Categories
Luxury Performance

2013 Mercedes SL63 AMG: Subtle Changes Matter

LOCATION SPOTTED: Towd Point (Southampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED:  North Sea (Southampton)

Those who have read my first posting, the one about the redesigned SL550, will know that I criticized it for it’s bloated styling and numb handling characteristics. However, history does seem to repeat itself, and whenever AMG (Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach) tuning company gets their hands on a Mercedes product, whatever negative qualities the car may have had, go away.

This SL63, especially in this color combination with large 20 in wheels, looks so much more purposeful than its lesser 550 sibling. AMG replaces or modifies the suspension, brakes, steering, and most importantly the engine. In fact, the engine is easily the most impressive part of this new edition to the AMG line.

This car comes standard with about 530 horsepower and 590 lb ft, very very impressive that’s more torque than the Camaro ZL1 muscle car. Now, if you want to occupy the very highest performance level in an SL63, than spec the AMG Performance Pack. This package costs around $9,000, and for that AMG will give you a whole new engine, that’s right, they give you an engine with lighter pistons made from forged magnesium to produce 30 more horsepower. Moreover, AMG engineers re-map the turbo pressure to deliver an almost catastrophic 660 lb ft of torque (155 more than a BMW M6).

Sure, this car is fast and incredibly capable on the racetrack, but in the same sense that this car is Bi-Turbocharged, it’s also Bi-Polar. It is very docile and easy to drive around in town and comes with every conceivable luxury feature anyone would expect from a high-end Mercedes. That’s the beauty of this car and all other AMG products (except for the C63, and Black Series models ), they can be very luxurious and very sporty at the same time. This combination of comfort and performance even helps non-car enthusiasts see the brighter side of performance versions of various automobiles. That’s why nearly 30 percent of all Mercedes sold are AMG versions.

Categories
Exotic

2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder: Only 333 produced!! Ultimate R8

LOCATION SPOTTED: Sebonac Country Club (Southampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Sebonac Country Club (Southampton)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 3.6 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: 102 feet
  • Quarter Mile: 11.5 sec
  • Slalom: 74.9 mph
  • Skidpad: 1.00 g

Spotted by absolute coincidence at Sebonac Country Club, is a car that is as amazing as it’s abilities are at carrying golf clubs. This car is also exceedingly rare, with only 333 examples to ever be produced and only 90 of them to be slated for sale in the U.S., this car is hands down the rarest Audi currently sold in North America.

The GT package on this R8 bumps the horsepower from 525 to 552 and replaces much of the front and rear air diffusers with carbon fiber for super-lightness. More weight-saving measures went into the seats by replacing virtually ALL of the moving parts and power functions, so yes they are (probably) not so comfortable, but who cares? This is a super-car  that is taken to a whole new level of performance with little to no factors that inhibit outright capability on the road and the track. In fact this car is a full 220 lbs lighter than the “regular” R8 V10. 3770 lbs is pretty damn light for a car that is burdened with the weight of the heavy Quattro 4×4 system.

In essence the Audi R8 GT Spyder is truly pushing the envelope of what an Audi sports car can be. The real question is; “Why for $210,000, wouldn’t someone just buy a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder?” Ok, the Lambo is still $15,000 more expensive, but still this Audi is very close in price to its Italian sister. The REAL reason why someone would buy the R8 GT Spyder over the Gallardo, weirdly, is because the Audi is more exclusive. Never thought I would say that about an Audi and a Lamborghini.

Categories
Performance

Meisterchaft Exhaust on 2008 BMW X5 4.8: Rare Combo-LOUD

LOCATION SPOTTED: K-Mart (Bridgehampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: K-Mart (Bridgehampton)

What you see in this picture is not just an ordinary BMW X5 4.8, it is paired with a very unique quad exhaust system manufactured by Meisterschaft. Most people are quite un-aware of how limiting factory exhausts are to both the economy and the power of an engine. It is a breath of fresh air to know that their are at least few enthusiasts who actually go to the trouble and install modifications to their vehicles. Meisterschaft makes some of the best exhaust systems for BMWs and Audis alike too. This combo of naturally aspirated V8 and performance exhaust is a really awesome sounding symphony of power and volume. Nice. Too bad he/she doesn’t keep their car clean 🙁

Categories
Luxury

2012 Rolls Royce Ghost: A BMW 760Li in Disguise

LOCATION SPOTTED: HESS FUEL STATION (Wainscott)
LOCATION SPOTTED: HESS FUEL STATION (Wainscott)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 4.8 sec
  • Braking: 60 to 0: 124 feet
  • Quarter Mile: 13.2 sec
  • Slalom: 66.4 mph
  • Skid-pad: 0.86 g

The Rolls Royce Ghost does have huge presence on the road (or indeed in the HESS parking lot). However, when you peel back its stunning sheet-metal and find out what’s underneath, you will be much less impressed. Well, actually the car that lies beneath this one is still mighty impressive, the BMW 760Li, a $139,000 super-sedan. The one thing that I can’t seem to justify, is spending $250,000 on a Rolls Royce that shares a ton of components with a BMW that costs a $100,000 less.

The whole point of a Rolls Royce is that it is supposed to be a completely bespoke, handmade car. The bigger, more expensive Rolls Royce Phantom (MSRP $382,000) is just that. It features a much more impressive interior and a completely original chasis, engine and original sheetmetal that is different from any and every other production car.

Are there good things about the Rolls Royce Ghost? Yes. The Ghost shares its powerplant with the 760Li, it’s been bored out to 6.6 liters up from 6.0, making 565 horsepower. So yes, it is way faster than the Phantom. It is also much smaller and therefore much sportier and, unsurprisingly, it handles like a BMW 760Li, oooooooh wow shocker!

I think that the Rolls Royce Ghost misses the mark of what a Rolls Royce should be. It should be relaxed, comfortable, and suprememly luxurious. The Ghost is all of those things, but it has a hard, high-performance nature about it that holds it back from being a true Rolls Royce. All it is, is a dressed up BMW 760Li.