Luxury rockets for hire
I was driving 120 mph in what I affectionately called “the Beast”: a $114,000 supercharged, 493-horsepower V-8 Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG five-passenger sedan. Behind me in the next lane was my friend Joel, trying to keep up in the Mercedes equivalent of a younger brother: a $54,000 C32 AMG sports sedan, packed with a supercharged, 349-horsepower V-6 and a hair’s breadth slower than the much bigger S55 -- but still ferociously fast.
AMG is a class of modified Mercedes-Benzes crafted by a small team of master mechanics in Germany who build each street-legal vehicle for speed. Other than the subtle AMG lettering on the trunk, there’s little warning about the great power waiting inside. AMGs cost 20% to 30% more than standard Mercedes models -- and they are rockets for hire.
Joel and I had been counting the days till we got our hands on these cars, like children waiting for Christmas presents. Although these 2003 model year AMGs were souped up for the American market -- capable of an electronically limited 155 mph -- they are best suited for the no-speed-limit wilds of the Autobahn.
Not being in Germany, however, we had plotted out an open road somewhere in the Southwest. When the AMGs arrived, we drove out to our spot -- and floored it.
The S55 is a dazzling machine: Its four exhausts, with the AMG logo engraved onto the chrome tips, create a wonderful throaty roar, much like the Mustang Steve McQueen drove in “Bullitt.” The car covers zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds -- that’s faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera -- yet it weighs 4,300 pounds, is nearly 17 feet long and holds five adults in remarkable, stretch-your-feet-out luxury.
The model I tested came with doodads including a GPS audio navigation system; cruise control that kept a pre-selected distance between me and the car in front; an audio system with 10 Bose speakers that rattled my rib cage; and front seats outfitted with heaters, massagers and a ventilation system. There also was a dashboard readout of current air pressure in each tire, a remote-controlled rear window sunscreen, an electric trunk closer, a sunroof and a cabin tastefully laid out in charcoal leather and burl walnut.
Traveling in the S55 creates a rare sensation of speed, luxury and vast space. The last time I had experienced this was when I was flying with an elderly citrus baron in Florida who owned 10,000 acres. When he flew over certain parts of the state, everything he saw out the window belonged to him. I sat in the copilot’s seat of his jet, and as we surged from zero to 150 mph on the runway I felt an instant, roller coaster rush, except we were on flat ground till the plane lifted off. Driving the Mercedes S55 AMG was something like that.
The S55 has both an automatic and a manual transmission. By pushing a button, I switched from a clutch-free, five-speed manual to a five-speed automatic. The automatic was the smoothest I had driven, with “comfort” or “sport” modes. The latter has quicker acceleration.
From a dead stop I floored the S55 and left Joel behind.
At third gear, the S55 was already roiling with speed, and then it gave the remarkable impression of afterburners kicking in, as the car went even faster without a pause. The transmission seamlessly tripped into fifth gear as the speedometer shot past 100. Yet the S55’s customized suspension and 18-inch, high-speed Bridgestones -- the rear tires are wider than those in the front to give the rear-wheel-drive AMG firmer footing -- made it feel as if I was barely doing 50.
Then I eased back and Joel shot past me in the C32.
After 30 minutes, we pulled off to the quiet side road where we had agreed to meet. We stepped out of the cars, giggling like teenagers at a party.
“We’re making really good time,” I said.
Joel, who had driven this route before, choked with laughter. “I’ve never gotten here this fast.”
We swapped keys. Joel warned me that the S55 was too fast for the C32, and he then proved it. On the return trip, he turned the Beast into a drag racer as I watched the gap between us increase.
Driving the C32 was a bit of a letdown. Slightly bigger than a Honda Civic, the C32 has two, not four, exhausts, and the engine purrs more than it roars. When I floored the C32, it seemed to pause a few nanoseconds in third gear before speeding up. Yet it still covers zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds -- a mere 0.3 seconds slower than the S55, and at less than half the price.
The C32 boasts many of the same luxuries: anti-skid brakes, front and rear door air bags, fog lights, sunroof and wider rear tires (17-inch Pirellis on the C32). The C32 we tested also came with 10 Bose speakers, leather seats (but no seat massagers), an AM-FM-CD system, an electric tilt-telescoping steering wheel, four cup holders (the Beast had five), a full-size spare tire and a first-aid kit. The transmission was a five-speed automatic (no manual mode). Cabin decor was leather and aluminum, instead of wood trim.
I had both cars for a week, and sitting at home seemed like a wasted opportunity. I’d take one AMG out for a drive, return it to the garage, then hop into the other. After plenty of city and freeway driving -- 80 mph in these cars is like jogging -- I clearly preferred the Beast. The S55’s handling is sure-footed and firm, and though not quite as precise as a Porsche zipping through S-curves, it was the best-handling large sedan I’ve driven.
AMG got its start in 1967 when two former Mercedes engineers, Hans- Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, set up a private business souping up Benzes in the German town of Grossaspach -- hence the AMG name. Soon their fast, well-crafted cars found a market worldwide.
Mercedes’ parent, DaimlerChrysler, bought AMG in 1999 and began spreading the hot rod design across the product line. Last year 19,000 AMGs were built, with 6,515 sold in the United States. Mercedes now offers nine AMG models -- two-seater roadsters, sedans, even an SUV -- and they compete primarily with BMW’s M Series.
