Beater or Sleeper? GT6 Car of the Week Thread

It's not exactly a 'no s*** sherlock' sleeper in the context of GT6, which is what the thread is about...
Considering the car is quite bad through the corners, even for a Mercedes-Benz...

No, I mean that in the terms in which it's obvious that the Mercedes is far better than the Vectra as a car. Yes, the E55 is heavy and it might not be the most refined of super sedans, but at least it doesn't feel sluggish and/or dull as the Vectra. This car is fun regardless of it being "bad through the corners" or not, to be duly honest.
 
Hmmm... the car that might have been used if the Germans made the film "Driving Frau Daisy". A surprising lack of notifications via email about the free chauffeur hats being supplied. :irked: I also notice there are no flags attatched on the quarter panels, so it can't be a motorcade car either. :irked: So both the obvious uses for the "too rich to be a pimp mobile" are gone.

Hopefully the AMG badge will give it some life. ;) Time will tell on Tuesday!

Cheers
 
Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02
5.4L
468 hp / 5,900 rpm
516 ft-lb / 2,500 rpm
1,910 kg (4,211 lbs)
497 PP

If you ask me, the car needs to go on a serious diet. But, don't tell it I said that. Why? Because I don't want my neck snapped. And that's a good way to describe the acceleration. Neck-snapping. Better keep your head planted firmly against the head-rest when you floor the go pedal. By the end of Mid-Field's 0.58 mile straightaway, you're going 150 mph. Braking is firm and stops are short, thankfully. Cornering can be tricky, as oversteer is prevalent whether at slow or fast speeds. It takes a few laps to get used to, but once you break it in, it gets easier to control.

My best lap at Mid-Field on Comfort (yes, Comfort) Soft tires:



I wish I could have gotten a 1:22 but I just don't have the skill :grumpy:

Cars within +/- 0.500 seconds:

1:22.664 - 471 - Subaru S206 NBR Challenge Package '12
1:22.673 - 499 - Mercedes Benz C 63 AMG '08
1:22.687 - 475 - Tommykaira ZZ-S '00
1:22.710 - 478 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII RS '03
1:22.732 - 475 - Nissan Skyline GT-R M•spec Nür (R34) '02
1:22.783 - 490 - SRT Challenger SRT8 '08
1:22.858 - 447 - Acura NSX '04
1:22.888 - 470 - BMW M3 '04
1:22.931 - 498 - SRT Charger SRT8 '11

1:22.941 - 460 - Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI Spec C Type RA '05
1:22.965 - 475 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR GSR '04
1:22.978 - 458 - Isuzu 4200R '89
1:23.027 - 460 - Nissan 350Z (Z33, US) '03
1:23.091 - 497 - Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02
1:23.169 - 472 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII RS '01
1:23.230 - 473 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII GSR '03
1:23.236 - 460 - Trial Celica SS-II (ZZT231) '03
1:23.240 - 461 - Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34) '08
1:23.275 - 511 - Mercedes-Benz SL 600 (R230) '04
1:23.309 - 468 - Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) '99
1:23.371 - 461 - Subaru Impreza WRX STI '07
1:23.383 - 464 - Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI '10
1:23.403 - 453 - Autobacs Garaiya '02
1:23.427 - 467 - Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (C4) '96
1:23.477 - 440 - Amuse S2000 Street Version '04
1:23.480 - 446 - Acura NSX Coupe '97
1:23.530 - 472 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI RS T.M. Edition '00

It's about as quick as BMW's M3 '04. That's pretty damn good. I'll call the Benz a sleeper. Remove the AMG badges and 99.9% of people will have no idea how fast it really is. 👍
 
I remember driving this a little de-tuned in a long ago CoTW session against the 300C, also used to get it quite often in shuffle racing. Not a bad car if memory serves me right.

As for the Subaru, I'm going to upload a replay from last year I still have at some point during the week, where it grabbed a victory against some notoriously good cars in a very, very highly skilled room. @Vic Reign93 was there too. Whatever the Sports Wagon lacked on the straights it made up in corner exit speed.

