I'm not sure if this is the proper place to post, but I am putting it here because of all the traffic to this forum.

Preface

I've owned my 996TT for about 18 months now and I love pretty much everything about it. That being said, I've always been really curious how the SL55 really stacks up against the TT. I've seen the comparison done on paper, and I've heard a few 6speed members talk briefly about their SL55s, but I've never heard an extended review/comparison. Since my dad just picked up a 2004 SL55 from Duane, I now have the opportunity to do such a write up. FYI, the SL55 in question has a Kleemann lowering module to aid in cornering & reducing drag.

Summary

Positives of the SL
- Endless Torque
- Very "Techy" compared to 996TT
- Retractable Hardtop; you get the best of both worlds
- An actual trunk when the top is up
- Air suspension means you can clear steep driveways

Negatives of the SL
- FAR too much torque for factory rubber
- TOO easy to break traction
- Literally no storage space with the top down
- "Disconnected" from the road

Write Up

I was very excited this weekend when I got a chance to take an extended drive in my dad's new SL55. I had driven it before, but only for a couple miles at a time. This time I took a roundtrip of around 80 miles, which included freeways, surface streets, hills, twisties, high speeds & traffic.

October 31st in Southern California - it was sunny & 74 degrees. Naturally, I put the top down and started on my way. Tooling around town, the SL is pretty docile much like the 996TT is. Once I hit the freeway onramp I decided to give the velocitator a little stretch and...WOW! I've read the numbers on paper, but this car could definitely give a stock 996TT a run for its money, if not beat it.

Fun as it was, I couldn't help but notice that I broke traction as I was turning onto the onramp and accelerating. I have taken the 996TT on that onramp hundreds of times at even faster speeds, and not once have I ever broken traction.

As I made my way down the 57, I made some pretty aggressive lane changes to see how the SL handled. While it executed the changes seemingly as well as the Turbo, I couldn't help but notice that I felt disconnected from the road. I didn't think much of this at the time, but in 20/20 hindsight I can see that this is very dangerous. I've already established that the rubber can't hold onto the road that well, and now I can't really feel the road. This could be very disastrous in a high adrenaline emergency situation.

After a couple interchanges, I got off the freeway in Newporsche Beach. Within minutes I encountered a Ferrari 355, a couple 996TTs, and about half a dozen 996 cabs. The drivers of the other cars were without exception middle aged males with hot blondes in the passenger seats. None of them wanted to tango with me. While I was a bit disappointed, it was probably for the better.

Since no one would go up against me, I just decided to have my own little test. I was at a stoplight at Newport Coast Dr & San Joaquin Hills. When the light turned my favorite shade of green, I punched the gas and....wha? What's that sound? I couldn't believe it - I was spinning rubber! I haven't done that for about 7 years. While it was kinda fun, it really underscored the poor grip that these Pirelli Rossos have on the asphalt. This kind of torque also means new rear tires every 5,000 miles or so.

After a bit more cruising, I took the car back on the freeway and found one of my favorite twisty interchanges. The SL handled the interchange at just a high of a speed as my Turbo, but it just didn't feel right. I felt like the car was driving me, not the other way around.

In conclusion, the SL55 is definitely a worthy competitor to the 996TT on the streets & freeways. Power is a non-issue; it has plenty. Handling seemed to perform as well as a stock Turbo, but without the Porsche "feel". I would own one, but I wouldn't pay more for it than a Turbo. The old addage still stands: Porsche. There is no substitute.

BTW, The first mod to the SL55 I would suggest is new rubber. Hell, if money were no object, this car would be perfect for Sport Cups...you'd just have to get new ones every 2,000 miles!

 

Great writeup... I haven't had the opportunity to drive the SL55, but I've been wondering if a trade from the TTCab should be considered. Sounds like no. Did you try the "shifting" with the clutchless shifter in the SL55 or did you just leave it in "D"? Is it even worth using the shifter?

 

all i got to say is make sure you break it in properly ... ive gone through 2 sl55 until i made the switch

 

OKH - ours was already "broken in" by Duane. The car has 7500 miles on it already.

I don't know if they put this on your 2 SL55s, but ours has a 4" x 3" clear label on the windshield that tells you what NOT to do for the first 1,000 miles. Basically it says:
-No Full Throttle
-No Kickdowns
-Don't exceed 85MPH
-Gradually increase engine load after 1,000 miles

Also, agreed that the shifter sucks.

 

"Disconnected" from the road That is why I sold my E55.

 

SL55 is a nice car, but a 996TT is soooo much better. Mercedes are luxury cars first, performance second.

I do intend to buy the CLS AMG55 when its out next year, as they say it does 0 - 60 in 4.6 seconds. Pretty fast for a luxury car.