[Names/Location have been omitted to protect the not-so-innocent and the valuable natural resource we’ve discovered]
Ten shiny SLKs had an exceptional opportunity last weekend on our run to Eastern Washington with warm sunny skies and an optimal road... Everyone got to push their own limit no matter what that may previously have been…
At the driver’s meeting before taking off for an afternoon of spirited driving and wine tasting, our tour leader explained we were about to partake a rare opportunity for some ideal driving conditions. We would encounter a remote plateau in E WA with a 25 mile stretch of newly paved road, straight, primarily flat, farm land, with very few side approach roads, on a warm and sunny Sunday morning. J! Everyone was to travel at their own comfort level speed to arrive at our first winery of the day – we couldn’t miss it as it was the only establishment on this road. We would regroup there when the last SLK arrived.
At the top of the plateau our leader got us up to 105mph. I was in second position enjoying the warm summer breeze top down, windows down. A motion in my side rear view mirror caused me to look and see an AMG55 approaching from behind at autobahn speeds, his hat removed and his hair flying straight out behind him! He flew on past the leader (who later reported he felt a ‘quake’ in the air as he passed) still picking up speed and was gone!
“Why didn’t I think of that?” popped into my mind as I downshifted my 350 manual and took off after him. He was but a teal spot in the road ahead when I hit 145mph. Not being a need-for-speed person on straightaways, I thought this was an okay cruising speed, but not as exciting as the last time I was at 140: on the short straightaway of Pacific Raceways between turns 9 and 1. At least there wasn’t a 45° angle turn right ahead! But there was the AMG behind a vehicle as both were approaching a rolling hill.
Timing was such that I arrived on the scene just over the crest of the hill and flew by both vehicles, the AMG driver raising both his arms in the air as I did. He took off behind me and we sailed at 145 for some time. The winery approached so we pulled in. Alone. No other SLKs in sight. We waited.
The group finally arrived and the buzz started. “How fast were you going when you flew by?” they wanted to know. “155,” the AMG driver said, “it governed me”. When he hit 157 he felt a vibration when the ref limiter kicked in and decided 155 was his safe cruising speed.... I’ve been called many things in my life but ‘Danica’ was a new one…. One 300/auto owner beamed, “I’ve never had it above 100 before so I took it up to 101mph”. Everyone had their opportunity to push it in ideal conditions while remaining in their own comfort zone.
Next we took a more controlled drive along a scenic river, returned to the winery to do some sampling and then, joy of joys, got to do it all over again! As we left the winery, I was across the highway taking photos of the group as they exited the beautiful entrance gate and sign. Everyone took off, I snapped a pic of my beauty by the sign, hopped in my 350 and got to play catch up! Wow! Doesn’t get much more fun than that!
AMG was at the front of the pack and it wasn’t long before I caught sight of him. I poured it on. I was going to see what a 350 was governed at. We’re on the last flat straightaway of the plateau and I’m hugging his bumper doing 160. But I have to keep letting up. [Strange feeling I might add: putting the pedal to the metal, yet not going any faster, and when I did let up it continued at 160. I had to let up even more to get it to settle down.]
“So, why do I have to keep letting up with a 55 in front of me?” I wonder with the miles flying by us.
“Is he vibrating at 157 again?” I’m as smooth at 160 as I was at 145 as I was at 80.
“Am I governed a few miles faster because I have a manual?” 160 is 6000rpm in 6th gear and I redline at 6400. But, he has 7 gears…
“Now’s my opportunity to find out!” I pull out and pass a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG55 doing 160 – pedal to the metal – on a warm sunny Sunday morning in June!
Epilogue
I hopped out at the meet point and eagerly asked AMG driver, “were you letting up when I went by? Were you vibrating again? What rpms were you at? I was smooth at 160…” He told me he had let up, he didn’t feel the need to cruise that fast that long. He didn’t look at his rpms.
So. We’re both governed at 160mph.
I knew I couldn’t do much more anyway – when you hit the redline in a manual it shuts down, releases the clutch. A guy in the group says when he’s in his auto, shifting manually and hits the redline the car takes over and shifts into the next highest gear. Hence, manual drivers are continually looking at rmps while racing and auto guys don’t need to…
Noteworthy
The first time I hit 120mph in my little SLK230k manual in the middle of Montana I was amazed at how smooth the ride was. It felt no different than 70 on the freeway. Only motion was pavement imperfections. When I hit 160 last weekend I recall looking at the speedometer to convince myself I was actually traveling that fast. It sat down, hugged the road, was tight and responsive. These automobiles are perfection on the road, on the right road! The only negative I can see would be the false sense of confidence it may give someone with little or no training…
Reflection
I never got the opportunity to start side by side with the AMG. In previous runs following another SLK AMG55 from a stop I was unable to drive flat out in the lower gears, 1-4. Assuming she was flooring it (and that’s a pretty safe assumption with her) I always had to let up and wait for her car to shift. I suspect the autos shift up at lower rpms than I take my manual which is right up to redline. She did, of course, pull away in the higher gears at higher rpms because of her brute hp.
I’m not a need-for-speed-girl. I get no exhilaration going fast on straight flat roads. I get my adrenaline pumping when going fast around corners. Skill and car performance figure into it. You know those orange diamond signs on roads and highways? The ones with a bending arrow and a suggested speed? Do you realize your SLK can safely take any of those corners at twice the posted speed, given correct weather/pavement conditions...? So, anyway, after this run I will chuck this adventure up to “Been There Done That”.