I'm not sure on my future in the participation of CoTW as I have recently changed jobs; after from working nights for the last 10 years I'll be switching over to regular day time shifts.
 
Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02
5.4L
468 hp / 5,900 rpm
516 ft-lb / 2,500 rpm
1,910 kg (4,211 lbs)
497 PP

If you ask me, the car needs to go on a serious diet. But, don't tell it I said that. Why? Because I don't want my neck snapped. And that's a good way to describe the acceleration. Neck-snapping. Better keep your head planted firmly against the head-rest when you floor the go pedal. By the end of Mid-Field's 0.58 mile straightaway, you're going 150 mph. Braking is firm and stops are short, thankfully. Cornering can be tricky, as oversteer is prevalent whether at slow or fast speeds. It takes a few laps to get used to, but once you break it in, it gets easier to control.

My best lap at Mid-Field on Comfort (yes, Comfort) Soft tires:



I wish I could have gotten a 1:22 but I just don't have the skill :grumpy:

Cars within +/- 0.500 seconds:

1:22.664 - 471 - Subaru S206 NBR Challenge Package '12
1:22.673 - 499 - Mercedes Benz C 63 AMG '08
1:22.687 - 475 - Tommykaira ZZ-S '00
1:22.710 - 478 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII RS '03
1:22.732 - 475 - Nissan Skyline GT-R M•spec Nür (R34) '02
1:22.783 - 490 - SRT Challenger SRT8 '08
1:22.858 - 447 - Acura NSX '04
1:22.888 - 470 - BMW M3 '04
1:22.931 - 498 - SRT Charger SRT8 '11

1:22.941 - 460 - Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI Spec C Type RA '05
1:22.965 - 475 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR GSR '04
1:22.978 - 458 - Isuzu 4200R '89
1:23.027 - 460 - Nissan 350Z (Z33, US) '03
1:23.091 - 497 - Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02
1:23.169 - 472 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII RS '01
1:23.230 - 473 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII GSR '03
1:23.236 - 460 - Trial Celica SS-II (ZZT231) '03
1:23.240 - 461 - Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34) '08
1:23.275 - 511 - Mercedes-Benz SL 600 (R230) '04
1:23.309 - 468 - Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) '99
1:23.371 - 461 - Subaru Impreza WRX STI '07
1:23.383 - 464 - Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI '10
1:23.403 - 453 - Autobacs Garaiya '02
1:23.427 - 467 - Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (C4) '96
1:23.477 - 440 - Amuse S2000 Street Version '04
1:23.480 - 446 - Acura NSX Coupe '97
1:23.530 - 472 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI RS T.M. Edition '00

It's about as quick as BMW's M3 '04. That's pretty damn good. I'll call the Benz a sleeper. Remove the AMG badges and 99.9% of people will have no idea how fast it really is. 👍


First of all, congratulations for manhandling such a wild car with Confort tires, you are a sucker for punshiment but you're also one hell of a good driver for doing so well within those conditions. 👍

Secondly, I guess both of the E's biggest problems are pretty much showcased within your video and your lap time list; progress in car development (with the younger brother, the C63, and even the SRT Charger being faster than the E), and its heavy weight figures, that cause problems for the car when you want to be a bit more agressive with it around a track. That and the fact that another sedan also exists, a sedan with ties to F1 and a monster that eclipses the E55 both in power and weight...

But make no mistake, that V8 engine is simply brutal, that power delivery will wreck your neck if you're not prepared. Most cars within the E55's PP rating might be a bit taken by surprise when they realize that the big brute has quite the set of muscles. :scared:
 
I wish I could have gotten a 1:22 but I just don't have the skill.

Challenge accepted.

15%2B-%2B1

The 1:21 was on SH, but the 1:22.698 was on CS. I'll post the video once a few others are done uploading.
 
Well I've given it a try, and ya I'll need more practice, especially before racing it against the crew. My first impression is that it might actually rival the 300 C Ya Later car I have relied upon for a number of drifting events. It seems to pack a punch, but as with so many cars of its stature, it needs it to push 2 tonnes of weight around.

