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- Canberra
- Unwired-Eddie
Convertibles Uncovered
Welcome to the fifth instalment of the tun-up challenge series.
I have done this head to head battle as a sequel to challenge #4, in which I pitted SL 500 against SL 55. Now we move on to the big boys - the Mercedes SL 600 and the Mercedes SL 65 AMG. As always I will try to get the cheaper car to out run the faster car with out spending more than the difference in prices.
The Contenders
Mercedes SL 600 '04
Cost: CR 177,700
Power: 493 HP
Torque: 799.67 Nm
Weight: 2025 kg
Mercedes SL 65 AMG '04
Cost: CR 190,700
Power: 604 HP
Torque: 999.59
Weight: 2028 kg
Method
Both vehicles were bought from the showroom with 0 km on the odometer. As the most expensive car, the SL 65 will be test driven by B-Spec Brett at Nurburgring and the fastest lap time recorded. B-Spec Brett will then try to beat this time using the SL 600. Total cost of car and tuning may not exceed the cost of the SL 65. TCS and ASM must be set to 0 and B-Spec will be set to 3.
Track
Nurburgring
Results
B-Spec fires up the SL 65 and roars away to set a decent goal time. While he out on the track, let's look at what we are faced with today. The SL 600 is giving away more than 100 HP, 200 Nm of torque, and doesn't have the advanced suspension setup of the AMG. The only advantage is the 3 kg gain in weight the SL 65 has attained.
B-Spec Brett brings the SL 65 across the line for a fast lap of just 7'49.197. This is only 3 seconds faster than the SL 55 managed and 2 seconds slower than the fully tuned SL 500 from challenge #4.
B-Spec Brett next hops in to the SL 600 for a stock time. Good balance in the corners is noticable but the body roll is still hurting the overall corner speed. A solid 8'04.692 means the SL 600 will need to gain a little over a second for every CR 1,000 spent on tuning.
Learning from previous challenges, I immediately throw on the weight reduction and sports suspension. Money is tight so I opt for the race chip, port polish and semi-racing flywheel. Lap times drop to 7'53.742. Next is an oil change, leaving me still CR 100 under budget. B-Spec Brett is now lapping in 7'50.968, or about 1.8 seconds away from a win.
Some fine tuning on the suspension has brought the times down to 7'50.097, just 0.9 seconds off the SL 65's time. Figures look healthy at 543 HP and 881.51 Nm - I even have a 240 kg advantage now. Looking back in the workshop I am not happy. There is no other way to tune the SL 600 for a faster time. Other options are of course available but I have learnt which ones are going to make the difference around the 'ring - power upgrades.
It was now that I noticed another change between the SL 500 and the bigger SL 600. Where the SL 500 could not be turbo tuned, the option is available for the SL 600. Unlucky for me I had not noticed this earlier because the port polish is irreversible, so off to the car dealer I go to get myself another SL 600.
Back in the workshop with the new car and the weight reduction and sports suspension go straight on. A turbo tune stage 1 and racing intercooler slot in to place nicely, and I still have enough cash left to fit a racing flywheel and change the oil. 591 HP and almost 946 Nm of SL 600 tears away from the line and down the hill. B-Spec Brett reports all is okay and on his first flying lap he records 7'40.465. Not just a win but a complete annihilation of the competition.
Conclusion
It may have been the turbo tuning that pushed the SL 600 over the line today, but the port polish route came extremely close. There is no doubt that the tuned SL 600 is better value than the stock SL65.
Final figures for the SL 600
Cost: CR 190,600
Power: 591 HP
Torque: 945.90 Nm
Weight: 1782 kg
Tuning parts:
weight reduction stage 1
sports suspension
turbo tune stage 1
racing intercooler
racing flywheel
oil change
Welcome to the fifth instalment of the tun-up challenge series.
I have done this head to head battle as a sequel to challenge #4, in which I pitted SL 500 against SL 55. Now we move on to the big boys - the Mercedes SL 600 and the Mercedes SL 65 AMG. As always I will try to get the cheaper car to out run the faster car with out spending more than the difference in prices.
The Contenders
Mercedes SL 600 '04
Cost: CR 177,700
Power: 493 HP
Torque: 799.67 Nm
Weight: 2025 kg
Mercedes SL 65 AMG '04
Cost: CR 190,700
Power: 604 HP
Torque: 999.59
Weight: 2028 kg
Method
Both vehicles were bought from the showroom with 0 km on the odometer. As the most expensive car, the SL 65 will be test driven by B-Spec Brett at Nurburgring and the fastest lap time recorded. B-Spec Brett will then try to beat this time using the SL 600. Total cost of car and tuning may not exceed the cost of the SL 65. TCS and ASM must be set to 0 and B-Spec will be set to 3.
Track
Nurburgring
Results
B-Spec fires up the SL 65 and roars away to set a decent goal time. While he out on the track, let's look at what we are faced with today. The SL 600 is giving away more than 100 HP, 200 Nm of torque, and doesn't have the advanced suspension setup of the AMG. The only advantage is the 3 kg gain in weight the SL 65 has attained.
B-Spec Brett brings the SL 65 across the line for a fast lap of just 7'49.197. This is only 3 seconds faster than the SL 55 managed and 2 seconds slower than the fully tuned SL 500 from challenge #4.
B-Spec Brett next hops in to the SL 600 for a stock time. Good balance in the corners is noticable but the body roll is still hurting the overall corner speed. A solid 8'04.692 means the SL 600 will need to gain a little over a second for every CR 1,000 spent on tuning.
Learning from previous challenges, I immediately throw on the weight reduction and sports suspension. Money is tight so I opt for the race chip, port polish and semi-racing flywheel. Lap times drop to 7'53.742. Next is an oil change, leaving me still CR 100 under budget. B-Spec Brett is now lapping in 7'50.968, or about 1.8 seconds away from a win.
Some fine tuning on the suspension has brought the times down to 7'50.097, just 0.9 seconds off the SL 65's time. Figures look healthy at 543 HP and 881.51 Nm - I even have a 240 kg advantage now. Looking back in the workshop I am not happy. There is no other way to tune the SL 600 for a faster time. Other options are of course available but I have learnt which ones are going to make the difference around the 'ring - power upgrades.
It was now that I noticed another change between the SL 500 and the bigger SL 600. Where the SL 500 could not be turbo tuned, the option is available for the SL 600. Unlucky for me I had not noticed this earlier because the port polish is irreversible, so off to the car dealer I go to get myself another SL 600.
Back in the workshop with the new car and the weight reduction and sports suspension go straight on. A turbo tune stage 1 and racing intercooler slot in to place nicely, and I still have enough cash left to fit a racing flywheel and change the oil. 591 HP and almost 946 Nm of SL 600 tears away from the line and down the hill. B-Spec Brett reports all is okay and on his first flying lap he records 7'40.465. Not just a win but a complete annihilation of the competition.
Conclusion
It may have been the turbo tuning that pushed the SL 600 over the line today, but the port polish route came extremely close. There is no doubt that the tuned SL 600 is better value than the stock SL65.
Final figures for the SL 600
Cost: CR 190,600
Power: 591 HP
Torque: 945.90 Nm
Weight: 1782 kg
Tuning parts:
weight reduction stage 1
sports suspension
turbo tune stage 1
racing intercooler
racing flywheel
oil change
Still overpriced. Only time I buy a Merc is when I need it for a test. They're too damn heavy!. 