Were this an actual encounter, these might be the two SLKs who shared this experience.
Ten shiny SLKs had an exceptional opportunity last weekend on our run to Eastern Washington with warm sunny skies and an optimal road... Everyone got to push their own limit no matter what that may previously have been…
At the driver’s meeting before taking off for an afternoon of spirited driving and wine tasting, our tour leader explained we were about to partake a rare opportunity for some ideal driving conditions. We would encounter a remote plateau in E WA with a 25 mile stretch of newly paved road, straight, primarily flat, farm land, with very few side approach roads, on a warm and sunny Sunday morning. J! Everyone was to travel at their own comfort level speed to arrive at our first winery of the day – we couldn’t miss it as it was the only establishment on this road. We would regroup there when the last SLK arrived.
At the top of the plateau our leader got us up to 105mph. I was in second position enjoying the warm summer breeze top down, windows down. A motion in my side rear view mirror caused me to look and see an AMG55 approaching from behind at autobahn speeds, his hat removed and his hair flying straight out behind him! He flew on past the leader (who later reported he felt a ‘quake’ in the air as he passed) still picking up speed and was gone!
“Why didn’t I think of that?” popped into my mind as I downshifted my 350 manual and took off after him. He was but a teal spot in the road ahead when I hit 145mph. Not being a need-for-speed person on straightaways, I thought this was an okay cruising speed, but not as exciting as the last time I was at 140: on the short straightaway of Pacific Raceways between turns 9 and 1. At least there wasn’t a 45° angle turn right ahead! But there was the AMG behind a vehicle as both were approaching a rolling hill.
Timing was such that I arrived on the scene just over the crest of the hill and flew by both vehicles, the AMG driver raising both his arms in the air as I did. He took off behind me and we sailed at 145 for some time. The winery approached so we pulled in. Alone. No other SLKs in sight. We waited.
The group finally arrived and the buzz started. “How fast were you going when you flew by?” they wanted to know. “155,” the AMG driver said, “it governed me”. When he hit 157 he felt a vibration when the ref limiter kicked in and decided 155 was his safe cruising speed.... I’ve been called many things in my life but ‘Danica’ was a new one…. One 300/auto owner beamed, “I’ve never had it above 100 before so I took it up to 101mph”. Everyone had their opportunity to push it in ideal conditions while remaining in their own comfort zone.
Next we took a more controlled drive along a scenic river, returned to the winery to do some sampling and then, joy of joys, got to do it all over again! As we left the winery, I was across the highway taking photos of the group as they exited the beautiful entrance gate and sign. Everyone took off, I snapped a pic of my beauty by the sign, hopped in my 350 and got to play catch up! Wow! Doesn’t get much more fun than that!
AMG was at the front of the pack and it wasn’t long before I caught sight of him. I poured it on. I was going to see what a 350 was governed at. We’re on the last flat straightaway of the plateau and I’m hugging his bumper doing 160. But I have to keep letting up. [Strange feeling I might add: putting the pedal to the metal, yet not going any faster, and when I did let up it continued at 160. I had to let up even more to get it to settle down.]
“So, why do I have to keep letting up with a 55 in front of me?” I wonder with the miles flying by us.
“Is he vibrating at 157 again?” I’m as smooth at 160 as I was at 145 as I was at 80.
“Am I governed a few miles faster because I have a manual?” 160 is 6000rpm in 6th gear and I redline at 6400. But, he has 7 gears…
“Now’s my opportunity to find out!” I pull out and pass a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG55 doing 160 – pedal to the metal – on a warm sunny Sunday morning in June!
Epilogue
I hopped out at the meet point and eagerly asked AMG driver, “were you letting up when I went by? Were you vibrating again? What rpms were you at? I was smooth at 160…” He told me he had let up, he didn’t feel the need to cruise that fast that long. He didn’t look at his rpms.
So. We’re both governed at 160mph.
I knew I couldn’t do much more anyway – when you hit the redline in a manual it shuts down, releases the clutch. A guy in the group says when he’s in his auto, shifting manually and hits the redline the car takes over and shifts into the next highest gear. Hence, manual drivers are continually looking at rmps while racing and auto guys don’t need to…
Noteworthy
The first time I hit 120mph in my little SLK230k manual in the middle of Montana I was amazed at how smooth the ride was. It felt no different than 70 on the freeway. Only motion was pavement imperfections. When I hit 160 last weekend I recall looking at the speedometer to convince myself I was actually traveling that fast. It sat down, hugged the road, was tight and responsive. These automobiles are perfection on the road, on the right road! The only negative I can see would be the false sense of confidence it may give someone with little or no training…
Reflection
I never got the opportunity to start side by side with the AMG. In previous runs following another SLK AMG55 from a stop I was unable to drive flat out in the lower gears, 1-4. Assuming she was flooring it (and that’s a pretty safe assumption with her) I always had to let up and wait for her car to shift. I suspect the autos shift up at lower rpms than I take my manual which is right up to redline. She did, of course, pull away in the higher gears at higher rpms because of her brute hp.
I’m not a need-for-speed-girl. I get no exhilaration going fast on straight flat roads. I get my adrenaline pumping when going fast around corners. Skill and car performance figure into it. You know those orange diamond signs on roads and highways? The ones with a bending arrow and a suggested speed? Do you realize your SLK can safely take any of those corners at twice the posted speed, given correct weather/pavement conditions...? So, anyway, after this run I will chuck this adventure up to “Been There Done That”.
Were this an actual encounter, these might be the two SLKs who shared this experience.