So this past Friday my father and I went to a small Mercedes get together at Great Lakes Dragaway in Wisconsin. My car is a 2003 E55 AMG with 125k miles, I am modified with Speedriven Tune, 175MM Crank Pulley, 82MM Throttle Body, Evosport Shortie Headers. This car ran a best time of 11.447@123.01 last year in 47 degree weather. My fathers car is a 2010 XKR with around 30,000 miles. Car is 100% stock besides Quicksilver Sport Exhaust. Car has Stock tune and stock pulleys.

Friday Results. Temp was around 78-81 degrees,Tires are E55-Michelin Pilot SS, XKR-Yokohama S-Drive
-1st Run E55-11.9@118.5 XKR-13.0@115
2nd Run E55-12.0@118 XKR-12.7@116
3rd Run E55 12.2@118 XKR 12.4@117.5

We both let the cars sit but he wanted more
His next 3 runs went 12.3@118, 12.3@118, 12.2@118 all back to back hot laps. His best was the 12.2, my best was my first run at 11.9 I couldn't get traction at all.


118mph on a stock XKR at 80 degrees, I couldnt believe it. His car smoked every NA 63 AMG stock or modified. There was 2 CLS63's, 2 C63's, he beat many modified E55's and, 2 CLS55's.

 

Yes, the XKR is an amazing car...

 

Having owned both (2005 E55, pulley, Renntech tune, etc.), I can say that the E55 is no joke! For a sedan of that vintage it remains a real threat to any RWD sedan, I miss mine, though the Tesla P85D scratches the 0-60 itch pretty well ;-)

My frustration with the XKR is that it feels insanely potent but it seems impossible to hook up. With t/c turned down wheel spin is a constant threat. Likewise, bogging down with it turned on. I guess too much torque is a problem in a RWD car that has the stiff suspension and shorter wheelbase of the XKR. The E55 was much easier to launch, and 0-60 times seemed much more in line with expectation.

Still love the XKR in almost all aspects, but the 0-60 times are one of the few frustrations.

Good to see the class Jag holing its own against modded E55's in the quarter though! Those modded blown AMG's are dangerously fast from a dig.

Skeeter