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2006 Mercedes Benz AMG CLS55 - THE BEAST, Danny's newest pride & joy
Yeah I know it, I am fond
of Mercedes. I have supported and cheered their Formula One team Racing
for at least 15 years, and I have been a fan of their exotic AMG's for
at least as long.
And yeah, I know that
several of my very best friends
consider it an old fart's car. But I know that most that think that way
have never owned one themselves, because if you had owned a couple of
the ones I have owned, you would have had a love affair as strong as
mine!
My gorgeous black
1984 Mercedes
500SL crumpet catcher was my fist Mercedes and I absolutely loved that
car. And yes the, a Silver E320 and a black CLK 320 were fine cars, but
they lacked the grunt and bad-boy character of the 500SL. I just never had a passion
for either car.
So the next time round, in
mid 2004 I
stepped up and bought THE BEAST, the
Mercedes Benz AMG E55. Make no mistake - this
was an animal - 469HP
and 515ftlb of torque, and by far the best car I had ever owned. I
absolutely LOVED that car - every time I climbed in it I would have a
blast and I wouldn't stop smiling hours after I got out.
In May of 2005 I had the
privilege of attending the AMG challenge event held at Homestead
Speedway in Miami. What blast - for the full report click here
AMG Challenge Miami Homestead
I even took my E55 to the
Drag Strip Several times, and cleaned up many Corvettes, lots of HotRod
Mustangs, Camaros, several Porsche Twin Turbos and even a 600Hp Viper!
And in January 2006 at the
Moroso Park Drag strip in Palm Beach I managed
to beat my best time and run an awesome time of 12.169 at 114.2 mph - my 60ft time was
1.78 on stock tires ! My best trap speed was 115.56 mph! You should see
the kids run up to me after a run and ask ..."Dude - what did you do to
your Mercedes?"......and I reply ...... "nothing its bone stock - its
just my regular grocery getter"!!!!!
Click here to see a video
of one of my 12.33 second 1/4 mile runs
January 2006
- NEW CLS55 arrives!
I had this car on order for
some time ever since I first saw this photo featured on a
Russian
Maybach web site back in 2004.
The CLS has a way sexier and
sportier line than my E55. Its elegant and looks fast even standing
still. There are very few bad lines on this car.
The engine remains identical
to the E55 - in my onion it is one of the most exceptional engines to
ever hit a street car. Its supercharged 5.4L gives a whopping fat
516ft/lbs of torque from 1800 - 4800RPM. Its Horsepower is now eclipsed
by the superb BMW M5 that has just been released, but the M5 has to be
wound out at speeds in excess of 100mph before it comes alive. The 55K
motors provide the most fun in daily driving.
But what makes this AMG 55K
motors so
seductive is what happens when your foot even just kisses the accelerator
pedal. It just leaps forward and screams through 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds. It stomps all over a Porsche 911
Twin Turbo off the line. Its only 2/10 of a second off the Dodge Viper to the
quarter mile (if the driver can launch the Viper), and kills almost all
exotics including Ferrari's, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and others off
the line.
I toyed with getting the new
just released BMW M5, which has a killer V10 motor making over 500HP,
and runs away from the AMG 55's at speeds above 100mph. But to really
enjoy the BMW M5, you have to wring it out above 5,500 RPM's in 3rd
gear, so you only really get to enjoy the car at speeds where you are
likely going to jail. The 55k motor is just the opposite - all its fun
is instantly on demand, and most fun at speeds up to 100mph, and that's
pretty much the speeds where most of my driving is done.
And the whole time you are
encased in legendary Mercedes luxury and elegance - understated and
refined. (not like our party photos!). Every time I climb in this car I
feel like a little kid and I just cannot get the grin off my face. Its freakin' awesome! Damn I love this car!
This CLS is a little special
though - I ordered it with the 030 performance package which includes
several minor cosmetic differences, but most importantly it adds a
Limited Slip Differential, Composite Brakes, and the top speed is
delimited to 300kph (185mph)!
Danny's new Mercedes
Benz AMG CLS55 Photos
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