Eunos Cosmo's Car Thread: Roadster Dreaming

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eunos_Cosmo
  • 187 comments
  • 44,957 views
INEEDNAWZZZ
Weirdly, I’ve been using cycling as my primary way of getting around, meaning I’ve been toying with buying a slightly silly car that I wouldn’t need to drive daily; the SLK was on my hit list after rewatching that TG review as well, funnily enough.

Sure, it’s not razor sharp or anything (especially compared to a Porsche of a similar vintage, hell, maybe not even a Z4) but for putting the roof down and hearing V8 noises, I think it just makes up for all of that in character. Even the yearly maintenance costs don’t seem that bad, and they generally appear to be mostly problem free, probably owing to them being relatively simple compared to the rest of the AMG line up at the time.
Click to expand...
While having a razor sharp sports car is genuinely fun sometimes...I don't find that the optimal circumstances for that kind of driving happen very often...even living in a place with a ton of amazing driving roads. I find myself wishing I had something a little more long-legged with more of a characterful 'main event' engine. I'm not going to go careening down highway 9 like I'm trying to LARP initial D...it's not worth it. In that light, the SLK makes so much sense. Still plenty capable in the corners (it's not a Dodge Challenger) but equally at home on the freeway blasting over to Tahoe or down to LA with a trunk full of luggage.

Almost all of my desire hinges around the fact that this is the final evolution of the M113 V8, which even from the beginning was an overbuilt motor, and I've heard they can last 300k+ miles without much trouble. The gearboxes are more sensitive. Still strong - but they require a service every 40k miles. The rest is pretty simple honestly...nothing like an SL or S Class. The convertible part to me is neither here nor there. Despite living in CA I rarely use my own softop, so the fact that the SLK can go top down is fine but neither a benefit nor detriment IMO. I can tell you that the V8 sounds amazing and all-enveloping, even roof up.

If I had to rank my favorite Mercedes Benzes, it would go:
Mercedes SLR Mclaren
Mercedes SLS AMG
Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series
Mercedes SLK55 AMG

The ones above the SLK on the list start at $100k...if you're lucky. The fact that my 4th favorite can be had for 25k in terrific shape is a huge part of the appeal.
 
I had an AMG S55 until a flood took it from me, and I DO miss that engine!!!! Car had lots of problems, though, with the hydraulic suspension, the air system for the seats, and the A/C died a few week before the flood, so the insurance money was actually a really nice bailout!!!

But that MOTOR!!!!
 
Last edited:
Tornado
I will say that it could be entirely possible that I've been researching potential Ryoko IIs and there may very well be plug and play solutions to the hopelessly outdated infotainment and it may also be possible to shove 245s/275s under the notoriously undertired chassis.


You know, if I had been theoretically been looking myself. And can keep from finally just buying a C5.
Click to expand...
A C5 (Z06) is probably a more reliable way to achieve the same kind of built around the motor experience...but I just can't bring myself to own a late model Corvette
wfooshee
I had an AMG S55 until a flood took it from me, and I DO miss that engine!!!! Car had lots of problems, though, with the hydraulic suspension, the air system for the seats, and the A/C died a few week before the flood, so the insurance money was actually a really nice bailout!!!

But that MOTOR!!!!
Click to expand...
Yeah now just imagine the S55 with almost 1000lbs less weight and significantly more aggressive gearing

S55: 3.59:1, 2.19:1, 1.41:1, 1.00:1, 0.83:1, :1. final drive, 2.82:1
SLK55: 4.38:1, 2.86:1, 1.92:1, 1.37:1, 1.00:1, 0.82:1, 0.73:1. final drive, 3.06:1

First gear torque / weight ratios:
S55: 0.94lbs-ft of torque per lb
SLK55: 1.55lbs-ft of torque per lb

For reference a C6 Z06 Corvette with the LS7 has 1.35lbs-ft of torque per lb in first gear. So the SLK55 has a better peak torque to weight ratio in the first two gears than a C6 Z06...no wonder it felt like such a rocketship. If you've never driven or ridden in one, the C6 Z06 is an absolute monster and definitely faster than an SLK but the above math implies that the SLK would have a higher peak acceleration force, provided traction is not a problem.

I need to put together a graphic spectrum of acceleration based on the above method - the butt feel spectrum. One thing thats interesting is that higher hp cars tend to have longer gearing, so while they definitely get faster, they don't necessarily feel faster because the of the gearing and also typically the weight.

<0.75lbs-ft / pound - Slow
0.75-0.89lbs-ft / pound - First gen BRZ. Feeble
0.90-0.99lbs-ft / pound - ND MX-5. Brisk
1.00-1.09lbs-ft / pound - Second gen BRZ. Quick
1.10-1.34lbs-ft / pound - 370z, E46 M3. Fast
1.35-1.59lbs-ft / pound - C6 Z06, F40, SLK55. Savage
1.60lbs-ft / pound + - Challenger Hellcat. Painful

edit: just realized that @wfooshee had a 2003 which was the supercharged M113. Probably a good bit closer to the SLK, but I think those still had the 5 speed.
 
