SL55 AMG, SL63 AMG, SL65 AMG (R230) 2002 - 2011 (2003 US for SL55 and 2004 for the SL65)

SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Anyone with experience with the Evosport upgrade kits for SL55??

Old Mar 17, 2012 | 08:28 PM
  #1  
TJ55K's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
SL55
Anyone with experience with the Evosport upgrade kits for SL55??

Hello everyone, I'm a proud owner of an '04 SL55 and although I love the raw power of this car, I would love to see how far it can be stretched with the Evosport upgrades. I'm in the Los Angeles area and was wondering if anyone here have any experience with the various performance boosts out there. It doesn't have to be Evosport but that one looks like it gets referenced a lot, and they have facilities close to me.

Doing some research I've figured out that I need a new pulley, air filters/cooling, light weight rotors...

Do you also recommend a new transmission to handle more power/torque? Anything else I should consider? The car is already having trouble getting all the stock power to the tires, what can be done to improve that?

Thanks so much for any replies!
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2012 | 01:12 AM
  #2  
CHP_H8_ME's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
'03 SL55. Wife drives '06 SL500 and Range Rover Evoque
I too have similar questions regarding them. Their power pulleys include an under drive pulley for the A/C, water pump, and power steering. Eurocharged does not. Evosport, $2,500 (Pulley+ECU tune) Eurocharged $1,700. I'm guessing the under drive accessory pulleys are a MUST. Looking for first hand experience with either...
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2012 | 01:47 AM
  #3  
Havoc's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,862
Likes: 5
From: Sin City
2005 E55 AMG - - 2005 SL55 AMG - - - - - - 2006 SLK55 AMG - - - - - - 2013 Ducati Diavel AMG -
Originally Posted by TJ55K
Do you also recommend a new transmission to handle more power/torque? Anything else I should consider? The car is already having trouble getting all the stock power to the tires, what can be done to improve that?

Thanks so much for any replies!
A new transmission is not recommended, although you can get a TCU tune and if you want to take it a bit further you can get Maybach upgraded shafts, enforced clutch packs and upgrade the torque converter. However, there's plenty of engine mods to do well before any of this is needed.

An LSD by Quaife or Wavetrac will help to improve traction by making both tires turn equally without having one tire spinning more than the other.
Reply
Old Mar 18, 2012 | 03:21 AM
  #4  
TJ55K's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
SL55
Hi Havoc, thank you for that interesting bit of information. Is the limited slip diff going to make the car less "stable" under acceleration? Are the TCU tune-ups easy to do?

I would love to hear from people what a 50-80hp increase in the SL55 feels like!! A friend of mine drives an SLS and that one has 560hp(?) but feels MUCH faster than my SL55. An AMAZING car, by out of my price range I'm hoping the mods will kick it up a significant amount.

I am also convinced something can be done to bring out that beastly growl from the stock exhausts. Exhaust suggestions anyone? In the car with the top UP the sound is very sedated due to the good sound insulation in the car, and even with the top down it still leaves some things to be desired. Now, if you're BEHIND an SL55 in a car with the windows rolled down the sound is simply magnificent, it's crisp, nasty, growly and extremely angry. I LOVE it. Just wish I could hear some more of that while being in the actual car...

Finally, I've always wanted red calipers. Can you paint the stock AMGs or is that gonna look bad? Any other options?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just excited about the upcoming mods!!
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2012 | 11:40 AM
  #5  
Havoc's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,862
Likes: 5
From: Sin City
2005 E55 AMG - - 2005 SL55 AMG - - - - - - 2006 SLK55 AMG - - - - - - 2013 Ducati Diavel AMG -
No worries TJ55K and welcome aboard!

The limited slip diff will make the car more stable in the turns and with the right tires will help decrease loss of traction under straight acceleration.

Only a handful of tuners currently beef up the tranny and even less tune TCU's.

I would suggest first to delete the resonators if you want to bring out that beastly growl from the stock exhaust.
Reply
Old May 9, 2012 | 03:01 PM
  #6  
TJ55K's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
SL55
update!

I thought I'd give a little update to my project.

I met with Jose @ Evosport in Huntington Beach (Orange County) and we went over the options that I had to modify my SL55.

They're doing everything to my car and I'm loving it! Jose is AWESOME, his passion for what he does shines through in his work, and everyone at Evosport have been very friendly and professional. I could not be happier. The only thing missing on my car now is the arguably most important thing, the crank pulley, but that'll be installed next week and then my car will have the whole evo 3 package.

My only concern now is what I'm gonna do when I run out of options to increase the power.. I guess I'll have to set aside some cash for a 458 and tune the **** out of it

Anyway, just wanted to give a heads up. If you're thinking about going with the guys at Evosport I am absolutely certain you will be happy. Thanks for all the suggestions from users of this board.
Reply
Old May 9, 2012 | 08:41 PM
  #7  
cal1's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,897
Likes: 85
From: Central WI (BFE)
SL55, ML500 & Acura TL
I have only good things to say about the folks at EvoSport. I dealt with Simon. Bought a set of short headers a few years back. As far as exhaust note, a number of people remove the resonators. i had my secondaries removed. I am not sure if you can do this in Cal. and still pass emissions though.

Here is what my car sounds like with headers and secondary delete. You can really hear the SC scream from the big pulley. The sound is actually much louder than my little Flip picked up. The sound difference is hardly noticeable under low throttle, but very noticeable at WOT.

Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:
You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:59 AM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE