Collection Gift Guide: Ease on Down the Road
December 1, 2004
MERCEDES-BENZ S55 AMG
That absolute power corrupts is an absolute cliché,
but clichés are generally true. And anyone who doubts the axiom’s veracity should drive the recently re-engined Mercedes S55 AMG. Specifically, he or she should guide the performance-tuned sedan onto a favorite highway on-ramp, click the
wheel-mounted Speedshift button twice, and keep the right foot flexed. There will be a
slight pause followed by a tiny jerking sensation as the S55’s 5-speed gearbox kicks down and the supercharger spools up. And then the mighty Merc will fire
itself at the open road like a cruise missile hot off a destroyer’s deck. A glance at
the speedo will reveal a needle swinging gracefully into triple digits, with no
more fuss than a second hand arcing around a watch face. Do it once and you will
be astounded. Do it twice and you will be corrupted. Never has so much speed
been so easy to create, control, exploit, and enjoy.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
As always, AMG’s engineers started with the engine. The standard S-Class’ 5.0-liter powerplant kicks out an entirely useful 302 hp and 339 ft lbs of torque. In AMG’s power-crazed universe, though, “useful” does not equal “adequate.” So wrench-meister Guido Nordheim enlarged the stock V-8 to 5.5 liters, bolted on a helical high-pressure supercharger, and added a
liquid-to-air intercooler. We know Herr Nordheim built our test car’s engine because he
signed a little plaque on the engine cover. In the process, he gave Frau Nordheim
reason to be proud: Not many engineers can handbuild an engine that delivers 493
horses and 516 ft lbs of torque, hour after hour, day after day, regardless of
weather, altitude, or operator abuse. (Click image to enlarge)
Even in these horsepower-mad times, when the Dodge Boys sell a 340 hp station wagon, that’s a lot of grunt. It’s enough shove to take Mercedes’ luxury leviathan from zero to 60 in 4.6 seconds and to propel the S55 to its electronically limited maximum speed of 155 mph in less time than it took you
to speed-read the last two paragraphs. It is sufficient horsepower to allow a de-restricted S55 to nudge 200 mph.
Such extreme speed demands serious stoppers. When it comes to applied
friction, AMG does not mess around. The tuner has given the über-S some über-brakes: perforated 14.2-inch discs with 8-piston calipers at the front and 13-inch
discs with 4-piston calipers at the rear. The setup is so savage that a healthy
punch on the left pedal activates the seat belt pre-tensioners. Although the safety device was invented to protect occupants during a crash, it also prevents passengers from ripping through the seat belts and flying through the
windshield during emergency stops.
The Pre-Safe system reflects Mercedes’ current engineering philosophy: If it moves, computerize it. Evidence of this technological overkill is everywhere, from sports seats with “intelligent” self-inflating side bolsters and a fly-by-wire four-way seat massager to a steering wheel that is half joystick, half helm. Many of the S-Class’ recent reliability problems can be traced to
this endless, often ironic pursuit of electronic ease. The S55 suffers from the
same ergonomic complications as its lesser-engined siblings, but it also shares
the advantages of other, more important gizmology.
Mercedes’ Active Body Control (ABC) is one of the microprocessed good guys.
When the suspension system senses body movement, it instantly activates one or
more of the car’s electrohydraulic dampers to counteract the motion. In other words,
the computer constantly adjusts the car’s attitude to keep it flat and steady
over the roughest surfaces and around the most extreme corners.
For the spirited driver, the S55’s AMG-enhanced suspension is a godsend. It
makes the 4,300-pound sport sedan handle like a car half its size. As long as you drive the S55 smoothly,
the car will slice through twists and turns with level, surefooted control–at monumental speeds. As you might expect from a full-size luxury car–even an
AMG product–the S55 prefers long sweepers to tight bends. But you can attack any
road with confidence, knowing that its chassis and 18-inch tires will tell you
when they’ve had enough, and that the car’s safety systems will save your bacon if
you refuse to listen.
advertisement
