Your "Professional" Mercedes driving instructor...

[jason at scirocco.org (Jason)]

At 09:40 AM 5/22/2003, Neal Tovsen wrote:
>A couple weeks ago, my autocross region was asked if
>any of us would like to be driving instrctors for an
>event put on by the AMG performance car division of
>Mercedes. They even offered to give us a hotel room
>and pay us! I got to drive all the different AMG
>Mercedes, but I spent most of my time running around
>the Daytona speedway in one of these:
>
>http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=1844
>
>(BTW, according to the information I was given, the
>car has about 30 more horsepower for 2004)

That would be the twin-turbo V12 SL600.  Mercedes is outta control with the 
power!  The old normally aspirated 389hp 48-valve V12 was fast as 
shit.  This is just ridiculous! :)

SL 600:
         5.5L Twin-Turbo 36V V12
         493 horsepower
         590 pound-feet of torque @ 1800rpm (!!!)
         Mfr Claim:  0-60 in 4.7s

SL55 AMG:
         5.5L Supercharged 24V V8
         493 horsepower also
         516 pound-feet of torque
         Mfr Claim:  0-60 in 4.7s

(The AMG gets to 60 in the same time despite the torque defecit by wearing 
a numerically higher final drive ratio).  And that's not a typo, they both 
have the same peak HP output.
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=6571&page_number=1

Insane, no?
Jason