Racing an E55 AMG in the mile

http://www.kleemann.dk/news/index.htm

(Bottom-left click on: "APRIL 2002 - WORLD RECORD"

PRESS RELEASE April 2002

New World Record for fastest 4-door sedan

23. March 2002

Welcome to ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg.

The 850 hectare Daimler Chrysler owned proving ground, just outside Papenburg, Germany.

With a 12.3 km high-speed oval, it is the perfect venue for breaking speed records.

Picture the scene,
One can feel the warmth of the morning sun, as the damp asphalt slowly begins to dry. Before you stands a glistening sculpture of steel: the “brilliant-silber” 607 bhp/750 Nm KLEEMANN E55 Kompressor. The assembled motoring press jostle for the best camera-angle, while KLEEMANN technicians fettle with car and driver.

Did I say driver?
Pilot is probably a more fitting description, considering the Danish racing driver and KLEEMANN test driver Jason Watt (paralysed from the waist down after tragic motorcycling accident 1999) will be attempting to break the record for the world’s fastest street legal 4-door saloon. A record of 330 km/h currently held by Brabus’ GmbH. Set in 1997 with the Brabus EV12 7,3.

With only 30 minutes to go before the vehicle is due on the circuit, a few weary KLEEMANN executives furrow an eyebrow while gazing up at the sky. Yesterday’s initial tests were conducted during a torrential downpour with 8.5 m/s crosswinds. Although, the Yokohama supplied 245/35/19 tires performed brilliantly exceeding all expectations, conditions were not exactly what one would regard as perfect for driving at speeds over 300 km/h!

Independent specialist Jesper Ankersen from Dynomet DK takes a moment to double check the laptop software and equipment needed to accurately measure the speed of the vehicle.

Pilot-Jason Watt is given the green light to enter the circuit.

After a couple of warm-up laps, under the watchful eye of the European press, 3 onboard cameras fitted by Danish National Television and an eager following of KLEEMANN employees; the show is on!

Jason Watt accelerates away down the first straight reaching 254 km/h as he enters the first embanked curve.

Moments later he is exiting the curve building up speed. The laptop readout tells us he is approaching 315 km/h upon entering curve no.2.

Before exiting curve no. 2 the speed has dropped to 281 km/h before Jason once again accelerates onto the first straight at 322 km/h!

The car appears as a speck on the horizon, we can hear a faint rumbling sound in the air. The sound becomes louder by the second as car approaches us. The rumbling has now turned into rolling thunder!

It is a truly awesome experience, witnessing a 1900kg Mercedes Benz E-Class charging at over 300 km/h! At trackside, one is compelled to compare the sight and sound with that of a low flying jet fighter, such is the ferocity of the spectacle!

As the vehicle races past us, the laptop reads:
338 km/h! A New Record!

 

Heheh!

 

Standard E55's are doing 12.4 @ 116-118mph. My E55 with a faulty throttle position sensor, since repaired, ran a 12.2 @ 112mph at Calder drag strip the other day. With BFG drag TA's and fixed TPS I am expecting Mid 11's. My car only has a pulley, chip and some intake mods. Power on a Dyno Jet dyno is in excess of 450rwhp, torque over 500ft-lb from 2000-4000rpm dropping to 350ft-lb at 6500rpm.
Good luck with the run, in the video linked below I am running a GM Commodore running slicks and a 500hp LS1 motor.


http://www.ipn.com.au/mbworld/4.mpg

 

Well if anyone wants to put this issue to rest if someone reading this thread owns a E55/CL55 and lives in Socal I'd be more then happy to meet up with you for a standing mile/fwy pull. I won't lift till you lift. I'm gear limited at 174 but would be happy to see what happens till then. I'll bring the video camera.

 

Since we are now speaking about Renntech and Kleinmann, etc. why don't we bring along the 427 Twin Turbo V8 Ligenfelter Z06 Corvette that belongs to a member on this board and see how any of those Modified MB's do against the Ligenfelter Z06. That car has been tested in Motor Trend doing 0-60 in 1.9 Seconds with Slick tires. So if you want to compare apples to oranges we can do that.

 

Good point, we all seem to know alot about the e55, but i have not read anything about what this corvette is bringing to the table. For all we know, a blown 454 could have been wedge in there.

 

Yeah the tuners always quote big numbers, but from what I have seen in independent tests (C&D, MT, etc.) the performance numbers are rarely there. This goes for Japanese Cars, German Cars, and American Cars. The one company that seems to always be consistent is Ligenfelter.

 

How much power do you get out of the black hole in the engine bay?

 

Seriously, just say what you have done to your vette. Whats the big deal, does it have to be such a top priority secret? It reallly does not.

 

There one factor you people arent figuring. Robi built his own car, so it will not last going 1 mile flat out! It will blow up, then the Merc will leisurely blow by!

Send my tapes Robi!!!!! And come up with some real races!

 

Woooooooooow...! Who's the member...? That's a ridiculous number... Hot stuff, i'd love to see it... Fastest 0-60 number i ever knew of before you posted was a Dauer 962 LM in 2.6... 1.9 is just insane... What issue of Motor Trend, i'd love to read it...

 

dammit i cant wait for updates!!!!! i have been glued to this whole thread!!! lots of luck to you Rob, above all else, please be safe!!!

 

There is no reward without risk.

 

Edit: *removed because I'm an idiot* Senna1994, thanks for correcting me, I was wrong about the top speed on the 550.

55AMG cars have two limits, one at 155 and one at 187.

 

Kleemann is pretty consistant, so is RENNtech. Most respectable Mercedes tuners don't really over quote their numbers. There's no need to, even more so when Mercedes is underquoting by fifty or sometimes even a hundred horses.

 

No harm intended. Your quite correct there are two limiters on those cars. The Ligenfelter I was speaking about is a Twin Turbo Short Block 427. There is a member on this forum that posted a picture of his Yellow one he also has a 360 CS. His 427 is putting out about 885hp at the crank. Motor Trend tested the same type of car last summer (I think) and got some incredible numbers.

 

1.97 second 0-60 actually. quarter mile in the high eights and 0-100 in the low 4's. top speed around 240. i think anyway haha. its a c5 vette that has a remarkable resemblence to a stocker. fastest accelerating street legal car of any kind that motor trend has ever tested. they put it up against a full on military grade fighter jet and it beat the jet 0-60 and quarter mile. now after that quarter mile.... well, it gets blown away, obviously. its a lingenfelter 427 LS1 motor with twin turbos. at $165,000 complete its still a bit pricy, but you wont find much else out there tuned or stock that is street legal that can even compare with it at that price.
http://www.fast-autos.net/lingenfelter/lingenfelter427tt.html
enjoy!

 

That was the car, I think it was a gray one and quite insane performance, of course it had drag slicks on it. Without the drag slicks 0-60 was only about 3 flat.

 

Ok you AMG doubters...

The car is in 5th gear and revs to 6500rpm redline...put this in your pipe and smoke it...

http://www.rennteam.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=13081&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

 

pretty impressive, however, from the runway days I have organised a few times here in the UK, speedo readings aren't all that reliable. We always use electronic speed recording equipment and for example, the 996TT which ran to a true 192MPH over 1.75miles, speedo was showing closer to 200.

Some of the modified Audi RS4's and RS6's were getting true speeds around 185, speedo's showing 190-192.

In true F car style my 348GTS was hitting 171 true top speed, speedo reading................7mph

 

I second that. Most tuner performance is disappointing.

 

Factory Porsche speedo's always show high.