New SLK 55 seems to be faster than the SL 55

[MercedeSChink]

Anyways, the new SLK55 will probably be faster than the SL55. Since the new SLk 55 is now the new pace car for F1, it has been said to do faster track times than last year's pace car, the SL55. I believe the reason behind this is because of the lower amount of the curb weight...wat do you guys think?

[deth]

perhaps, but it has less power too right? doent have the supercharger a la clk55

[No.1]

This may be true, but the Pace Cars are tuned versions of the road cars, so i doubt M-Benz will let a cheaper, lesser model be faster than a £90, 000 flagship sports car :wink:

[MercedeSChink]

Dont forget the SLK55 pacecar is much lighter (~200kg I believe) than the version we can buy but still very impressive. (+ suspensions much stiffer, CF, racceseats, etc)


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Safety fast at Albert Park
05mar04

The SLK55 AMG Merc sets the GP pace, writes James Stnaford.

RACE-GOERS will be treated to an early peek at the muscle-bound Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG out the front of the pack at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The SLK55 pace car is essentially the same as the road-going version, but has race-tuned suspension, full roll cage and a fantastic exhaust system which sounds as mean as a V8 Supercar.

Ex-DTM sportscar racer Bernd Schneider drives the pace car and also does reliability testing for Mercedes.

“This is the sportiest AMG car that I have ever driven,” Schneider says. “The sound is very nice, too.”

Schneider says the new SLK55 also handles better than any other cars in the AMG performance range.

“Some of the other models can feel a little bit heavy in the front, but this car has the engine further back which helps the handling,” he says, adding that the new pace car is two to three seconds faster a lap than last year's SL55 AMG.

[dylan99]

Offcourse it is faster on a track it weighs less than a SL but in a straight lane the SL55amg should be faster

[FerrariFerrari]

The faster lap time has to do with the fact that the SLK55 is
a smaller, lighter, and more nimble car. It is quite a comon
acurrence that the smaller cheaper sibling would do nearly
as quick a lap time as it's big brother. A couple of years ago
there was an article in Road and Track magazine cald "Sibling
Rivalry", at least I think that's what it was titled. In that
article they put the smaller siblings up against their big bros.
You would be surprised how many of the smaller cars did
almos just as good as their big brothers. In fact the Honda
S2000 actually had a better 0-60 time than the Acura NSX.
The fact is that performance and handling is not always what
the bigger cars are about, they are more about having more
room inside, having a plusher ride, being more cumphy and
being more luxurious. That is what you are paying for, not
the performance.

[mrzonda]

The other thing is that Mercedes is trying to sell their new car. So they're going to use every chance they get to tell everyone how 'good' their new car is.

[ahmedgiyab]

It can't be faster....

0-100km/h

SLK 55 4.9sec
SL 55 4.7-4.6sec

Just think of the kompressor what the SL has! Maybe to 100km/h its almost the same,

above that the SL wins! Think of the sales...why would someone buy an SL if the SLK

faster????!!!!! Pace cars are always free ads! :wink:

[No.1]

0-100km/h

SL 55 4.7-4.6sec



I think it's closer to 4.9sec ... :wink:

[FerrariFerrari]

why would someone buy an SL if the SLK

faster????!!!!!
Because the SLK isn't as big and luxurious as the SL. Like I
said, it's not about performance figures. People who buy the
SL55 want a fast car but don't want to sacrafice luxury and
space to get it. The SL is a different kind of car aimed at a
different market than the SLK. :wink:

Pace cars are always free ads!
I agree with you there. Somehow for some reason people
seem to think that just because a particular car has paced
a particular race means that it must be a good performer.
That is not really true at all. In fact a pace car only needs
to go around a particular track at about 70mph to 80mph.
The Oldsmobile Bravado did it with, at least to my nowledge,
no tuning at all, so it can't be to hard.

[mrzonda]

They may only need to go 70 or 80 mph, but I heard somewhere that the SL55 was doing 250+kmph on the straight at Monza last season.