As you might expect, I have not gone gently into the land of 4-door family cars. Big comfy kid-friendly commuter sedan, check. Slow and boring to drive -- never! As if my old Dinan BMW M5 wasn't enough (it wasn't), for 2003 Mercedes saw fit to shoehorn the twin-turbo 5.5L V12 from the Maybach into several of their lesser vehicles, including the S-class. Naturally, I just had to have one. A few select RENNtech modifications later, I had a real beast on my hands -- 650HP, pizza-sized brakes, 19" wheels with 295-series Pilot Sports -- but it's still comfortable and quiet and a pussycat to motor about town. I just have to make sure it's pointed in the right direction before nailing the "go" pedal...
Naturally, it's a hoot to take the S up to grudge night at the dragstrip. Here are a couple of timeslips (best ET and best MPH respectively) from such outings. There are some videos as well on my racing page.
Best ET (on drag radials):
Best MPH (on pilot sports):
... and here's why:
