AMGBENZ

My dealer called and said his Netstar MBUSA order system is now accepting reservations for the 2005 SL65 AMG

I put my order in on Tuesday December 16th


Better call your dealer


Later,
AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

MercedesBenzAMG

nice so its offical, it is coming out, post some pcis, last time i saw SL65 pics was months ago.

when do you recive the car?

gup998

He only put the order in. AMGBENZ has to wait quite a while to actually recieve it.


AMGBENZ: how long is the wait?

AMGBENZ

I think Fall of 2004 or Spring of 2005 since its a 2005 model year for the SL65 AMG.

I have the first spot at the dealer, so soon as I get more info I will post it.

*A Silver/Black AMG Two Tone Leather interior is an option on the SL65 AMG Dealer order system.

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML 430

ajayz

What's the price?

AMGBENZ

The SL65 AMG price has not been released yet. I think it will be $150,000+

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

gup998

I went to the MB dealer of Sugar Land here today, and there i questioned them about the price of the 65s. The salesclerk i spoke with said that those cars are gonna be in the range of 175 to 190. (hundred thousand)

AMGBENZ

Originally posted by gup998

The salesclerk i spoke with said that those cars are gonna be in the range of 175 to 190. (hundred thousand)

$190,000 sounds a little high, but who knows, they said the SL55 AMGs would be $135,000 to $155,000 and came in at $113,000

I think the sales cerk is just making an educated guess!

I am sure options will boost the price fast!

Time will tell,

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

blueSL

Here in the UK, the CL65 is 25% more than the CL600. In the US, there is the additional problem of the dollar continuing to decline against the Euro and that would tend to increase the price further. The price of course is nothing to do with what the car costs to produce, it's what the market will bear.

Road tests here show the CL65 has monstrous performance which overwhelms the brakes and the chassis; the SL65 will have ABC just like the CL65 plus SBC which the CL does not have.

Whatever, it's going to be one quick car and provide some serious competition for the SLR which is more than three times the price of the SL55.

Bilal

The SL65 is NO competition for the SLR. Firstly, the weight difference, which will HEAVILY impair the handling balance, secondly, its only as a quick as a Lambo Murcielago, and we all know the SLR is much much quicker.

The SLR is in a league of its own, it can't be compared to any car, I know people who've driven the S65 which AMG brought to one o fthe AMG Owners Club meetings and they said that it wan't hugely impressive over the already capable 55's. Ronald, head of AMG Owners Club said this:

"At the AMG Nuerburgring training AMG had an S 65 for test drives (not for the track, but for the road). No one that drove it was really impressed.

To be totally honest: If you would turn up at my door and offer me to trade in my SL 55 for a new SL 65 for free – I would refuse. The 65 models are great when driven rather slow, because then you can really enjoy the smoothness of the car. Power at ever rpm. But once you want to drive faster, these cars are a nightmare: Even heavier than the 55 K, bad weight distribution, no grip, (small) turbo lag, no LSD, etc. Just as bad as the SL 73 was.

At the 55 K, you can just turn the ESP off and have a lot of fun. Try that with the 65 models and the car will sooner or later get you (like a TVR Tuscan S would)."


So you see, the SLR is for the extreme sports car fans, and the SL55 is great for everyday usability, where does that leave you with the 65's?

On the motorway/autobahn/highway, one late night on a lonely stretch? Maybe, just maybe.

AMGBENZ

With a review like that, I will have to do more research before I change out the SL55 to the SL65!

I am very happy with the SL55 AMG

I am going to keep my spot on the SL65 and make my final choice later.

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

tango

so whats the engine of a 65 based on? v12 supercharged? anyone got stats?

JackStraw

V12 twin turbo, same as used in CL65 and S65.

http://www.autoweek.com/search/searc...70710&record=1

Mike P

The comparsion/critique from AMG Club Ron is of questionable value. Ron is attempting to extrapolate an opinion via a test drive of an S65, not an SL65. The S class is much heavier and entirely different dynamics. Comparing an SL55 with an SL65 is the ONLY valid methodology. Multivariate analysis are next to impossible in the car world.

