Baron7700

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As if its a secret, Im a huuuuge fan of Ferrari's, and will one day buy one (or several) of my own,
.....and the SLK55, even tho i have never been in one.
If its really that much faster then the 350, i could only imagine.

Which got me thinking of comparisons (that i have driven or been in) to help me understand. Ironically the first thing that came to my mind was another 55, The Ferrari 355. My father had one and it was a rocket ship, completely awesome car inside and out. So in my head i started doing a little bit of comparison of information from just what I knew off the top of my head. Horsepower, transmissons, verts or not etc. But being to curious, and the warm weather making my right foot heavier and enjoying sports cars more I dwelved into it deeper. So here it is.

The Basics.

Weight:
SLK 55: 3420 lbs
Ferrari F355: 2976 lbs

Length:
SLK 55: 160.7 inches
Ferrari F355: 167.3

Width:
55: 70.6 inches
355: 74.8 inches

Wheelbase:
55: 95.7 inches
355: 96.5 iniches

So it seems that the ferrari is bigger, but lighter car, But has a smaller wheelbase.

The PowerPlants
55: 5.4(9 i believe) V8
355: 3.55 V8

Horsepower
55: 355 Horsepower
355: 380 Horesepower

Torque
55: 376lbs-ft
355: 268 lbs-ft

0-60mph
55: 4.7 secs
355 4.6 secs

Tranny.
55: 7 speed with speedShift
355: 6 Speed with F1 Shift (Same Idea, im also excluding the fully manual version).

Gas Mileage
55: 16-22 Mpg
355: 10-15 Mpg.

Hmm so lets see. With just this little bit of information, we can make some very interesting conclusions. While the Ferrari only has slight more horsepower, the 55 dominates it in torque. While only being around 500 lbs heavier it is VERY interesting to think that a SLK 55 and Ferrari 355 in a race, would be pure driver skill! Although, with props to ferrari, they were able to cramp out that much horsepower out of a very small V8. (Only slightly larger then my 3.5 V6, while producing 122 less horsepower).

Pros and Cons.

You can buy a brand new 55 for the exact way you want it , for about 70, or less. Not so hard to find, and you can drive it everyday, while still having that performance. And it has lots of luxury street cred has it IS a mercedes. Insurance can be high. The big plus, Most used 55's and (of course) all new 55's are covered by warranty!

There are only a few things you can get with the ferrari that you cant get on the merc. First off the obvious....ITS A FERRARI. And because of that, a used car thats anywhere between 10 and 6 years old will run you AT LEAST, 70 grand, usually between that, and 100 thousand. That and you cant get marlboro red !. Insurance believe it or not is pretty cheap, by being able to buy either collectors car insurance, and or regular insurance. (Its alot cheaper then you would think because of the rarity of the cars, how often people DONT drive them, and how obvious it is to steal them).

Besides modding a ferrari is very difficult! The only other thing I can think of really is handling. Its almost a given with the incredible chasis R/D, less weight, and I believe tighter suspension(Slk stock ride height 50 inch).

So i was actually a little surprised to find that a slightly modded SLK 55 can beat a 355, and hang with a 360 Modena.

Hmmmmm....looks like having a SLK 55 AMG is like having a ferrari. Only I can drive it everyday and not feel guilty. Or be brought to tears by every scratch. Or pay thousands for something that should be covered by a warranty. Or have to settle on options i want. Or have a hard top and a convertible in one.

So now I am even MORE envious of 55 AMG people, because it really just hit me what kind of car it is, and can be. (AKA someone who supercharges one and now has something that can run with 430's and lambos with practicality.)

I want one

easty

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Great write up mate. Very balanced points indeed.

I've not pit against ferrari's in anyway apart from the 430. But the sound and looks of the Ferrari's are what make them so nice, the speed and handling is secondary to most I'm sure. PS i went against my friends 430 from low speed a couple of times. Once just sat behind him and once just beside him with hardly any gain from either car. But park them next to each other the SLK looks ordinary.. Sorry maybe it's just because i'm so used to my car. And yes the 55's are awesome, it blows me away before I get into it and everytime I drive it regardless of type of good road It's faultless. I would buy a 2008 without consideration if I didn't have mine for whatever reason.

here's a pic of the 430, my mates elise and mine

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easty

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ok I know it's not the 360 you compared, but here's so more pics.


[img]http://images112.fotki.com/v586/photos/8/887083/3703997/_EAS0040-vi.jpg[img]












[img]http://images17.fotki.com/v8/photos/8/887083/3703997/_EAS0022-vi.jpg[/img

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alroumi

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Baron, When my 55 was stock I ran with my Fathers 99 355 GTS F1 and my 55 was 3-4 cars ahead.

On the track the 355 will be ahead due to the midengine layout and weight.

What you see on paper isnt true in all cases, The SLK55 is faster than a 360 modena and 355 on the straights.

Btw did you know that the 360's dont put down as much as they were expected to the wheels.

Unfortunatley as of last year we sold the 355 and my father has a Family Sedan.

