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Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK (all models)

786 messages,  Last post on Jul 24, 2012 at 10:07 AM

You are in the Mercedes-Benz SL/SLK-Class Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Convertible

Messages Page 55 of 79

#536 of 786 Transmission may also be the culprit by shoes

Feb 10, 2004 (12:00 pm)

Hey sillydriver, even though you ordered the SL600, doesn't mean you have to buy it. Ask the dealer to let you take it for a long test drive before plunking down the dough. I think the five speed transmission without the AMG shift point changes may be the reason the car feels sluggish. There is no question in my mind that Mercedes built the SL600 for an older audience and the SL55 for the sporty (i.e. younger) crowd. I test drove the SL600 and it almost put me to sleep. The 2004 SL500 with the new 7 speed transmission felt much more lively.
 
Maybe you need to get the SL65 like me?
 
Wow, your experiences with the SL55 sound pretty awful. How many miles did you have on it when you traded it back to the dealer?

#537 of 786 Agree about the transmission by sillydriver

Feb 10, 2004 (12:25 pm)

I suspect you’re absolutely right about the importance of the transmission programming to the feel of the car. One reason why I plan to go ahead and take delivery of the 600 is the availability of the upcoming SL65 transmission computer from Renntech. People who have tried it and written about it over at mbworld.org absolutely love it. If the car turns out to be excessively dull after those mods I’ll try either an SL65 a year from now or something else like a DB9. Another reason I chose the 600 is the availability of the designo silver package, which is not available on the 55. My old 55 was black with a berry red interior, so I thought I’d try something with a completely different look. Finally, buying the 600 now will give me a convertible for this spring, while the 65 requires delaying gratification for a year.
 
I put about 7k miles on the car over 8 months and sold it last July. My experience was actually very good until the electrical problem struck. The dealer gave me $113k, which I think was a very good price given the recent softening of used values.

#538 of 786 Magic number by shoes

Feb 10, 2004 (3:20 pm)

I have heard that at around 6,000 miles numerous problems have appeared in the SL55 and S55 relating to the supercharged V-8. I have also heard that AMG will not be using a supercharged V8 much longer and maybe there is a connection.
 
Keep us posted on how you like the SL600 after making the transmission mods.

#539 of 786 by sphinx99

Feb 19, 2004 (6:54 pm)

On the subject of SL600s, C&D measured the SL600 to have a rather extraordinary straight line performance envelope for a 4500lb vehicle:
 
0-60 in 3.6s
1/4 mile in 11.9120

#540 of 786 New Mercedes SLK - impressions by billymay

Feb 19, 2004 (1:54 pm)

As a '98 SLK owner, I was excited to see pics of the upcoming car. The BMW Z4 seems gratuitously weird, and even the Boxster seems kind of stale, so I'm seriously interested in any first-hand accounts of the new Benz.
 
I love my car, but the 3.5l engine would convince me to trade up. I've owned the SLK230 and driven the SLK320, and both are basically the same -- quick but tame.

#541 of 786 sphinx99 by merc1

Feb 19, 2004 (11:49 pm)

The SL600. I figured you'd question the validity of that number, even I did.
 
Chavis10 suggested earlier that a Maybah 57 engine may have went down the wrong assembly line and wound up in a SL600.
 
What do you think?
 
M

#543 of 786 by sphinx99

Feb 20, 2004 (2:52 pm)

I haven't been ready to disbelieve. When you get past a couple hundred horsepower cars become traction-limited, the SL600 most definitely included. Put racing slicks on a 4500lb car with that kind of torque and it's quite possible that it could hit 60 under 4. Put skinny tires and it may have a tough time breaking the mid-5s. Perhaps they tested a car with supersticky tires on a supersticky surface.
 
The other thought I had is that it's easier to goof up 0-60 times but a 1/4 mile is a 1/4 mile. Unless there was some blatant equipment failure, covering a 1/4 mile in under 12 seconds is pretty impressive.

#544 of 786 Brabus SLK55 by sphinx99

Feb 20, 2004 (3:22 pm)

Now this is rather nice.
 

 

#545 of 786 by merc1

Feb 21, 2004 (3:02 pm)

I wonder what Mercedes is going to do about Brabus. They're doing the same thing that forced Mercedes to buy AMG, building even faster cars than Mercedes dared do. Some of Brabus' creations (E V12 640hp! for instance) make AMG (E55 469hp) cars look positively pedestrian.
 
The SLK definitely carries the F1 styling theme much better than the SLR.
 
M

Messages Page 55 of 79

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