SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: SL65 vents in front?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2004
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SL65 vents in front?
Anyone have a clue as to what purpose the vents ahead of the front wheels on the SL65 serve? Myself and a technician have been wondering about it for the last couple of weeks.
The vents dont seem to draw air in, as they project away from the body. Possibly they vent excess air from the engine compartment that enters through the front facia?...
I happened to see an SL65 stop by my dealership a couple weeks ago but I didn't have time to really take a look, and WIS on Netstar hasn't posted anything on the SL65 yet (as of last week).
The vents dont seem to draw air in, as they project away from the body. Possibly they vent excess air from the engine compartment that enters through the front facia?...
I happened to see an SL65 stop by my dealership a couple weeks ago but I didn't have time to really take a look, and WIS on Netstar hasn't posted anything on the SL65 yet (as of last week).
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 443
Likes: 118
'03 S55 (79K miles)
Just a few guesses for fun...
1) Styling. Needed for owners to get a unique side view image to distinguish the SL65 from the SL55 or SL600?
Otherwise you would look like an SL55 with just an extra "V12" badge glued on the fender. Or like an SL600 with an extra "Kompressor" badge glued on.
Enarang would have to be pretty handy with a dremmel tool to hack up the fascia to get the look of his power SL55 just right......No, wait, I forgot Enarang already has an SL65.
2) Vents to allow air to escape from the back of the Tranny cooler or Turbo intercooler in the front fascia? Are there dual intercoolers hidden in the fenders?
3) Vents to allow air into wheel wells to cool brakes? Are the fronts of the wheel well panels perforated? I can't tell from the pics.
Otherwise you would look like an SL55 with just an extra "V12" badge glued on the fender. Or like an SL600 with an extra "Kompressor" badge glued on.
Enarang would have to be pretty handy with a dremmel tool to hack up the fascia to get the look of his power SL55 just right......No, wait, I forgot Enarang already has an SL65.
2) Vents to allow air to escape from the back of the Tranny cooler or Turbo intercooler in the front fascia? Are there dual intercoolers hidden in the fenders?
3) Vents to allow air into wheel wells to cool brakes? Are the fronts of the wheel well panels perforated? I can't tell from the pics.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,428
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SL65, E55T, Pending S65
The vents are functional.
The vent on the driver side is open from the front and appears to flow air into the suspension and engine area. It is blocked from exiting on the side.
The vent on the passenger side is open and flows air through an additional oil cooler located in front of the tire. The air flows through the front of the facia through the cooler and then exits through the vent ahead of the wheel.
Schiznick
The vent on the driver side is open from the front and appears to flow air into the suspension and engine area. It is blocked from exiting on the side.
The vent on the passenger side is open and flows air through an additional oil cooler located in front of the tire. The air flows through the front of the facia through the cooler and then exits through the vent ahead of the wheel.
Schiznick
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 258
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From: Perth,Australia
Yes, the SL65 has an additional oil cooler so it must help to draw in air to the cooler. I also thought that they would help cool the brakes too. The SL55 with F1 package also has an additional oil cooler, but it is also made for track users, so I thought it would provide additional cooling for both of these things.
