weight reduction programs by manufacturers struggle to achieve more than 100 kg and they involve things like plastic windows, no carpets and smaller capacity batteries - the SL is hampered by not one but two of the things. Some manufacturers are now selling Li-Ion batteries to save weight, but at a price.

Other measures would be to run the tank as close to empty as possible - no point carrying a full tank of fuel everywhere and for the OP to quit going to MacDonalds for lunch. Losing a few pounds might make a difference...

AMGfan

The SL65 wheels, while beautiful, are HEAVY (close to 40lbs each)...so I would start there...my rear ADV's are 21lbs each and the fronts are 17lbs...they also have drag wheels (18" all the way around which are 17lbs each)...

You could also get lighter rear (?) rotors...I believe Evosport made a lighter set and I believe (by memory) that it'll save you about 14lbs...which I eventually will do...

At the track, I just show up with about a 1/4 tank...