is my new favourite word...

Wasn't going to really bother posting this here, but thought you guys needed to know what else could be coming hard up behind you.

Wednesday morning we took Mercedes Benz's 12 second production car for a spin. The 5.5 ltr supercharged V8, four door E55 700NM ANIMAL!!!

All I can say is, anything that gives you pins and needles in the finger tips and toes when you nail it at 3 digit speeds is simply phenominal, let alone when it's hauling 1800KG's of it's own fat!

The traction was also staggering, but probably not nearly as much as the brakes. 8 piston, ceramic piston, carbon paded vented, crossed and the size of a wheel from a golf! These no longer run ABS either, but SBC instead being Sensotronic Brake control, so no pedal shudder or even minor lock-ups. Coupled with the latest active suspension, the car is constanly shifting the balance towards the centre of the vehicle... even at 130 with no hands on the wheel and crossing three surfaces it didn't make a noise, lock or deviate from a straight line.

I could go on forever just about the features alone, but it's nothing you can describe on paper.

Never :P

Theres no point, VW's are the coolest cars ever and you've just got to do what you can. Some dudes can do phenominal things and then some to get awesome results, but us mere mortals have just got to take what we can get/afford/make ourselves to best suit our needs.

Unfortunately I (not my 40+y.o econo bubble) can't compete with a starch white factory (whos only floor employees have proffesor degrees in their respected fields), wind tunnel and billion(s) dollar budget.

But it's also handy to experience such cars so as you have a real perception of how some cars handle different tasks/hazards/abuse. This way you don't delve into your project with an unrealistic budget and/or expectations nor do you settle for an outcome which you know could be better.

I wasn't making any comparisons to VW's nor saying "this is what my bug will be like", I was just sharing an experience that I assumed you guys would dig since we're all speed freaks here.

[Edited on 12-6-2004 by Cam]

Some pics... At long last :p

:P

[Edited on 25-6-2004 by pete wood]

Cam,
How did you manage a drive in a 55?