Brabus Takes Downsized Mercedes-Benz V-8s and Upsizes Their Power

Brabus Takes Downsized Mercedes-Benz V-8s and Upsizes Their Power
Brabus, the Mercedes-Benz tuning company that has long specialized in granting Benzes more power than anyone thought imaginable, is in serious trouble. It�s under fire from a new competitor: not Lorinser, not Renntech, and not Kleeman. No, the threat to Brabus in the insane-horsepower-for-Benzes battle comes from Mercedes-Benz itself. The new twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8, being deployed throughout the Mercedes-Benz range in models like the CL550, and eventually the S550 and E550, makes 429 hp. A new twin-turbo V-8 from AMG displaces 5.5 liters, and in cars like the S63 and CLS63, will product a whopping 536 hp. What�s Brabus to do but offer still more power for these cars?
How Does 610 hp Sound?
Brabus�s ECU boost and supplementary intercooler result in a whopping 610 hp from the S63 and CL63's 5.5-liter V-8, a 74 hp bump over stock. Torque swells accordingly, ballooning from 590 lb-ft to 737 lb-ft. Mercedes does have its own method for boosting the power of this engine: A $7300 AMG Performance package for its 5.5-liter AMG models increases power by 27 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque, but these numbers still fall short of what�s offered by the Brabus enhancements. For what it�s worth, Brabus warrantees its mods for 3 years or 62,000 miles.
For drivers of humble 550-badged Mercs�like the CLS550, CL550, and upcoming refreshed S550�with the company�s new 4.7-liter, 429-hp engine, Brabus has a pair of options to up the ante a bit. The first kit consists of an ECU upgrade that nets drivers an additional 53 hp and 59 lb-ft, bringing the totals to 482 hp and 575 lb-ft. Add Brabus�s supplementary intercooler and the totals jump to 512 hp and 604 lb-ft. Of course, shoppers eager to bring the look of their Benz up to spec with their speed can also dip into Brabus�s catalog to outfit their rides with everything from wheels to body kits to carbon-fiber accessories.

You�ll Have to Shell out for the Power
The upgrades to the 4.7-liter cars will set you back 4900 euros for the 482 hp kit, and 5900 euros for the 512 hp kit. At current exchange rates, that�s $7185 and $8652, respectively�though when these are available in the U.S., they could cost something different altogether. No pricing was announced for the 5.5-liter AMG engine upgrades. The old mantra is that there�s no replacement for displacement. Mercedes-Benz�s new twin-turbo 4.7- and 5.5.-liter engines go far to disprove this�but the power mongers at Brabus push it further still.
by  blog.caranddriver.com