Mike P

SL600&560, SL65 on order

Bilal

I respect that, but the SL65 will have the same gearing as the S/Cl65's. Just comapre the SL600/CL/S600's gear ratios. And teh seating position maybe different, but the weight will certainly be the same. They will all weight 2.2 Tons. So handling is out of the question, all journalists that have driven the Cl65 say the engine aks questions the chassis can't answer, so an SL is hardly going to be more of a drivers car than its CL/S sister cars?

Stricks

My dealer is taking $2,000 to hold a spot on both cars (SL65 $150K and SLK 350 $55K) and expect an 18 month wait for each. When you get a spot, you get THE listed price, not with the EXTRA markups.

benznut

The fact that the chasis of the CL65 cannot answer all the questions of the new 65 engine does not mean that the SL chasis will have the same problem. Let us not forget that the SL is about three years newer than the CL/S. It's more compact body and tighter dynamics will certainly distance it a little from it's porkier co-flagships.

WannaBeAMG

the purpose of a bigger engine is to go faster right? thats exactly what the 65 will do. on a flat out excelleration run the 65 will completely smoke the 600, 55 and certainly anything lesser. especially from a rolling start. the 600 already has a good edge over the 55 in moving acceleration times (as in highway passing) due to its massive torque.

of course one wouldnt be much more impressed by a 65 than a 55 at a track. these arent race cars. they are luxury GT's. they are about high speed cruising.

blueSL

Your confidence in the as-yet unproven abilities of the SL65 is impressive. The reality of the CL65 is that the engine completely overwhelms the chassis and the traction control intervenes all the time making it impossible to make full use of the power available.

As for high speed cruising, it may be that the wild open spaces of Minnesota allow you to cruise at 200mph with impunity. Such high top speeds are completely academic here, even in Germany.

Right now, with a broken SL55 in my garage, and a dealer who's not interested in fixing it, I'd be happy just to have a car which will reliably put one wheel in front the other, even if it is a few microseconds slower in doing so.

AMGBENZ

blue SL what is wrong with your SL55?

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55
2000 ML430

AMGBENZ

Blue SL I just read your other post, hopefully things work out.

My SL55 is being stored for winter, but I noticed the right side of the car was very low, so I started it and the red lights came on with all kinds of messages.

I hit the button to raise the car and that fixed it, I do not know if this a problem yet or I just had to wake up the hydraulics from resting.

I will find out in the Spring.

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

WannaBeAMG

full use of the power is possible at highway speeds and above. obviously from a standing start traction is going to be the biggest problem.

im not talking top speeds here im talking moving acceleration. which is relevant anywhere. especially Germany.

in the US none of these mentioned cars are going to see their full potential excercised (or at least very rarely). their main reason for being is for high-dollar one-upmanship. or the ol' "mine is bigger than yours". which is fine for those with the money.

ask SL Shank why he traded his SL55 for a SL600 with plans for RENNtech upgrades that will put it up there with the 65 in power.
im sure he'll tell you its not because it wont be any faster than the 55.

WannaBeAMG

ive read simialar statements of the E55 in british publlications. but check with the owners here, aside from some reliability issues youll find they are all extremely pleased with its performance.

for the most part you are right. i will say that.

what youre missing here is that the SL/S/CL65 will sell merely because it is what it is. an exclusive, luxurious, high dollar, extremely high power car. the same reason bentleys and maybachs, and rolls-royces will sell.

AMGBENZ

With all do respect to everyone, I think you have to drive the SL65 AMG first before you can say it is great or bad.

I think the real choice in the future is going to be between the SL65 V12 AMG or the New SL55 replacement in 2005-2006 SL63 AMG V8 4 valve per cylinder. I think the HP will be the same but the TQ will be higher on the V12 SL65.

I have to say the power on the SL55 is great, but you can always use more power on long straight at the track, or want to impress at the local dragway!

Forget about the Sixties this is the Muscle Car Era!

AMGBENZ
2003 SL55 AMG
2000 ML430

blueSL

See "Honeymoon's Over"....