Thankfully we don't have to pay for gas in the game yet, cause I'm pretty sure the car's name stands for:
Every 55 km's Add More Gas :sly:

@Lewis_Hamilton_ ... it won't be the same without you, but all the best wishes in your new job!

Cheers
 
Sorry, no pictures (I'm writing this on an iPad).

I put out two tests for the E55 AMG whether to see it was beater or sleeper. The first one was where I compare it to two other cars within it's PP range on Tokyo R246 to see where the victim ends up. The second test will be a seasonal event running the car.

Test 1: Time Trial

For this test, I decided to pit the E55 against two other German cars from 490-500 PP. I run DS3 with manual transmission, sports hards, 2 TCS, ABS 1, and nothing else. The cars I chose to compete against the E55 were the RUF RGT '00 and the BMW M3 CSL '03. Let's take a look at each of the cars stats before I test them.

Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02
PP: 497
Displacement: 5,438 cc
Power: 468 HP
Torque: 516.4 ft-lb
Drivetrain: FR
Aspiration: SC
Weight: 1910 kg

RUF RGT '00
PP: 499
Displacement: 3,600 cc
Power: 378 HP
Torque: 276.9 ft-lb
Drivetrain: RR
Aspiration: NA
Weight: 1,330 kg

BMW M3 CSL '03
PP: 490
Displacement: 3,246 cc
Power: 354 HP
Torque: 273.3 ft-lb
Drivetrain: FR
Aspiration: NA
Weight: 1,385 kg

First off, with the E55. Obviously, it's very heavy, so don't expect it to corner very well. The brakes are some of the worst I've seen in the game, and you must brake early in order to keep up with the rest of the pack. Racing brakes still make the E55 brake poorly. And the gears are looooooooooooooooooong. So, it is not really viable in time trials, seasonals, and online races.

Now with the RGT. It's RR, so you have to work with it to control it. However, if you can control it, it performs beautifully on track. It will wreck almost anything within its PP range if you can control it. It is a great car that is viable in races and time trials.

The M3 CSL is like an easier to control, yet slightly slower RGT. It's an FR car, which makes it pretty easy to control. It too handles like a dream, which you probably knew already. However, it takes 1 second more to get in a lap at Tokyo than the RGT, but it too is a great car.

Lap times:
RGT: 1:55.563
M3 CSL: 1:56.979
E55: 2:01.806

Test 2: Seasonal Event

For this test, I will do the 550 PP Monza seasonal event from 7/1/15. I will keep the E55 stock to see how it fares against faster AI cars. I will use the same setup as my time trial test as above. The lineup is as follows:

1: SRT Viper SRT10 ACR '08
2: Ford GT '06
3: Saleen S7 '02
4: Jaguar XJ220 '92
5: Lamborghini Reventon '08
6: Ford Shelby GT500 '13
7: Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 '09
8: Nissan GT-R Black Edition '12
9: Ferrari 599 '06
10: Ferrari F430 '06
11: SRT Viper SRT10 Coupe '06
12: Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG '02 (me)

Coming in at the first chicane on the first lap, I pass the SRT10 Coupe. Exiting the same chicane, I pass the the F430. I pass the 599 on the 4th turn. Down the straightaway leading to the 3rd chicane, I pass the GTR. At the third chicane, my E55 overtakes the Murcielago. At the last corner of the first lap, my E55 passes the Mustang. Down the straightaway where the finish line is, the S7 comes in 1st place. On the 1st chicane on the 2nd lap, I overtake the Reventon. On the 2nd chicane, my E55 passes the XJ220. Right before coming in at the 2nd chicane, my E55 overtakes the ACR. On the third chicane, I pass the GT. I come in 2nd place, behind the S7 by 1.630 seconds

Verdict: Beater. It is insanely slow when compared to other cars around the 500 PP range. In the Tokyo time trial test, the RGT and M3 CSL absolutely smoked the E55. In the Monza seasonal, I came in second competing against the AI. Should you buy it? No. There are a lot better options to choose from with that kind of money.
 
