SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: just a though on the sl, any comments pls
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Joined: Aug 2004
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just a though on the sl, any comments pls
because sl is quite a heavy "sports" car, does this allow it to have a more stable feel inside. for example, take two cars, one light japanese car another german heavy car. the german car will feel more stable to the ground because of its weight, won't it. does this stability also allow the sl to have a faster engine because teh car can take the speed or will the design of teh car matter the most between two cars that have the same dimension
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From: Sweden
Turbo
That depends on what speed you're driving. If your going under 15mph then maybe but if your driving fast it's all about aerodynamics, suspension and tires. I can't think of one positive thing about a car weighing (sp?) much.. 
Super Member
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From: Manchester, UK
Mercedes-Benz A170 CDI
German cars are often, from my very limited experience, very keen on damper bound and rebound. That is to say, they have very taught suspensions, probably something to do with their roads. Of course, Mercedes has mastered ultimate ride comfort as well 
Japanese cars don't have this feeling of taughtness.
The heavier the car is, say an S class, the more stable you feel at speed only due to the suspensions, the extra insulation and the aerodynamic body. BEAR IN MIND this is a false sense of stabilty in the true definition. Ultimate stability in corners and at speed results from downforce. The Porsche 911 Turbo and its siblings have better high speed stability due to their massive rear spoilers. Inside the steering may be shaking and the whole cabin also as a result, but you are "glued" to the road, whereas in an S-class, you only feel that you are.
Japanese cars don't have this feeling of taughtness. The heavier the car is, say an S class, the more stable you feel at speed only due to the suspensions, the extra insulation and the aerodynamic body. BEAR IN MIND this is a false sense of stabilty in the true definition. Ultimate stability in corners and at speed results from downforce. The Porsche 911 Turbo and its siblings have better high speed stability due to their massive rear spoilers. Inside the steering may be shaking and the whole cabin also as a result, but you are "glued" to the road, whereas in an S-class, you only feel that you are.
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From: UK
SL55 AMG
It's better to think of the SL as a luxury GT than a true sports car in the Porsche/Ferrari mould, though some would say even Porsche are more GT than sports car these days. The simple laws of physics say that the heavier the car, the greater the forces needed to move it around and those forces are applied to the car through the tyres. So, if you define a sports car by how well it goes and how well it corners, light is best but that will compromise the feeling of solidity and integrity which you get with the SL (ignoring my creaking roof, that is).
The "L" in SL used to stand for "leicht" (German, lightweight). Since then, the need to satisfy their clientele who want gadgets by the bucket load mean that Mercedes have comprehensively lost the plot. The SL (and especially the SL55 and SL65) do a remarkably good job of pretending to be a sports car by disguising their considerable bulk through the ABC suspension system which is as good as the SBC braking system is bad. However, on a high speed road with marginal grip, the weight is ultimately going to be their undoing.
As a current example of a lightweight sports car, I'd suggest the Ferrari 360 CS. Much too raw for daily use, but the most thrilling car when you're in the mood and the conditions are right (probably on the track).
The "L" in SL used to stand for "leicht" (German, lightweight). Since then, the need to satisfy their clientele who want gadgets by the bucket load mean that Mercedes have comprehensively lost the plot. The SL (and especially the SL55 and SL65) do a remarkably good job of pretending to be a sports car by disguising their considerable bulk through the ABC suspension system which is as good as the SBC braking system is bad. However, on a high speed road with marginal grip, the weight is ultimately going to be their undoing.
As a current example of a lightweight sports car, I'd suggest the Ferrari 360 CS. Much too raw for daily use, but the most thrilling car when you're in the mood and the conditions are right (probably on the track).
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From: Austin, TX
2013 SL65 45th Anniversary Edition, 2014 Range Rover Sport Autobiography
Having recently come from a light japanese sports car, my initial observations are that a light car _can_ feel more stable. I drove an NSX for 9 years before trading in on an 03 SL55 last week.
The NSX felt much more stable than the SL55 when pushed hard. On the other hand, when driving well within the car's performance limits the SL55 gives the impression of being much more stable than the NSX. With the SL if you enter some twisties at a comfortable speed it gives you a nearly absurd sense of control, as if the car were mounted on rails.
The NSX also gives the sensation of much greater stability under accelleration. It doesn't have enough power to break traction once you're rolling so you're always comfortable punching it to recover speed, without getting the complete loss of road sensation that comes with heavy traction control engagement. I still laugh (very happily) in the SL55 when traction control flickers on if I punch it while already going 50mph.
A light japanese sports car can feel hugely unstable. Before the NSX I had a twin turbo RX7 that gave the impression of being a spider skating on water. The RX7 was actually the more capable track car in the hands of a skilled driver, but I couldn't drive it nearly as quickly as the NSX because it was so unnerving once you got anywhere near its limits.
All of these observations should of course be taken with a large grain of salt since I have only 1 week of experience in the SL. I expect to learn a lot about how to make use of huge horsepower to improve traction once I
Cheers,
Paul
The NSX felt much more stable than the SL55 when pushed hard. On the other hand, when driving well within the car's performance limits the SL55 gives the impression of being much more stable than the NSX. With the SL if you enter some twisties at a comfortable speed it gives you a nearly absurd sense of control, as if the car were mounted on rails.
The NSX also gives the sensation of much greater stability under accelleration. It doesn't have enough power to break traction once you're rolling so you're always comfortable punching it to recover speed, without getting the complete loss of road sensation that comes with heavy traction control engagement. I still laugh (very happily) in the SL55 when traction control flickers on if I punch it while already going 50mph.
A light japanese sports car can feel hugely unstable. Before the NSX I had a twin turbo RX7 that gave the impression of being a spider skating on water. The RX7 was actually the more capable track car in the hands of a skilled driver, but I couldn't drive it nearly as quickly as the NSX because it was so unnerving once you got anywhere near its limits.
All of these observations should of course be taken with a large grain of salt since I have only 1 week of experience in the SL. I expect to learn a lot about how to make use of huge horsepower to improve traction once I
Cheers,
Paul
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From: South Florida
ML350
To really "feel" the SL55, you should try to run on a track. Some of us have run the AMG Challenge, and when i pushed the car to about up to 140 in a high speed turn, that heavy feeling was just a misconception. At slow speeds it is a luxo-cruiser. I did a write up back in June if you care to search for it on this forum.
T
T
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From: Arizona
SL55AMG, Ferrari 348, Ferrari Testarossa, Ferrari F40, Ferrari Mondial t, Ducati 916, Indycar
I have owned alot of cars and I find the SL55 absolutely brilliant. It has functioned as a daily driver, been on long trips, quick blasts on mountain roads and some track days...and has been great.
At the track there are very few street cars that have been able to stay with it...whether on the straights or in the corners. On a recent mountain road blast....I was able to walk away from a CS without much difficulty....and on a trip through NV the car topeed 200mph (my car is derestrictred).
It is a great car...but does lack some soul of some of my other cars.....but it is German afterall
At the track there are very few street cars that have been able to stay with it...whether on the straights or in the corners. On a recent mountain road blast....I was able to walk away from a CS without much difficulty....and on a trip through NV the car topeed 200mph (my car is derestrictred).
It is a great car...but does lack some soul of some of my other cars.....but it is German afterall
