When Is Too Much Power Too Much?

S65 AMG: When is too much power too much? But when is too much power actually, you know, too much? When it's the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, that's when. Don't get us wrong, we generally love what the AMG crew does to the buttoned-down machines of Mercedes-Benz. But enough is enough. To wit: should you floor the S65 without the traction and stability control on, you can expect to roast all the way through the tires, then the wheels, and finally through the brake rotors in about four seconds flat. There isn't a road surface or tire on earth that can properly harness the fusillade that comes down the S65's driveshaft. If by the grace of God you should manage to find a sliver of traction, you'd better have good insurance, because you're going to be heading sideways through the nearest roadside enchilada stand before you can even blink. And that's in second gear. With stability control engaged, you get a little tire chirp here, a little tire chirp there, and then you're on your way. 180K-plus sedan. You also haven't been able to drive your car at anything above three-tenths.

In 1954 BMW’s Board of Management was thinking of a new model, a sports flagship projecting a modern image for the brand. Hoffman encouraged Goertz to take up contact with BMW and recommended him to Munich. Goertz produced a sketch for an incredibly beautiful car and was commissioned to design the new sports model. 2 seater sports car was unveiled by BMW at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car was based on preliminary drafts prepared by Kurt Bredschneider. It was originally intended to feature a flamboyant shape incorporating rounded mudguards which would have emphasized its kinship with the BMW 502 sedan, but regulations concerning matters such as light positioning rendered such a form impractical. In retrospect, the more square cornered look of the car as it emerged with fully integrated wings may have been more in tune with future styling trends than the original proposal. In September 1957, the drivetrain was redesigned, with the transmission being bolted directly to the engine, as with the 507, and with the gear change being relocated from the steering column to the floor. Also presented at the 1955 Motor Show was the car’s sister model, the BMW 507, a two seater aluminium bodied roadster which we covered a few weeks ago in our blog. This car was targeting customers looking for more focused performance. Both would be overshadowed in the marketplace by headline grabbing sports cars from Mercedes Benz. Although the 503 outsold its sibling, sales volumes were dwarfed by those of the rivals from Stuttgart. At present, the BMW sports cars from the 1950s are much sought after by collectors and enthusiasts both on account of their inherent qualities and because of their rarity.

Before I continue to relate my experience of driving this mid-size luxury sedan, I must clarify a few principles I believe in when writing my personal comments on a car. Comments will include engine performance, comfort, handling and confidence in driving fast. Nobody can answer this question reliably unless he is the owner of the car for more than a year. Any cursory drive in a test car will unlikely give you complete answers. It is the same for a car, a short test drive and you come home ready to sign the cheque for its down payment. After you have had the opportunity to drive for a year or more then the truth is revealed. In isolation, the answer is yes. The V6 is creamy smooth. Build quality is excellent. Handling and ride comfort were decent. Acceleration is ‘moving’ enough. However, there are some serious irritations that needs ironing out - to me at least .

Why in the world did Lexus Malaysia’s GS300 come with ‘skimpy’ 225/50 R17 tyres? Mind you, this is a powerful car with 300Nm of torque. Because of these rather thin tyres, traction on corners was just not up to mark compared with the competition. Furthermore, I just did not have the confidence to drive fast as I was afraid I would have compromised stopping power… and that’s not that the brakes were poor. Worst still, road noise or tyre rumble was quite annoying and intrusive. 400k on a car, it would be crazy to have to change tyres immediately after you take it brand new from the showroom. I am a keen user of tiptronic - manual shift or whatever you call it. In a Mercedes-Benz or BMW, when you are in 'tiptronic' mode and you hit 6,000rpm, the computer will automatically upshift for you. 6000rpm soon. You know you have to upshift when you find the engine jerking due to engine power cut off. This is very dangerous as I found out unnervingly when I was trying to do a high speed lane change. I had suddenly lost power during this maneuver! Lastly I had my close friend of 20 years, Max, sitting at the rear…monitoring ride comfort during my drive. He commented that he felt ruffled and a little nauseated …likely caused by a little too much lurching and choppy movement from the rear suspension. This he did not feel in the Brabus CLS B7 or even my Brabus K4 (even during highly-engaging drives). So is this a good car to own? Lexus is still too ‘young’ in Malaysia’s market for me to make any valid comments. Factors like reliability, ease of service, costs of service, resale value, fuel consumption, and the snob factor are yet to be determined.