2012 c coupe turbo

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TEH NEW HAWTNESS

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That up there is the new face booty of Mercedes' sports coupes, and what booty it be!

The boys at Jalopnik posted some early press pics of the upcoming 2012 C coupe earlier today, and mentioned new turbocharged 6 and 4-cylinder engines. Here's what you really need to know, though: everyone at Speedriven is psyched about this car.

Stay tuned.

speedriven | s600 + $9000 = 700 hp

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2009 S600 MERCEDES BENZ

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In the world of Mercedes-Benz tuning, $9000 American doesn't usually buy you a whole lot. If you're shopping at RENNtech, $9000 will buy you a set of RENNtech wheels, but not tires. Over at Brabus, $9000 will buy you all manner of leather-covered things and some shiny, light-up interior bits, but not quite enough shiny, light-up bits to park your Benz with the cool kids from Quadrophenia. $9000 will also buy you the front half of a Mansory bodykit, assuming you want your Benz to look like a Cylon destroyer.

Here at Speedriven, though, things are different. We don't sell flash wheels, LED dress-up baubles, or questionable body kits. Here at Speedriven, we sell speed.

Keep that in mind when you look at the 2009 S600 up there. Sure, it may not look much different from the other Mercedes down at the Whole Paycheck, but one look under the hood of this Speedriven-prepared S600 is all it takes to see that this big Benz is different.

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SHINY

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The Speedriven package fitted to the W221-chassis Mercedes S600 shown here features a polished set of Speedriven's top-mounted water-to-air intercoolers, “scorpion” air intakes, K&N cone filters, and Speedriven's ECU software to manage the extra air density and extra boost. The car also features Speedriven's transmission controller upgrades, allowing the car to handle the extra torque and giving the S600 a more “true” manual mode to hold gears more aggressively while delivering quicker, firmer shifts in “sport” mode (comfort mode retains the S600's usual silkiness).

With all the parts installed, this Speedriven-tuned S600 produces 695 hp and 840 lb-ft of daily-driver torque, which is huge, for a 600.

He(ck), 700 hp and 800 + lb-ft of torque is huge, period. You're not even getting that with the Black Series cars from - and you have to add another zero to the back of Speedriven's $9000 PKG price tag to make up for the difference from a more pedestrian standard AMG.

The cost for all the hardware necessary to replicate this 700 hp S Class is $8800, plus installation. Contact Speedriven for more information. More pics, including dyno figures, at this link.

speedriven | about that block tuner

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EVEN BIGGER IN PERSON

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A few weeks ago, this gorgeous 2010 S63 AMG showed up at Speedriven's Palatine, IL garage ... presenting a perfect opportunity to illustrate how the Block Tuner works on the newer Mercedes / AMG models.

In short, Speedriven's Block Tuner allows the end-user to "flash" their car's ECU through the OBDII port, effectively switching between a "stock" file and a "tuned" file in a matter of minutes - which is ideal for customers with warranty concerns or who choose to go to their local dealer for regular maintenance.

The S63 shown here makes use of the Bosch ME9.7 ECU (in fact, all of the current naturally-aspirated 63 series AMG cars do, as well), which needs to be "unlocked" here at Speedriven before it can be tuned over the OBDII. On the S63, the ECU is located under the hood, at the base of the windshield, on the driver's side (shown, below).

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SIMPLE ENOUGH

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The ECU is usually sent back the day we receive it here at Speedriven, so if you drop the ECU into a FedEx box on Monday afternoon, you'll be back on the road by 10AM Wednesday. Now that the ECU is no longer "write-protected" you'll be able to write to it using the Block Tuner.

NOTE: using the Block Tuner to read the ECU won't be a necessary step on a 63, because we can load a Speedriven file on the ECU while it's here being unlocked, and ship the Block Tuner pre-loaded with the factory file and the Speedriven file, already. Unlocking the ECU is not detectable by the dealer.

The process for loading a file from your computer to the Block Tuner is the same as a USB thumb drive or external hard drive. Just drag and drop the file into the Block Tuner folder (shown here, on a Mac).

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STILL SIMPLE ENOUGH

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You can load 2 files on the Block Tuner, and select between them using the physical switch on the Block (up/down = stock/tuned, or pump gas/race gas, or tuner 1/tuner 2 for a comparison, for example).

Once that's done, you can remove the Block Tuner from the computer. Select the file you'd like to load onto the car by putting the switch in either the up or down position, then plug the Block into the OBDII port, under the dash (below) ...

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IT FITS PERFECTLY

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... turning the key to the "on" position will initiate a programming cycle. The instruments will react and the engine fans will start running throughout the cycle. Once programming is complete, the Block Tuner's LED will glow green. Turn off the car, remove the Block Tuner, and you're ready to go with a new file loaded on the car.

