Im not sure if anyone on here wrote about this test so here goes..
Its fascinating to watch the speedometer needle of the E55 AMG. Not because its spookingly spindle-less but because it sweeps around the dial at such an incredible rate. If we have filmed it and you could watch it, you'd reckon the footage had been speeded up like a car chase in a bad film.
~The needle is still going strong as it swings for the last marking on the dial, 160mph, when the acceleration abruptly but smoothly tails off- we've hit the 155 mph speed limiter.
How fast would the E55 go if there was no limiter and the straight was two miles long ? 180 ? Easily 200 ? Possibly. A derestricted SL55 made monkeys of a bunch of supecars at a Nardo test organized by
Auto Motor and Sport magazine, topping out 202 mph and proving the most accelerative to 170.
A couple of months ago we attachted our own VBOX timing gear on an SL55: 0-60 in 4.6sec and 0-150 in 24.0. Quick huh ? Yeah but the sober looking E55 gets to 150mp/h in just 22.8.
In at least one respect, the E55 redifines the term 'performance saloon'. In this class there isn't a quicker or more powerful four- door; with 469bhp the Merc has 25bhp in hand over its potent rival, the Audi RS6, and almost 70bhp over the iconic BMW M5. In the time the Mercedes takes to get to 150mph, the Audi and BMW have just passed 130mph. And in terms of torque the E55 is even more impressive, its incredible 516lbs ft, over 100lb ft more than the twin turbo RS6 and no less than 147lb ft (almost 40 percent) more than the normally aspirated M5.
~Another car that makes it look like a bargain is the Brabus EV12 that we drove back in issue five. The E55 is actually more accelerative than the 574bhp, 206mph Brabus (verified by the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest saloon car in the World
), and it costs half the price.
Compared with the SL55, the E55 has slightly lower power rating but that isnt the reason it cant quite match the SL's take off. It has narrower rear tyres *265/35ZR 18*, is almost 200kg lighter (weight helps traction), so with less launch bite, the E55 is a couple of tenths behind the SL up to 60 (4.8 vs. 4.6), but once traction has ceased to be an issue it closes the SL down. By 100 mph it has drawn level on 10.2 and by 150mph its over a second ahead.
Genuine supercars dont go much faster, so its no suprise that the Audi and BMW are left in the Mercedes' wake. They're pretty evenly matched, but with its 6 speed manual and rear drive, there's alot more technique involved in getting the M5 off the line to hit 60mph in 4.9 and 100 in 11.5. With no special driver skill the automatic, four wheel drive RS6 will knock off 60 and 100mph in around 5 and 12 seconds all day but turning off wheelspin control, holding it against the brakes and dialing in 3000 rpm, its possible to launch harder and get them down to 4.8 and 11.6.
The RS6 feels mighty quick when you stoke its rumbling twin turbo V8 up to full boost, no question. It delivers the sort of thrust that warrants a warning on its cup holders advising that full power kickdown while carrying hot beverages is not recommended. And yet there is no doubt the E55 hits even harder and faster, exposing a minimal amount of lag that you otherwise wouldn't notice. Similarly, its linear, unrelenting thrust points up a slight flattening of the Audi's delivery in the mid-range.
You look to the M5 with its long established reputation to show how a big performance saloon should behave, and once you've slipped behind the wheel, it feels more right- the driving position is lower and you feel more sucked-in, more a part of the car. Its ride feels initially tauter but its a suprise to see its traction control light flashing almost as often as the Merc's was on the same greasy roads.
The BMW's normally aspirated 5 litre V8 doesn't have anything like the low end surge of the force-fed Merc and Audi V8's but work it through the rev range and its gains lusty strength and purpose above 4000 rpm, lunging for the the redline with a hard yet refined eight cylinder whirr. The sensation of a big, heavy car beneath you is ever present but the difference is that after a few miles your tentative extending of the throttle and pushing against the grip in corners is building rather than eroding your confidence.
~What is enough power for the road ? Everyone has their own idea, and in this class, with rear wheel drive, I dont think the M5 is far off it. In the right circumstances, the E55 feels sensationally faster which, of course, is its own buzz and has an undeniable appeal. As we said at the outset, its extraordinary pace redifines the performance saloon: 0-100 in 10.2 is simply astonishing. Whatever you drive, you'll think twice about messing with the E55 in a straight line, always assuming you spot what it is in the first place.
Yet the M5 has only that to fear. In this class it remains on top because it is the complete package, blending excellent performance with peerless control and percision of chassis, throttle and steering. It would probably struggle to deploy the E55's massive torque and frankly, it doesn't need it. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.
Audi RS6..................................M5........... ............E55
Engine... 4.2 V8 Twin turbo.....5.0 NA V8.............5.5 SC V8
Power.... 444@5700................400@6600..........469@6100
Torque... 413@1950-5500......369@3800...........516@2650-4500
Weight... 1865 Kg....................1720 Kg..............1760 Kg
Performance:-
0-30............1.7...........................2.1... ...................2.2
0-40............2.5...........................3.0... ...................2.9
0-50............3.6...........................3.9... ...................3.7
0-60 ...........4.8...........................4.9...... ................4.8
0-70............6.1...........................6.4... ...................5.8
0-80............7.9...........................7.8... ...................7.0
0-90............9.7...........................9.5... ...................8.6
0-100..........11.6........................11.5..... ................10.2
0-110..........14.8........................13.7..... ................12.1
0-120..........18.3........................16.3..... ............... 14.1
0-130..........22.0........................19.9..... ............... 16.5
0-140..........26.2........................23.8..... ................19.5
0-150.............NL..........................NL.... ...................22.8
1/4 mile......13.3@106..............13.4@109.......... .13.1@115
Kickdown:-
................... RS6..........................M5................... .....E55
20-40..........1.6...........................3.0..... ...................1.4
30-50..........1.9...........................2.8..... ...................1.5
40-60..........2.3...........................2.7..... ...................1.9
50-70..........2.5...........................2.7..... ....................2.1
60-80..........3.1...........................2.8..... ....................2.2
70-90..........3.6...........................3.1..... ....................2.8
80-100........3.7...........................4.0...... ...................3.2
90-110.........5.1..........................4.4...... ...................3.5
100-120.......6.9..........................4.9........ .................3.9
110-130.......7.2..........................5.5........ .................4.4
Evo Rating
...................4 1/2 Stars..........5 Stars..................4 1/2 Stars
Evo Feb issue (Power issue)
469Bhp E55 vs 444Bhp RS6 vs 400Bhp M5 (long)
Black/ Black & Grey E60 /// M5 Nicknamed Mighty M5 
)
Kevin
Linear Mode
