In praise of the SLK55AMG
10-11-2005, 02:58 PM
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SLK55 AMG
In praise of the SLK55AMG
Having had my new SLK 55 AMG for a couple of months now, I feel compelled to share some of my thoughts on the new vehicle.
I come from a background of quite a lot of track driving, originally in a 911 and then in Lotus Elise and Lotus 340R.
After four years of thrashing cars round the track I decided to take a year out and see if I missed it.
Funnily enough, whilst I missed the camaraderie and social scene associated with track days, I rarely missed the experience of actually driving around the circuits.
My Lotus 340R was neither comfortable nor practical for road use so I started looking for something which I could enjoy on the road on a nice sunny day and also cover substantial distances in comfort.
My wife suggested an SLK and a test drive in a 350 left me mighty impressed – however I could not help but wonder what the 55 would be like.
After a lot of effort (good things are usually hard to come by), I located a brand new one at a local dealer and went to drive it.
Visually it hit the spot (obsidian black) and when I heard it start up I was hooked. A short drive later and the combination of engine noise and effortless power meant that I bought it that very day.
Over a couple of thousand miles of motoring I have come to realise that the car is pretty damn quick and a fantastic proposition for on road use.
On poorly surfaced roads with difficult cambers the car tracks true and steady and just flies along with minimal driver input required.
Confidence levels are very high, and when comparing some difficult fast B road sections which I often used in my other vehicles, I realise that in the SLK55AMG my typical speeds are around 20mph faster than in either the Lotus 340R (which would have the steering wheel writhing about in your hands) and the 993C4S (which also would require constant driver corrections) on the changing cambers.
In the real world, lap times are not really relevant to how a car drives on the road, as only the insane would drive a sports car at the very limits of its cornering capabilities on the public road, so whether a 911 or Elise can lap in a certain time around a perfectly smooth track does not really tell you very much about the cars behaviour on poor surfaces when driven at seven tenths.
I know of no other car which combines its devastating and instantly accessible power with its fair weather fun and foul weather practicality and an easy handling which flatters the driver on difficult roads.
Whilst it might not possess the ultimate balance of a Boxter, it is unlikely that this will ever be relevant when used on the public roads, and the sheer instant grunt of the 55AMG engine provides a much more useful benefit.
No – forget comparisons with the Boxter – for road use this car is probably as good as, or better than, a 997S.
I come from a background of quite a lot of track driving, originally in a 911 and then in Lotus Elise and Lotus 340R.
After four years of thrashing cars round the track I decided to take a year out and see if I missed it.
Funnily enough, whilst I missed the camaraderie and social scene associated with track days, I rarely missed the experience of actually driving around the circuits.
My Lotus 340R was neither comfortable nor practical for road use so I started looking for something which I could enjoy on the road on a nice sunny day and also cover substantial distances in comfort.
My wife suggested an SLK and a test drive in a 350 left me mighty impressed – however I could not help but wonder what the 55 would be like.
After a lot of effort (good things are usually hard to come by), I located a brand new one at a local dealer and went to drive it.
Visually it hit the spot (obsidian black) and when I heard it start up I was hooked. A short drive later and the combination of engine noise and effortless power meant that I bought it that very day.
Over a couple of thousand miles of motoring I have come to realise that the car is pretty damn quick and a fantastic proposition for on road use.
On poorly surfaced roads with difficult cambers the car tracks true and steady and just flies along with minimal driver input required.
Confidence levels are very high, and when comparing some difficult fast B road sections which I often used in my other vehicles, I realise that in the SLK55AMG my typical speeds are around 20mph faster than in either the Lotus 340R (which would have the steering wheel writhing about in your hands) and the 993C4S (which also would require constant driver corrections) on the changing cambers.
In the real world, lap times are not really relevant to how a car drives on the road, as only the insane would drive a sports car at the very limits of its cornering capabilities on the public road, so whether a 911 or Elise can lap in a certain time around a perfectly smooth track does not really tell you very much about the cars behaviour on poor surfaces when driven at seven tenths.
I know of no other car which combines its devastating and instantly accessible power with its fair weather fun and foul weather practicality and an easy handling which flatters the driver on difficult roads.
Whilst it might not possess the ultimate balance of a Boxter, it is unlikely that this will ever be relevant when used on the public roads, and the sheer instant grunt of the 55AMG engine provides a much more useful benefit.
No – forget comparisons with the Boxter – for road use this car is probably as good as, or better than, a 997S.
)