Last edited:
So I found another, much cleaner SLK55. Price is on the higher end of the spectrum for the amount of miles it has. I went to look at it yesterday. It was indeed clean and ran really well...butttt the accident damage was noticeable, a few of the body panels were just off. If the car was in the 16-18k range, I would find that acceptable...but not at a price where many of them are landing in showroom condition on BAT. I should have expected there to be issues at this kind of buy-here-pay-here used car lot - I just don't trust these places. I think the only way to get a really clean SLK is going to be the BAT route or Mercedes club private seller or something.

If I can't find one that meets my standards (no accidents, <70k miles) I think might just get an ND1 MX-5 and put a Flyin' Miata supercharger on it.
 
Last edited:
Well...I actually bid on this one, but circumstances weren't good for me to get in it to win it when it really kicked off. Sadly this one (in my ideal color combo) slipped away...

bringatrailer.com

46k-Mile 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

Bid for the chance to own a 46k-Mile 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #182,827.
bringatrailer.com bringatrailer.com
 
So life keeps going and yet I still haven't bought a new car. I'm very picky on both what I want and what I want to spend. I've decided against the R171 SLK55 because they are just too old at this point, and finding a clean one is just about impossible. The R172.1/R172.2 just don't appeal to me. I've also pivoted away from buying an EV after driving 3 of them and being underwhelmed by the experience. I drove:

Mini Cooper SE
Hyundai Ioniq6 SEL
Polestar 2

They were all fine. Well, maybe not quite the Mini, it just wasn't very good. Actually I didn't like the Polestar either. But the Hyundai was just fine. The problem is that just fine is a good place to be for a daily driven appliance, and if I actually needed something like that, I feel like it would almost be a no-brainer. The thing is though, is that I don't need a car basically at all. I bike or use public transit for most weekday trips, and I have the CR-V for basically everything else. I do need a car other than the CR-V every now and then, but buying an appliance for extremely occasional use just doesn't make any sense. I'm effectively wanting to replace the Boxster with something newer that does what the Boxster does (but with a touch more refinement and a lot less "what was that noise?), but I don't want another Boxster at this point.

So the criteria has shifted to a vehicle that excels at:

Being an object that I want - Design has to be an integral part of it
All-around capability & performance - I'm not LARPing as a touge champion, I don't need a focused weapon
Quality, refinement, reliability - Not looking for a project or a bag of bolts
Maturity - As special as the BRZ/GR86 is, it just looks like a car for 23 year olds, not a car I would love meeting a client in
Comfort and road trip abilities
Availability under $35k with no stories

All of that landed me at 2 cars that were actually mostly the same:
BMW 230i (G42)
BMW Z4 30i (G29)
For both you get the fantastic B48 + ZF8 combination in a concise package with a great design and a great interior

I've driven them both and found them both to be excellent, but the Z4 definitely had a more emotional connection. The B48 isn't a musical instrument like the M96 in my Boxster is, but the performance is extremely good for a a 4 cylinder, and that engine seems to be damn near unkillable. I drove a 2020 Z4 last Saturday with 33k miles listed for 30k. It was at a reputable mainstream dealership, but the history report turned up some red flags so I decided to pass on it. What I really want is a 2025 in Sanremo Green, but those remain stubbornly expensive. My next preferred option would be black on tan. I could probably get an M240i in my price range, but the Z4 has this singular presence in person that I cant get over. It's a genuinely fantastic looking car (so glad BMW decided to go back to a softop with this generation) and absolutely nails my criteria - it's really in a niche of its own, which is grand touring roadster. I'm certain I could drive a Z4 all the way down to San Diego or up to Portland and I would be totally relaxed the whole way, and the trunk is actually big enough to make that a rational decision. There are more focused roadsters like the MX-5 and then there are bigger and more luxurious roadsters like the SL. For me the Z4 is the perfect mid-ground - it can light up a back road if you want (unlike an SL) but it can also just sit back and relax the rest of the time carrying you and your stuff in comfort on long trips (unlike an MX-5)

One thing I would have to do is get into the systems with bimmercode or similar app to disable the fake engine sound. It's absolutely heinous in sport mode and somehow makes the car feel slower, the synthesized sound is out of sync with the powerband or something. It's very distracting. For me the car sounds totally fine in comfort mode, and the turbo is surprisingly loud with the top down...which is fun.

Alternates: While an MX-5 Grand Touring is an appealing alternative (especially considering price) I don't feel they are good at long trips. I had a 124 Lusso in Hawaii and the seats do not fit me, there is basically zero cabin storage, and the trunk is too small for anything but one or two soft bags. A Jaguar F Type also fits the criteria but despite being objectively very pretty I just can't find myself wanting one, maybe they are a bit overstated whereas the Z4 is perfectly understated. I also don't think they are as well made as modern BMWs and clean ones don't seem to exist. A 981 Boxster checks a lot of/all the boxes too, but as I mentioned, I just want something different and I've never loved the 981, particularly the design of the rear end. A Jaguar XK 5.0L is an awesome car, but is too much on the GT/luxury side for me, and I didn't love the build quality. The Alfa Romeo Giulias, BMW 330is, Genesis G70s, etc of the world die by the same stroke the 230i does, they aren't special feeling enough.
 
Last edited:

Latest Posts

Back