Rossen Gargolov Mercedes CLS 63 AMG versus Ducati 848 EVO
14.04.2013
D The cooperation agreed a year ago between Mercedes AMG and the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati not only led to joint marketing activities and customer events, but also to the test between the Mercedes CLS63 AMG with performance package against the Ducati 848 EVO at the Nürburgring. v-A_-headline v-A_-headline__article - beta '> Feeling of superiority over the auto faction
The professional switch from motorized Zweira d on four-wheel drive in 1986 was - admittedly - accompanied by a good deal of arrogance. In the five years as an editor in the test and technology department at the specialist magazine MOTORRAD, a strong feeling of superiority over the auto faction had manifested itself, one that sensible-thinking people must have already seen as a special form of fatalism.
This is how you met the participant of the infamous Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man (on a Yamaha FZ 750) and several endurance races as part of the Endurance World Championship (on Egli-Kawasaki; including the eight hours -Races on the Nordschleife) regularly with an expression on their faces that clearly showed more pity than respect.
As a motor journalist who has meanwhile converted from motorcycle to car tester, the first car race as an actor felt like a relaxed, one-handed drive - as a guest starter in the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup in Monza in 1987 Surrounded by lush crumple zones, a thick roll cage and a racetrack with comparatively huge run-off zones, the ex-motorcycle racer in the Porsche cockpit felt like he was in Abraham's lap - his naivety initially completely ignoring the fact that there is no guarantee of invulnerability in automobile racing either.
Exploring the limits of man and machine
The technical framework spontaneously appeared to be much better suited to the switchers Finding out the limits of man and machine. The ride on the razor blade, which had previously been practiced for years, finally left traces in several ways, which in the first training sessions initially led to a somewhat daring, but temporally not very effective driving style. Four super-wide tires under the bum with a footprint,Which together make up a multiple of what a comparatively narrow pair of motorcycle tires has to offer - who wouldn't want to be damn sure with this origin and whether this technically unbeatable option would be able to leave each of these spoiled broad-gauge racers behind - i.e. all of them who were allowed to rely on the grip and the brutal braking effect of two pairs of tires when driving at the limit?
On top of that, on a borderline area which, in the case of the Porsche 944 Turbo, was only as wide as Twiggy's hip, but in contrast to that of a sports motorcycle of the time, was a refuge of suppleness and balance. The answer to the question of what is faster now - car or motorcycle - we have not come any closer with this introduction. But without the derivation of the story and without the qualitative discussion of the human factor, the results of the ring would be completely without significance.
Hardly any similarities between car and motorcycle
The meeting arranged on the Nordschleife between the Mercedes CLS63 AMG with performance package and the Ducati 848 EVO differs from a comparison test in the classic sense Essential point: Of course there can be no talk of similarities in terms of technology, price and usability (normally a prerequisite for comparability) - apart from the fact that both require premium gasoline, their engines are built according to the V principle, their gas exchange over ever two camshafts and four valves per cylinder are controlled and both compete with rear-wheel drive.
And don't forget: Both are - at least in this case - exposed to the influence of the same driver. There is also a significant difference: the motorcycle technology that has been perfected over the past few decades still assigns the driver the same high level of responsibility as in the eighties. While in the car - especially in the Mercedes CLS63 AMG - the concentrated electromechanical system of safety-relevant components is used to keep even the less concentrated driver on the road and happy, on the motorcycle it is only the software in the form of the driver that changes every second has to worry about changing conditions. It is true that ABS and here and there also traction control systems help to channel the enormous braking and drive forces.
But in the end it is still the upper part of the motorcycle, which in an emergency can feel the consequences of its actions first hand. Especially when he wants to get closer to the truly breathtaking regions that such a beautiful diva like the Ducati 848 EVO opens up to him in terms of driving dynamics. The commitment shown by the Mercedes CLS63 AMG Coupé, which is almost ten times heavier than the 848, is an example of an automotive development trend that itmakes it possible for less profiled drivers to enjoy driving dynamics both in the longitudinal and transverse directions in their most beautiful form and almost entirely.
With the car it is more relaxed and relaxed
With the 557 HP strong and up to a Vmax Subduing the Nordschleife from 300 km /h 'unlocked' Mercedes CLS63 AMG Coupé is much more relaxed and relaxed than with the Ducati 848 EVO (Mercedes CLS63 AMG : 3.4 kg /PS).
The way in which the steam hammer, which is blessed with a hefty 800 Nm of torque, symbolically pushes the Nordschleife away from under it, is a testament to perfect manners - both in terms of driving behavior and in terms of its almost violent drive. And that with a mass that not so long ago would have nipped any sporting talent in the bud. The lightness of being, as it is in the saddle of the 131 hp two-cylinder Ducati, harbors - regardless of the comparatively minimal weight - initially rather stressful moments, mentally as well as physically. For example, when the line needs to be corrected at a brisk drive and in the search for perfection.
Extreme inclination gives a feeling of happiness
The possibility in the car, despite the mass and the influence of high lateral forces with comparatively Making corrections to the valance very little and, should the emergency require, being able to drop the anchor almost without hesitation, is a concession that motorcyclists struggling for the ideal line and looking for the exact braking and turning point can certainly envy their four-wheeler colleagues . On the other hand, the riding condition on the motorcycle, which is completely freed from noticeable lateral forces, creates a feeling of happiness with every increasing degree of lean angle that can hardly be achieved with other land-based means. The view of the horizon sloping up to an angle of more than 45 degrees and the certainty that the complex motorcycle system is better explained with every lap hold extreme potential for addiction. Even as a proven car freak, it is difficult to avoid this.
It's easier to reach the limit with the car
Alone: With analytical devotion, gradually pushing yourself to the limit Approaching the Nürburgring is much easier for a driving dynamics junkie who is well versed in both fields in a car like the Mercedes CLS63 AMG than on a motorcycle - especially on the Nordschleife, whose specific characteristic is to forgive mistakes only in the rarest of cases. In this respect, the Ducati 848 EVO would certainly be a smaller onePart of the blame if someone were to be forced to admonish the time lag compared to the ten times more expensive Mercedes Mercedes CLS63 AMG.
In addition, the driver has to consider the following to relieve himself: To compensate for the top speed of the Mercedes CLS63 AMG of 287 km /h at the Döttinger Höhe, it would take at least the world championship driving skills of Valentino Rossi to drive around the delta of 22 seconds - or even to give it a different sign. To speculate about a different outcome is idle anyway. First of all, it is questionable whether Ducati factory rider Rossi would have even received approval for a ring lap. And secondly, it remains to be seen whether the two-wheeler hero would have dared to hit the Nordschleife at all. Because that actually requires a good portion of fatalism ...
In the second duel Car versus motorcycle, KTM X-Bow R and KTM 1190 RC8 R at the Hockenheimring against each other.
