SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: ABC Sport... Or not?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 7
G55, SLS, smart eq
ABC Sport... Or not?
Hi,
I was wondering if I'm the only one that thinks there is little (if any) difference between the feel of the SL55 with the ABC Sport setting on or off. I've been drinving my car for approx 3000Km now and every now and then I drive with this setting on and off, but I don't feel a difference. On my 500SL (R129) I inmediately feel the difference between the sport/regular setting so I wondered why it isn't so apparent on the SL55.
I couldn't find any references to this subject in previous threads in this forum
I was wondering if I'm the only one that thinks there is little (if any) difference between the feel of the SL55 with the ABC Sport setting on or off. I've been drinving my car for approx 3000Km now and every now and then I drive with this setting on and off, but I don't feel a difference. On my 500SL (R129) I inmediately feel the difference between the sport/regular setting so I wondered why it isn't so apparent on the SL55.
I couldn't find any references to this subject in previous threads in this forum
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,340
Likes: 22
From: Southern California, USA
2003 CL55 AMG
The ABC sport setting does not change the suspension feel as far as the dampening rates. It simply changes the rate at which body roll is countered.
Arno Rohringer, head of Mercedes spring/shock absorber development, says body roll during cornering is reduced by 68% and by 75% if the driver has selected ABC's "sport" mode. Braking dive and acceleration "squat" is all but eliminated. Body stabilizing time after a rapid swerve is cut by 30%. Ride height also can be continually adjusted, and at 140 mph (225 km/h) the ride height is lowered by almost a half-inch (10 mm).
Arno Rohringer, head of Mercedes spring/shock absorber development, says body roll during cornering is reduced by 68% and by 75% if the driver has selected ABC's "sport" mode. Braking dive and acceleration "squat" is all but eliminated. Body stabilizing time after a rapid swerve is cut by 30%. Ride height also can be continually adjusted, and at 140 mph (225 km/h) the ride height is lowered by almost a half-inch (10 mm).
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 7
G55, SLS, smart eq
Originally Posted by awiner
The ABC sport setting does not change the suspension feel as far as the dampening rates. It simply changes the rate at which body roll is countered.
Arno Rohringer, head of Mercedes spring/shock absorber development, says body roll during cornering is reduced by 68% and by 75% if the driver has selected ABC's "sport" mode. Braking dive and acceleration "squat" is all but eliminated. Body stabilizing time after a rapid swerve is cut by 30%. Ride height also can be continually adjusted, and at 140 mph (225 km/h) the ride height is lowered by almost a half-inch (10 mm).
Arno Rohringer, head of Mercedes spring/shock absorber development, says body roll during cornering is reduced by 68% and by 75% if the driver has selected ABC's "sport" mode. Braking dive and acceleration "squat" is all but eliminated. Body stabilizing time after a rapid swerve is cut by 30%. Ride height also can be continually adjusted, and at 140 mph (225 km/h) the ride height is lowered by almost a half-inch (10 mm).
Is there a downside to constantly drive with Sport mode on? Are the hydraulics stressed significantly more or doesn't it realy matter? If it doesn't really matter I don't quite understand the option to turn it explicitly on/off as the syspension feel is not affected, and it makes the car handle better.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,703
Likes: 5
From: Arizona
SL55AMG, Ferrari 348, Ferrari Testarossa, Ferrari F40, Ferrari Mondial t, Ducati 916, Indycar
I pretty much drive only in the sport mode. The times that I have used it in the reg mode I have noticed increased body roll.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 7
G55, SLS, smart eq
Originally Posted by moa4r
if it reduces body roll by that much, wouldn't you feel a difference with it on/off?
I wondered because on my 500SL I actually feel the difference of sport vs. normal in my butt and in the steering wheel inmediately, because the suspension is simply stiffened (non intelligent ABC I guess).
I guess that, as IngenereAMG said, driving with sport-mode on all the time would make it more apparent if you occasionally turn it off. That and the driving style of course
As per awiners advise I'll turn it on and leave it on.
Trending Topics
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
From: Maidenhead, UK
Must admit going from CL500 to CL55 I noticed quite a difference. The CL500 rolled quite a bit without ABC switched on, however on the 55 the body roll without ABC is much less than the 500. I really only notice the improvement ABC makes when corning very hard in the 55, where I used to have ABC switched on in the 500 just to go round normal corners!
Hope that makes sense!
Hope that makes sense!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,447
Likes: 14
From: UK
SL55 AMG
I had ADS in my old SL600 and it was a very basic forerunner of ABC. It was standard in the SL600 because the car would otherwise exhibit excessive nose-heavy behaviour with the V12 lump up front. ADS (adaptive damping system), as its name suggests, only altered the damping characteristics to reduce roll, dive and squat. As such, its ability to adjust the suspension was pretty limited.
ABC is a huge step forwards because it also changes the effective characteristics of the springs as well by changing their effective length. This gives ABC a two dimensional matrix for controlling the car's suspension and makes the cornering of the car much more neutral, a great disguise of its considerable bulk.
For me, ABC is the triumph of the SL and makes the car a much more sporting drive than it would otherwise be.
ABC is a huge step forwards because it also changes the effective characteristics of the springs as well by changing their effective length. This gives ABC a two dimensional matrix for controlling the car's suspension and makes the cornering of the car much more neutral, a great disguise of its considerable bulk.
For me, ABC is the triumph of the SL and makes the car a much more sporting drive than it would otherwise be.
Last edited by blueSL; Jan 16, 2005 at 01:11 PM.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,838
Likes: 7
G55, SLS, smart eq
Originally Posted by blueSL
For me, ABC is the triumph of the SL and makes the car a much more sporting drive than it would otherwise be.
Last edited by sprins; Jan 16, 2005 at 01:28 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,340
Likes: 22
From: Southern California, USA
2003 CL55 AMG
Originally Posted by Maff
Must admit going from CL500 to CL55 I noticed quite a difference. The CL500 rolled quite a bit without ABC switched on, however on the 55 the body roll without ABC is much less than the 500. I really only notice the improvement ABC makes when corning very hard in the 55, where I used to have ABC switched on in the 500 just to go round normal corners!
Hope that makes sense!
Hope that makes sense!
Keep in mind the AMG's use different ABC software for more aggressive cornering response.
This is probably why you noticed the difference between the CL500 and CL55.
