Today I met up with Vadim, and had the opportunity to ride in both his cars, and of course I had my E350 as well.
First of all, I was having fun throwing corners and turns in the canyons on my way there. I was hauling ass in the nice Cali weather and was testing the limits of my car. It sticks quite well, despite the understeer and body lean.
Then I went for a ride in Vadim's Porsche. I'm not sure how to compare it to the E class, since it's really not comparable. The car isn't too fast in a straight line, BUT it sticks like hell in turns. Coming from the E, my first reaction to the first corner he threw was we're going to understeer and slide over the edge (mountain road, no guardrail). The car handled the turn nicely without even a chirp, nor did it even step out an inch...front or back. A bunch of turns later I was simply amazed at the grip this car has and stopped wondering if we're going to fly off the edge. It's really something else, and the thrill of the canyons exaggerate the fun of course.
Now, the E55 is a brute monster, but I truly don't think any E class with be able to hang with the P at the limits though. The AMG pulls like hell, whereas the P just doesn't pull all that hard in 3rd gear and up. The AMG's advantage is its straight line performance, but in turns it's just too heavy...and its balance doesn't help it either.
Everyone should jump in Vadim's car and go for a ride at least once in their lifetime. Shit, the guy could sell the thrill rides and it'll be worth it. I could feel the G's in my chest right off the bat, more than some freakin rollercoasters. The car is crazy, but the driver is even crazier. The way he shifts makes the car sound like an SMG.
My E350 felt very mundane the rest of the time, but I tried to make the most of it. I see a Porsche weekend racer in my future.
First of all, I was having fun throwing corners and turns in the canyons on my way there. I was hauling ass in the nice Cali weather and was testing the limits of my car. It sticks quite well, despite the understeer and body lean.
Then I went for a ride in Vadim's Porsche. I'm not sure how to compare it to the E class, since it's really not comparable. The car isn't too fast in a straight line, BUT it sticks like hell in turns. Coming from the E, my first reaction to the first corner he threw was we're going to understeer and slide over the edge (mountain road, no guardrail). The car handled the turn nicely without even a chirp, nor did it even step out an inch...front or back. A bunch of turns later I was simply amazed at the grip this car has and stopped wondering if we're going to fly off the edge. It's really something else, and the thrill of the canyons exaggerate the fun of course.
Now, the E55 is a brute monster, but I truly don't think any E class with be able to hang with the P at the limits though. The AMG pulls like hell, whereas the P just doesn't pull all that hard in 3rd gear and up. The AMG's advantage is its straight line performance, but in turns it's just too heavy...and its balance doesn't help it either.
Everyone should jump in Vadim's car and go for a ride at least once in their lifetime. Shit, the guy could sell the thrill rides and it'll be worth it. I could feel the G's in my chest right off the bat, more than some freakin rollercoasters. The car is crazy, but the driver is even crazier. The way he shifts makes the car sound like an SMG.
My E350 felt very mundane the rest of the time, but I tried to make the most of it. I see a Porsche weekend racer in my future.
