Okay, this isn't a kill or a death, but funny story anyway.

So I'm driving to work. It's early, no traffic. It rained a few hours ago, and the roads are still wet. Four-lane road (two each way), 45mph limit. I pull up to a light behind a relatively new E55 AMG.

Now, I know those things have 469hp and run the quarter in mid-12's, but I'm always ready to play around a little, so I buzz by him, choosing lower gears than necessary so that he's sure to notice me.

He doesn't bite. But I pull up to another light, and he pulls up next to me. He rolls his window down, so I roll mine down. He's about 60 years old and wearing a green John Deere baseball cap. I like him already.

"I got a hundred dollars," he says. This is the first time I've ever had somebody offer to put money on a race against me, but this guy obviously new what he had. On dry pavement, I think I might have gotten a jump on him thanks to the whole LRA vs IRS thing, but he would have smoked me once we got rolling, and I didn't think he was putting his $100 on a 30-foot race. Besides, getting traction would have been a bitch on the wet asphalt.

"I don't. You'd smoke me anyway." He laughs and rolls up his window.

Anyway, I enjoyed the encounter, and I hope I run across this guy again after $20,000 falls out of the sky and my wife magically lets me spend it on the car.

 

haha....nice....

was he cocky about it...or just kindda joking

as for the $20k

baby steps...baby steps....the shift stick is in the mail.

 

I think he was serious about betting $100 on the race. In a $90,000 car, I'm sure he could afford to lose it, and he was making a pretty good bet anyway.

He seemed sure of himself, but not cocky. Know what I mean?

Incidentally, this was my first non-dragstrip encounter with a car that was faster than mine. I kinda wish we had raced (but not for the money).

Looking forward to getting that short stick. I'll be putting it in my sig -- would you like credit? (see below)

 

its a nice car dont get me wrong, but mid 12's for $90k i wouldnt be cocky at all. so many lightly modded cars can toast that since the main demographic that is buying that car isnt going to mod it. id run him for the hundred, if i lost, i lose a $100, if i win, i get the money and the satisfaction of a obsolete car beating his $90k toy

 

Got to give the guy credit he willing to race it. Most people that get cars like that are "above" racing, especially a lowly camaro.

 

Exactly. Especially an old guy.

 

Good story, a kill without a death!

 

I almost said something to him along the lines of, "If I wanted to waste my money, I would have bought one of those."

I'd like to see him try it with that SRT-10 Viper coupe I've seen rolling around town.

 

You have to be careful. I have an acquaintance in Tallahassee that drives a black AMG E55. You'd think nothing of it driving past, however, it is a solid low 11 second ride with a 10.95 @ 131 best. It catches quite a few people by surprise

Here's a link to his best run in Valdosta: http://www.dragtimes.com/2005-Merced...deos-5127.html

He's a lobbyist and apparently has alot of money to spend, his other toy is a Noble.

Marty

 

Have to give props to you both, should have asked to run for fun. They are a nice car and to those that can afford to mod them they are very quick for a four door. I think Treynor went low 11's with a modded sl65. I saw the video that he posted at the track with the track offical telling him that he couldn't run any lower then an 11.5 or they would through him off.

 

As a Benz tech I get to drive some AMG stuff from time to time. The E55's are impressive. One time a couple of techs end up at a red light, one in an E55 the other in a CL65. (CL65=twin turbo V-12, over 500HP and over 600 lb/ft of torque). The E55 put a couple of lenths on the CL, but once the CL got traction it flew by the E55 like it was standing still. Those V-12's are amazing. It feels like you got rear ended by a freight train. You can't hear anything and barly feel it shift, it is just smooth pull that never seems to stop.