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alroumi

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As easty stated that "i went against my friends 430 from low speed a couple of times. Once just sat behind him and once just beside him with hardly any gain from either car" Ive encountered a F430 here too and we had the same outcome before I started modding my 55.

To me the 355 is the best Ferrari Roadcar to date, Looks better than the ugly 360 and sounds better, especially when Couple with Tubi Exahust System.

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Baron7700

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o yes, i totally agree, with everyone. Put them next to each other the SLK is ordinary. Put them on the track, and well there is no replacement for mid or rear engine for handling with a rear wheel drive. And the ferrari has an engine almost 2 liters smaller. Im just saying, wow the 55 is ALOT closer then you would think. Like easty said it can hang in some areas.

Al: I totally agree that the 355 is one of if not, the best ferrari ever made. My dads car also had the Tubi exhaust....WOW! sounded great. But a lot of ferrari enthus' and specialists say that the 355 is the best. *But the glass over the 360 engine is just straight pimp*.

Of course, TRULY you cant ever really compare the cars. Performance wise, the 55 is close. But really thats where the comparisons end. The looks of the ferrari no matter how old are gorgeous.

finally...its a ferrari!

easty

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But practically (f thats a good term for a not so practical vehicle) it's the 55 simply due to initial and recurring cost.

I'm in dispute with myself which I prefer. 355 is just so nice in everyway. 348 has the classic apeal which may turn me that way.

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Baron7700

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ya, you can drive it everyday, and its cheaper to own.

Ack forget the 348! The coolest looking Ferrari I think was another one my family had. The 308GTSi. Otherwise known as the Magnum P.I. Car. Man that was sweet car. ANd of course we had put the tubi's on. This car was special because it was faster from 4th to 5th gear, then 1st to second .

Ynot

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Easty, hope you don't mind me fixing the pic.

F355 spyder was one of my dream cars, I remember seeing a couple when they were new, my jaws dropped. I remember driving my m3 and saw one on the road, he took off and I chase him, he didn't beat me by much but then again, I don't think he was trying, he gave me a thumbs up when he exit. The sound of the ferrari was sweet. The F430 spider is my favorite now but very expensive and hard to get.

Addicted2Speed

C'mon guys, lets not compare the SLK55 to 430. Ferrari F430 does 0-100 in 9 seconds and 12 flat @ ~122mph through the 1/4, SLK55 doesn't even come close in terms of acceleration. I've seen 430's in the 11's stock. SLK55 vs 360 is a driver's race though...

Baron7700

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I think the 360 would edge it out.

N4PWJ

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dont think there is much comparison. a 55AMG is an everyday special car, but a ferrari is a supercar.
F430 spider is my favourite, with the old 355 F1 being very close behind. I was out in my friends F430 other weekend and the noise of it was just unreal. raced an M3 CSL on the straights and just blew it away. couldn't believe just how quick they are. The noise could only be compared to the devil on Viagra giving it stacks.

alroumi

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If you guys fidn the F430's stock exhaust intoxicating what would you do if you heared the Kreissieg Exhaust ?

Link to the video:

http://www.kreissieg-usa.com/video.php?video=F430-1.mpg&desc=F-1%20Mode%20-%20Road%20Test%201%20<br>(Road%20Testing:%20Take%2 0Off%20Action)

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N4PWJ

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thanks alroumi, evryone in work just turned round like my computer was going to explode!! haha.
sounds incredible. think white is the wrong colour for a ferrari tho.

alroumi

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No problem mate, didnt it sound Intoxicating and F1-ish?

White is more of a Droptop VW Beetle, Ill have my Ferrari in Tour De France blue with Cream interior please.

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Baron7700

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Add the ferrari tubi exhaust and it would be heaven on earth.

Tour De france blue and cream would be a hot car. But its not a typical ferrari color. Call me old fashion,

Marlboro Red, Beige interior.

alroumi

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Red Ferrari's are too common every country I travel to you see all of the rich people having Red Ferrari's, I think to those who purchase Ferrari's go through a standrad procedure ''Ferrari=Red''.

I like to do it my own way, Ferrari's do look good in other colours such as Maroon, Grey, Gold and Yellow too.

I think one of the nicest combinations Ive ever seen was a Black 355 F1 GTS 99 Nero/Tan.

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Ferrari's are just on a different level than other sports cars. Although many cars are faster and few handle better, there isn't a car out there that respects the driver enough and provides for a pretictable chassis and uniform acceleration. Alot of people say, if you gave me a hundred grand to modify my car it could smoke a ferrari but come on, it just won't drive like one. The SLK55AMG is a amazing car and can probably keep up with a 355F1 or even a 360 Modena, it still won't feel as good on the road, or provide for a true F1 experience. To bad some owners only drive one to look good, and don't take it past 60MPH. At the end of the day though, im happy with my SLK, which passes for both a coupe and a convertible. Love it.

Ynot

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Ferrari definately has road presence, drove side by side with an enzo a couple of days ago and everyone from elder ladies to toddlers were pointing at it. It was low, wide, and loud as hell. But I would still take a F430 over it, the enzo's design is over the top.