C36 Updates 7

I suspect the handling could be improved with the shock replacement and/or lighter alloy wheels. The Bilstein shocks that came with the C36 were quite new and were suspected to be a source of the slow response of the suspension. I will try to find out next week if there are any Original Mercedes or AMG shock absorbers. I had bought two sets of Bilstein shocks before, Sports and Standard, in 2005. None of them worked better than the original Mercedes stock shocks that I fitted on the C200 and C240, in terms of handling and ride quality. And the difference is very easy to tell.

On the contrast, the Yokohama AD07s have developed fantastic grip. The grip is a bit much for the daily driving.

Here is the US C36 Spec from www.mbusa.com. Click to enlarge.

C36 Updates 6

Filled up the tank yesterday the second time - $710 for 420km traveled. $1.7 per km was reasonable because it covered a variety of road testing and fast running. No doubt if I drive aggressively it would be more than $2 per km. I still believe I can do 450 km per full tank if I am more careful with the gas pedal.

Last night I removed the spare wheel and tire from the trunk to lighten the rear load. Boy, it was a heavy piece, at least 15kg. This makes me think twice about not changing to a ligter alloy wheels. Why I removed the spare wheel and tire? It was because I would like to make the car lighter and the rear more agile (more tail happy).