E55 KEV

Preview from www.autonews.com. Estimates price:

"The limited-edition 2004 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG is part race car and part family sedan, with a price that is expected to be north of $70,000 when it goes on sale in April."

See Article:

http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?...mercedes&arc=n

alz

Help!!

ima55r2

Mercedes designed E55 AMG to perform
By Rick Kranz

Automotive News / November 25, 2002
STUTTGART -- Fuel prices are heading up. The economy is gasping. But boys still gotta have their toys.

The limited-edition 2004 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG is part race car and part family sedan, with a price that is expected to be north of $70,000 when it goes on sale in April.

AMG is the performance brand within a brand at Mercedes-Benz. Each vehicle that gets the AMG treatment receives horsepower, braking, handling and other enhancements and is the top performance model in its range. Every Mercedes-Benz class offers an AMG model.

AMG enthusiasts typically aren't worried about gasoline prices, said Joachim Schmidt, worldwide head of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart. Likely, they care more about bragging rights. "(Our customers) like to have good performance. They like to have fun," Schmidt said at an October press event here.
At the heart of the 2004 E55 AMG is the supercharged 5.5-liter intercooled V-8, which produces 469 hp and 516 pounds-feet of torque. Mercedes' early estimates put 0-to-60 mph acceleration at 4.5 seconds and top speed at 155 mph. The car is based on the redesigned E-class sedan, which debuted in the United States in summer.

To handle the horsepower boost, the AMG 5.5-liter V-8 features several enhancements not offered on the standard E-class V-8:

-Reinforced crankcase with special stiffening ribs and side bolts.
-Balanced crankshaft and extended stroke, which lengthens from 84 to 92 millimeters.
-Forged connecting rods.
-Modified cylinder heads that handle increased airflow.
-Camshafts with extended valve opening times that improve the fuel supply to the combustion chambers.

The E55 AMG's spring struts, shock absorbers, stabilizers and electronic suspension control system are re-engineered for high-speed driving. To enhance stability, the E55 AMG is two-fifths of an inch lower than the E-class sedan. On the road, the E55 AMG automatically drops an additional three-fifths of an inch when the car accelerates past 87 mph to reduce aerodynamic drag.

Mercedes expects to sell 800 to 1,200 E55 AMGs annually in the United States.

///MB

Also, I heard that the price is supposed to start at 74,995 or something like that. And if it's like the older E55s, it should come with most options as standard.

James F. Cannon

I asked of Brad with EVOSPORT what Kleemann did to reinforce the engine block during supercharger installation. According to him they do nothing, as it is not necessary. I guess he was speaking of the new W211 E55. The information I see on this post says it is already done on the W211 E55. But for those who have the W210 E55 it would appear that in order to achieve 469HP or more, some type of reinforcing of the block and conn. rods would be in order to avoid catastrophic failure. I hope all W210 E55 owners considering a supercharger upgrade will take this into consideration before attempting to reach these horsepower numbers, no matter what system they choose to install. I am not a mechanical engineer nor auto technician, but have 30 years of experience with large industrial gas engines, 4 cycle , 2 cycle, naturally aspirated, supercharged, turbocharged, low speed, medium speed and high speed. I have seen the structural/mechanical differences between the same engine designs with increased horsepower. Supercharging or turbocharging an engine always entails beefier conn. rods, crank and main bearings, mainframe (engine block), piston crowns, and even crankshafts. The manufacturers know this and it is clear that Mercedes/AMG know this. I also know that RENNtech knows this and that is why I am a RENNtech customer. By the way, check out the thread started by Pocholin entitled 2 AMiGos racing and go to the links provided to see my 12.143 @116.92 run in my RENNtech E55K. Proof positive on street tires.