Each AMG mechanic builds by hand two or three engine blocks a day, from the oil pan up to the cylinder head. Designers add beefier brakes, shocks and streamlined body panels for better aerodynamics. Crankshafts, cylinders, pistons and transmissions are all calibrated for higher performance. Sturdy sport seats are installed, and the steering wheel, speed shifter and leather are nonreflecting so drivers can avoid road glare. AMG parts are shipped to a bigger Mercedes plant for final assembly.
All AMGs are packed with extra horsepower. The 493 horsepower in the S55 compares with 302 in the similar-sized Mercedes S500 sedan, while the C32’s 349 horses dominate the C320 sedan’s 215. Each AMG engine has a medallion with the signature of the mechanic who built it: The S55 I drove was crafted by Sandro Petricca, the C32 by Florina Audija.
After a few days on the road I gave the S55 several “best of awards” from my highly unscientific survey, including best factory-installed sound system. Other bests:
* Great front seats. Electric controls move the seats up or down, fore and aft, change the angle of the backrest or seat bottom, as well as the height of the headrests, and tighten or loosen the seat backs to accommodate thin or plump drivers. Plus the seat warmers get toasty in three minutes.
* Race car-like transmission: The automatic handled gear changes faster than I could manually, and the clutch-less manual tranny was a delight. The gearshift knob doesn’t slide up or down; rather, you tap it right to upshift, left to downshift. There also are two manual gearshift buttons behind the steering wheel -- left button to upshift, right to downshift.
* Beautiful interior lights. The dash has marvelous white dials, set against a blue background, that automatically light up when it gets dark. Switches throughout the car are easy to spot, including a seat-shaped light on the passenger door with the menu of buttons logically laid out: The headrest button is on the top of the seat diagram and so forth.
* “Stars Wars” cruise control. A sensor tracks the distance between you and the vehicle in front. I set the speed at 80 mph and the space buffer at 150 feet and pulled into the passing lane. A Lincoln Navigator was loping along so the S55 gently braked to 58 mph to hold the 150-foot cushion. When I changed lanes, the road was clear and the Beast sped back to 80.
* Eye-catching GPS navigation system. Freeways, parkland, surface streets and country roads popped up on the color screen as I drove, while the direction, longitude and latitude were updated continuously. My wife, Vani, typed in our destination and turned on the audio switch, and an automated voice alerted us: “You will arrive at your intermediate destination in 200 feet.”
Other niceties: The digital speedometer works in reverse. I hit 22 mph backing up in an empty parking lot.
The S55 has some flaws: The cruise control stalk is too close to the turn signal switch, and several times I turned it on accidentally. The CD holder, which stores six discs, is inconveniently located in the trunk. And sorting out the array of cell phone, navigation, CD, radio, cooling system and other gadgets requires reading three owner’s manuals and a mind-numbing 642 pages.
My wife also asked: “Does this car come with a radar detector?” No, but it should.
Gas mileage was predictably poor. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the Beast at 14 miles per gallon city and 22 highway. I averaged about 13 mpg. Also, be prepared to pay a $1,700 gas guzzler tax.
My son Jann, 14, is counting the days till he can get a learner’s permit. After riding in both AMGs, he gave the S55 a perfect score of 10 and the C32 an 8.
I let several friends drive the cars, and the AMGs turned them into lead foots. One Sunday after church, my friend John took the S55 with his daughter Sarah for a spin high in the Santa Monica Mountains.
I sat in the back seat as he sped through two-lane roads and past desolate peaks on into Ventura County. Most of my notes are illegible because he was cornering so hard, but I managed to scribble these comments of John’s: “It’s too easy to go fast” and “I’ve never been in anything like this before.”
As our afternoon wound down and we descended in the S55 into Malibu, John asked: “Is there anything wrong with this car?”
Here’s something: I can’t afford one.
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(Begin Text of Infobox)
Two supercharged Benzes
2003 S55 AMG
Engine: supercharged, 493-horsepower V-8
Transmission: five-speed automatic, with a clutch-less five-speed manual mode
Acceleration: zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds
Wheelbase: 121.5 inches
Length: 203.1 inches
EPA fuel rating: 14 miles per gallon city, 22 highway
Price, base: $106,500.
Includes 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, front and rear door air bags, chrome sport exhausts, air conditioning, 10-speaker Bose audio system, GPS audio navigation system, CD system, electric tilt-telescoping steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power windows, electric sunroof, five cup holders, xenon headlamps
Price, as tested: $114,440.
Includes electronic truck closer ($470), electronic tire pressure monitor ($630), rear window sunscreens ($320), cruise control ($2,950), gas guzzler tax ($1,700), destination fees ($720)
2003 C32 AMG
Engine: supercharged, 349-horsepower V-6
Transmission: five-speed automatic
Acceleration: zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds
Wheelbase: 106.9 inches
Length: 178.2 inches
EPA fuel rating: 17 mpg city,
21 highway
Price, base: $50,400. Includes 17-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, front and rear door air bags, air conditioning, 10-speaker Bose audio system, AM-FM-CD system, electric tilt-telescoping steering wheel, leather seats, electric front seats, garage door opener
Price, as tested: $54,370.
Includes Motorola phone ($1,595), gas guzzler tax ($1,000), destination fees ($720)
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Barry Stavro is an editor in The Times’ Business section. He can be reached at barry.stavro@latimes.com.
