Mercedes' New R8 Rival - Geneva Showing

[Street_Dreamer]

Originally Posted by aiasib

yeah

it'll have crap 0-60
it'll weigh two tons
but it'll sound GREAT

Yeh, because all Mercs have really crap 0-60 times... You know, because they all outpace their M-Sport rivals... Yeh, i didn't think a CL getting to 60 in 4.5 seconds was that impressive either

Also, the SLR was 1700kg. I expect this to be much closer to 1500, probably less... It won't use as much carbonfibre, but there will be fewer materials (less metal to use) and i'm pretty sure Merc have learnt from their mistakes...

[clutch-monkey]

assuming it will be business as usual with mercedes, this will be a heavy, inferior, unreliable, tank?
just stick the 6.2L V8 in the SLK, i say

[Street_Dreamer]

Originally Posted by clutch-monkey

assuming it will be business as usual with mercedes, this will be a heavy, inferior, unreliable, tank?
just stick the 6.2L V8 in the SLK, i say

1) Mercedes' regaining reliability form has been heavily publicised. Ditching of unreliable technologies, putting them together again etc...
2) I wouldn't say most cars are heavy or inferior. Their newest car is leading its group according to some magazines, with others still choosing the 3er, it just depends on taste. S-Class is class leading. CL is as well. Judging by recent form, this car should be pretty good to drive, more R8 than 911... Will be comfy but also a great drivers car, not on and out drivers machine...
3) Some guy stuck the SLR engine in his SLK and it out-accelerated an Enzo, you can search on YouTube...

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

1) Mercedes' regaining reliability form has been heavily publicised. Ditching of unreliable technologies, putting them together again etc...

i still don't trust them

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

2) I wouldn't say most cars are heavy or inferior.

for a sedan i agree, but i mean for this type of purpose.

[Ferrer]

300 SL Gullwing > This thing.

[NSXType-R]

Originally Posted by dydzi

it's not a two-seater mid-engined exotic

when somebody says HWA, CLK GTR is the first thing that comes to my mind...

Point taken.

Wow, my jaw dropped. The CLK GTR was their doing? Then this should be along the same lines. Can't wait.

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

Early March - generally the first 2 weeks...

That's over a year away.

[cmcpokey]

Originally Posted by NSXType-R

That's over a year away.

What are you talking about???

[F1_Master]

Originally Posted by Street_Dreamer

3) Some guy stuck the SLR engine in his SLK and it out-accelerated an Enzo, you can search on YouTube...

That would be Dubai, and with the sheer absence of weight and the huge power of that engine, I would highly expect it'd out accelerate an Enzo.

But that's also a modification, and really means diddly to Ferrari.

[NSXType-R]

Originally Posted by cmcpokey

What are you talking about???

The supposed unveiling of the R8 rival. Sorry, I was a bit ambiguous.

[cmcpokey]

right... march. 9 months away. not more than a year. that would imply it was february.

[NSXType-R]

My bad.

It's still a long time away.

[Turbo.Jenkens]

Great news!! A little to far out to do much more than speculate, but i will any ways.
Worst case scenario: another behemoth that will embarrass anything in a straight line but sucks it up in the curves.

Best case scenario: A light weight ( at least by Mercedes standards) nimble performance machine that represents Mercedes return to sports car racing. ( probably a little to optimistic)

[Ingolstadt]

Speaking of it, I saw this yesterday night. I was shocked!

[NicFromLA]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

It hasn't been presented yet and I already don't like it...

I agree. Wasn't the SLR supposed to do that?

[LandQuail]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

300 SL Gullwing > This thing.

That is very, very, very true, as are the following:

Peanut Butter > Jam
Jean-Claude Van Damme > Dolph Lundren
Fish > Chips
Left Ball > Right Ball

And, lest we forget, Hugh Hefner > Paris Hilton.

I add the last one because Hugh famously held on to his 300SL Roadster, which one of his "playmates" almost as famously ran aground on their ridiculous little show.
To compare, Paris Hilton is the most famous Macca-Merc SLR pilot I'm aware of, though she prefers the Bentley for drinky-missions.

Merc learned their lesson from the SLR. It was a car straight from the "from the same people who brought you the square coffee mug" school of thought— the answer to a question nobody asked. Who wants a deeply focused, track oriented boulevard cruiser?; with a bruiser's engine and automatic tranny no less?

Gordon Murray did what he could for the project, so I respect the car for the level of engineering that's surely hiding beneath that phallic bonnet; but really, I mean, really? What's the point.

Merc's next halo model, the Quail predicts, will look something like Lexus's movie-car concept made famous in that forgetable Tom Cruise film, or Will Smith's dubious ball-wheeled Audi in I-****ing-Robot.

And it'll be brilliant.