Thom,

Kompressor means supercharger.

So, if you see a new E55 Kompressor, SL55 Kompressor, C320 Kompressor, or 560 SEC Kompressor, you should ease back and let the big dawg run.

[quote]Originally posted by Jim Nowak:
<strong>Thom,

Kompressor means supercharger.

So, if you see a new E55 Kompressor, SL55 Kompressor, C320 Kompressor, or 560 SEC Kompressor, you should ease back and let the big dawg run.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I would agree. There's some serious ponies waitin' to be unleashed under the hood of that car that has the 'kompressor' badge (if it's real).

I Can attest to the awesome torque of the C32 AMG Mercedes Benz. 332lb-ft of torque all the way up to 6100 rpms. With the enhanced tiptronic 5 speed automatic transmission which features a lock up torque converter, which locks up in all forward gears, you willnot have a problem running with the bigger boys. The transmission automatically downshifts when breaking preventing unwanted up shifts when cornering. It feels like your driving a manual transmission.

The 155 mph speed limited is only for US cars. Changing the EEPROM with a Euro model will allow you to reach almost 180 mph. With a chip and pulley modification the V6 AMG’s have been known to produce 414 horsepower.

<a href="http://www.competitionpress.com/covers/covshow.mv?coverid=cv32209cv73319cv45275" target="_blank">http://www.competitionpress.com/covers/covshow.mv?coverid=cv32209cv73319cv45275</a>


<a href="http://www.maybach.ru/en/reviews/amg_class.htm" target="_blank">http://www.maybach.ru/en/reviews/amg_class.htm</a>


<a href="http://www.mbnz.org/publications/pub.asp?id=68" target="_blank">http://www.mbnz.org/publications/pub.asp?id=68</a>


<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Then...
Mazda plans on dumping a non-pressurized RX-8 on us.
A 2+2, 1.3 liter rotary, 6spd manual, 250hp@8500, 162lb ft @7500.
0-60 in 6 sec
1/4 in 14.50 sec
this without any performance mods.
I think they come in yellow only the first year - pick your battles -.
Price $26,000 to $30.000 depending on option choices.
BTW it's supposed to handle as well!
Jay,
Go ahead and strike that AMG 500 from your X'mas list.
FWIW I want one too! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Saddened to see Scott C and others think I may be a troll...I'm new to this BBS thing so maybe I just don't sound very expert. But it's pretty easy to verify the existence of the new V8 Kompressor Mercs. Less easy to verify my existence as I'm not going to antagonise car manufacturers by giving this forum my opinions before publishing them in my magazine. (If an admin wants me to verify privately, I can.) I've also driven the Audi RS6 and it was wonderfully grippy and fast though not that much of a step on from the RS4, which I loved. This is a 928 forum and I should add - though I've never owned a 928, only driven friends' - that RS6, E55 and M5 are just not as downright satisfying to drive as a 928 GTS. Yeah, they're faster; and probably better; but more anodyne. I'd be first in line for a new GT Porsche. (If I could afford it.) And I'm still thinking about swapping my SL500 Merc for a 928 GTS!

Nothing personal Dr. D - it's just that the anonymous nature of your appearance here caused some to be skeptical.

Feel free to email me your credentials if you like. Click on the 'envelope/1 person' icon.

Dr D, I can see comparing a 1994 Porsche 928 GTS to a 2003 CL55 AMG Kompressor Mercedes on an academic level only. As a journalist, I could only hope that you would not be tiring to compare each of these models on any technical standpoint.

These two automobiles are alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy only!

But hey, since you brought it up, A CL55 that dies at 155 gives me hope

I recently returned from Germany, where I had the good fortune of owning, and using to its fullest, a 1985 Euro-spec 928 S.

After my wife, fortuitously as it turned out, rear-ended a cargo van in the rain, I had the opportunity, and the spousal-permission, to have the car tuned by Olivier Jacquemond.

Sometime after this, on a return trip from Grafenwoehr, I had the chance to play a little cat & mouse with an AMG CLK 55 while heading West on Autobahn 3.

You see, I was travelling in the fast lane cruising at about 105 mph, passing everybody as I usually did. When in noticed in my rear-view mirror behind me, the afforementioned car "flashing" me to move over.

I didn't much feel like moving over, as I was trying to make (another) trip without being passed once (a matter of some personal pride on some occasions).

Traffic was sparse, so instead I sped up.

So did he.

We both surged forward, not a drag-race really, but a steady-yet-quick acceleration between two powerful and fine Grand Touring automobiles.

Eventually, the road cleared entirely of all other traffic. On a three or four lane stretch of the highway, he assumed the left-most fast lane, and I the next one to the right.

For a time, we both accelerated steadily, neck and neck to about 135 mph - neither pulling significantly in front of the other. From that point, he began to slowly pull away from me.

I fell slightly back, to about two car-lengths behind. It was at this point, exactly on time at 155 mph, that the little Merc's speed-limiter kicked in. It looked as if the poor AMG had hit a brick wall! Still accelerating as I was, I flew past the guy and continued on to an indicated 168 mph (270 kph). I slowed down once I reached this mark, and smiled inwardly.

For, while that gentleman had purchased that shiny, white AMG uber-mobile for nigh-$70,000; I had paid but $3,750 (DM 8,000) for my Stuttgart-steed...

Now, who got the better deal, do you think?

-The 928 S

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by CMXXVIII S:
<strong>Now, who got the better deal, do you think?

-The 928 S</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Of course, his car was U.S Spec, and mine was not. He got to take his home with him, and I could not.

So I guess I answered my own question there...



-The 928 S

Last summer me and my wife was on a car vacation we drove from Sweden down to Italy/France. We drove through Germany. On autobahn following happened. I was in the left lane going 200-220 km/h (about 130 mph). A big black Mercedes caught up, I stepped on it. The speed went up to 280 km/h, he was still (close) behind me. I moved over to the right lane and he passed.

He gave me a look and it looked like he was impressed though. The car was a 600 S-classe, without the speed limiter and probably modified.

We were driving an 88 S4, I later traded it for a GT, havent tried it on the bahn, yet....

ED! PLEASE! SAY SOMETHING!

Two points from the peanut gallery:

What's all this about "enemy" and the like? We are all part of a group of automobile aficionados who have a similar appreciation for performance. Whether you drive a new $100K+ auto or a fine old classic like the 928, you must be able to admire each vehicle on its own merits. Of course, there are a few shallow souls who don't understand the big picture.

Since we're talking apples & oranges here... Driving skill has a lot to do with who smiles the widest after an encounter... Last month, some dummy raced me off the line in his new Kompressor two-seater coupe (I don't know which model this is, I didn't really notice because I didn't really care). We were both aiming for the same spot several hundred yards off, and there was only room for one of us. Unfortunately for him, the road was wet from a light shower earlier in the day... and I was driving my Acura MDX. He went sideways & I dusted him. (A more skillful driver would have known his limitations!)