Car & Driver Jan 07, Airstream & Benz

[Karyn]

Car and Driver:

"One week with a 503-HP Benz, A 20-Foot Airstream, and 124 Sprint Cars Tearing up River Bottom Gumbo."

Car and Driver has great article with lots of photos, pages 114-120, in the January 07 issue. They have a ML63 AMG, towing a 20' Safari SE.

Fun article!

[skykingpilot]

Very cool! Will pick it up. Thanks for the post!

[moosetags]

I gotta see that too; will get a copy tomorrow, thanx.

[LI Pets]

Porsche Cayenne tows TT at 122 MPH and 503HP AMG Mercedes pulls the Bullet.


Car and Driver mag has an interesting write up this month (Jan 07) on page 115. Here is a nutshell summary or the article.


John Phillips assignment was an exercise in summer, self indulgence. He called a friend from Mercedes who quickly suggested a 503HP, silver ML63 AMG Mercedes attached to a Airstream.

He got the keys to the AMG and headed to Jackson Centre to meet with Airstream president Bob Wheeler. Well apparently Bob is a car guy and was eager to set up John with an Airstream for his adventure.

A new 20' Safari was hooked up to the AMG. We now had the $86,000 AMG and the $40,000. Airstream.

Bob new about the AMG's performance capabilities. 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, 155MPH top speed, and 15.4 inch front brake rotors that stop the 5,162lb vehicle in 160ft (70 to 0). He wondered about how fast the AMG could tow the Airstream? He reported that they recently had hooked an Airstream to a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and went for a drive at the Honda test track. They got it up to 122MPH, but then he commented that it sort of achieved liftoff. He said their goal is 140MPH which he thought was the world record.

After the weekend outing they got back to Jackson Centre they were asked how it towed. John replied, Fantastic, it's so light, it tows like a feather.


And to think the ST tires are rated at 65 MPH

[Condoluminum]

Thanks for sharing, and let the flaming begin.... Maybe a contest to sum up "What's wrong with this picture?"

Tires? Hitch? Chains? Propane? Trailer Brakes?

Driver seems more endowed with courage than good sense, but from now on I'm going to feel less like an experimental test pilot at 66 mph...

[enduroryda]

Now that's something I'd enjoy seeing on YouTube..........there must be a video of that somewhere

[doorgunner]

SO then do we really need these hitches, shocks stabilizes, anti sway thingies anyway?? They are proving to me that the answer is no. Maybe all we need is a few correctly placed vortex generators to screw the boundary layer around to place more weight on the contact patch. And what tires were they running at what PSI? Guess I'll try to break 100 mph while tilting back a cold one. And yes I was a test pilot.Looks like a future lawsuit developing to me. Like the guy who was denied a tranny for his 06 mustang- when he was asked how he was driving it he replied "just like in the commercials". So whats next? did we ever land on the moon??

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by Lipets

And to think the ST tires are rated at 65 MPH

Andy Thomson at Can Am RV will often use H-rated (130 mph) Michelin MXV4s on 16" aluminum wheels.

Apparently Michelin says that you can used their P-metric tires on trailers as long as you observe the weight ratings.

[2airishuman]

well some how it seems right to post this pic again....

2air'

[2airishuman]

the marketing guy who posted the porsche/airsteam video from this summer has taken the video link down...

too bad, those of us that saw it were entertained!

now, on to speed records....

as i recall, banks, ipd suspension, bilstein, alcoa and some others did up an rv for a speed record in the late 80s...

took it to the salt flats....

101+mph as i recall...

cannot find my press clip on this from 20 years ago...

it was either an airstream moho or a gmc...

a gmc was recently used for a new record...

104 mph approx....

here she is.....

no foolin'

cheers
2air'

[campadk]

Is that 20ft Safari a tandom axel? Would my 19fter go faster?

[Fyrzowt]

Originally Posted by campadk

Is that 20ft Safari a tandom axel? Would my 19fter go faster?

Not with your GMC

[Fyrzowt]

A new 20' Safari was hooked up to the AMG. We now had the $86,000 AMG and the $40,000. Airstream.

Bob new about the AMG's performance capabilities. 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, 155MPH top speed, and 15.4 inch front brake rotors that stop the 5,162lb vehicle in 160ft (70 to 0). He wondered about how fast the AMG could tow the Airstream? He reported that they recently had hooked an Airstream to a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and went for a drive at the Honda test track. They got it up to 122MPH, but then he commented that it sort of achieved liftoff. He said their goal is 140MPH which he thought was the world record.

Sounds like an episode of "Jackass"

[Chaplain Kent]

Now I think I know what it was that passed me that day. Of course, when your top speed is 55 everything passing looks like a blur.

[Roscinante]

And my wife gives me a hard time when I break 60 with my Bambi!