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Well, was watching the racing on Twitch and of course there's a chat board. So I signed up to chat cause one of the GTP'ers was on, @Doodle was chatting with people. I don't know him but I recognise his name. It then tells me I can't chat without signing into facebook. Account quickly closed... will NEVER sign up for that crap.

But was cool to watch the racing for awhile. Now I also know what @Jordan looks like.

Cheers
 
Well, was watching the racing on Twitch and of course there's a chat board. So I signed up to chat cause one of the GTP'ers was on, @Doodle was chatting with people. I don't know him but I recognise his name. It then tells me I can't chat without signing into facebook. Account quickly closed... will NEVER sign up for that crap.

But was cool to watch the racing for awhile. Now I also know what @Jordan looks like.

Cheers

Last time I checked in, SSC was running 2nd in a wet race at Silverstone.

It's good to know that he raced with us (and we kept him on his game :P) and now he's running very well with the rest of the best American GT Racers.

Quite a little accolade that MC. :D:tup:
 
In unrelated, yet deeply depressing news, I bring you this:

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/breaking-f1-driver-jules-bianchi-dead-at-25-1652880019

If you know anything about his injury, you'd know that even surviving isn't really surviving. Had he awaken, he'd never drive again.

Jeez, that's not what I wanted to hear. :(

The clock has been reset, 21 years without a death caused by injures during a F1 race.

Admittedly, it's not the first death in F1 in recent years, Maria de Villota's crash in 2012 during testing and the loss of a Marsharl at the Canadian GP also comes to mind.

But I'll be damned if it isn't a punch to the family jewels to be reminded that death still hangs around the sport, no matter how safe it gets.

My thoughts are with his family and friends. :(
 


With its big V-8 and menacing presence, the E55 is about as subtle as an invasion of Poland. Unfortunately, the car's heavy weight makes it as nimble and agile as the Bismarck....after it took a torpedo to its rudder. And the problems don't stop there.



I found many times that after I successfully navigated a corner, attempting to get back on the throttle would send the rear tires in a mad and wild dash to overtake the fronts. There's non-driving issues here as well, namely that the E55 shares the same dealership with the newer C63 AMG that gives you a premium model for your 100,000 credits instead of a poor resolution GT4 port-over car. But I still haven't gotten to the worst problem yet.



Ah, here it is. Yes, this is the Dodge Challenger, my pick for worst car of last year. This is the Challenger, this product of the jilted wife of the "Marriage of Equals" keeping up with the E55's. And that's me behind the wheel of the Challenger...actually preferring to be in the Challenger.



We have a new front-runner for the "Beater of the Year" title.
 
Oh boy! The E55 AMG. Where do I start? There is no good news with this tank. I thought to take three European sport tanks and the spirit of the benchmark for the class to Laguna to see how all of them stack up. First, the E55. With a time of 1:44.9, it made the RS6 '02 look svelte around Laguna. There's no brakes, no grip, and all the power ever. Next, the aforementioned RS6 came in with a time of 1:44.4. The Quattro AWD system helped put all the power down, but comes with all the weight on the nose. Even better, comes the Jaggggg S Type R. The Jag makes a better noise, drives like its smaller than it is, and ran a 1:44.2 at Laguna. It's way more of a sleeper than the E55 anyway. Now for the benchmark in the segment, the E39 M5. As we don't have one yet, I added the claimed weight to the Z8 to simulate the M5. It's not perfect, but as close as we can get, for now. The Z8 ran a 1:43.0 with the weight and the distribution of the M5. The E55 is the worst in this segment by a long way. By the way, @JackRyanWMU, the Challenger has the exact same chassis as the E55. It would be a move sideways, not up. This car is a beater. No doubts about that decision.
 
7I6iydD.jpg

Well, racing this beast of a car last Tuesday pretty well locked it in as a Beater in my mind too. It leaves a lot to be desired, as I can't really think of too much to brag about this car. Having a bad night of not controlling this car properly didn't help it either. I was glad to dump her for the younger, better looking, not so fat cousin, the C63.

Maybe the E55 has it uses, but racing isn't one of them. Maybe something slower, like a funeral procession.

Cheers
 
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