If you ever want to put your ECU back to stock, make sure there is a stock setting on the Block Tuner, select the stock file by setting the switch to the appropriate up or down position, and load the file to the ECU (following the included manual, of course).

speedriven | new site is up

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PURPLE GOODNESS

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The new Speedriven site is up, with new product photos, new links, and updated pricing information on Speedriven's core tuning products for V12 Mercedes and AMG cars. Most of the new site trades the small dynamic menus for a new, all-HTML/CSS "smart-phone-friendly" text links and photo-buttons.

Everything should work great on the new iPhones and iPads, too - so CLICK HERE to go visit and let me know if you find any broken links or typos. If you find any, I'll send you some stickers!

sprinter dyno

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A few months ago, I posted on the RENN's ECU software upgrade for the 3.0L Mercedes/Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter diesels (HERE), but never got around to posting the dyno figures. Well, here they are - and just look at that torque gain! That's practically 70 lb-ft of new torque at the rear wheels, EVERYWHERE!

RENNTECH's Sprinter ECU software is priced at $1190, and is available from Hoekstra Truck Equipment and other RENNTECH dealers.

renntech for gt speed

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RENNTECH has made some changes to its Bentley product offerings with the addition of an ECU software for the Bentley Continental and Flying Spur GT Speed models. The new ECU upgrade boosts horsepower from the stock Speed GT's 600hp to 640hp and 575 lb-ft of torque.

RENNTECH's Bentley Speed ECU flash retails for $5800US.

CLICK HERE for more information.

renntech for smart

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While not quite as wild as the RENN's April Fool's Smart 7.22 Spec.R, RENNTECH's new ECU upgrade for Smart Fortwo does bump the stock Smart's output to 74 hp - sharpening the car's throttle response and noticeably improving shifting. Top speed limiter is reset to 200 km/h (124 mph).

Good luck getting there!

If you're headed to SEMA this year, expect to see 5 or 6 "powered by RENNTECH" Smart cars out there in various states of tune - including the Lucky Taco Fortwo! (below)

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MSRP $795

CLICK HERE for more information.

renntech for bentley gtc

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I just finished posting some pics of the latest Bentley to stop in at the RENN, and it is just freakin' Gorgeous!

I've mentioned my shameful passion for all things Rolls-Royce and Bentley before, but have something else to confess to here: of all the outrageous, outlandish, insane concepts, showcars, and and exotics that have crossed my path in the last dozen or so years, this is the very first I've ever had my picture taken in.

Special thanks to Yann, who took the pic without laughing (much).

renntech for ferrari

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This week, RENNTECH updated its online performance parts catalog to include performance tuning options for recent Ferraris, including the 360 Modena, 430, 550/575 Maranello, 599, and 612 models, as well as an ECU file for Ferrari's flagship Enzo model.

There are also inoperative links for VW/Audi, Porsche, and Bentley tuning options that should be up by week's end - but you can see more of RENNTECH's offerings for those cars now by clicking on "Porsche" or "Bentley" (above). CLICK HERE to visit the page.

20% off fun!

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I told you this week would be better than last week, didn't I?

His Steve-ness must have been listening, because Dinan is offering a 20% rebate on select 335i performance parts and accessories through September.

I'm like you, though - I read the fine print in the car ads, you know? So I was a little suspicious when it came to that "select 335i performance parts", myself, but this isn't so bad: 20% rebate on all exhaust systems, stage 1 - 3 suspension kits, oil coolers, and Dinan wheels purchased through (and installed by) an authorized Dinan performance specialist (AHEM!).

Pretty good deal!

I know: I'm biased ... but still.

CLICK HERE to visit the Dinan web page, and CLICK HERE to make contact.

silver sl65 from renntech

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With the recent Orlando Isuzinator and sordid tales of masturbating hookers, I thought it was time to post something nice again - and THIS, dear reader (that would be you, Rick) is a NICE car.

What you see here is a 2009 SL65 AMG Mercedes-Benz that we've massaged with our ECU and TCU software upgrades, remote-ready digital lowering module, and new RENNtech Signature series 10 spoke, 3 pc rims.

This car first made the media rounds as PR for RENNtech's new SL-offset wheels, and also marked the first time we used chrome hardware with the brushed satin ceramic finish. The end result (I think you'll agree) is just stunning, even before you hear the rumble of the twin-turbocharged V12.

This car is currently for sale. I'll post the link shortly, until then, you'll have to CLICK HERE to see more pics of the car.

Enjoy!

renntech slr sport exhaust (2)

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When Mercedes-Benz introduced its SLR McLaren 722, there was more than a litte confusion about the special-edition's name. Many believed the car would offer a fire-breathing, 722 hp supercharged V8, but it doesn't (it makes 650 hp). Some believed that "722" meant there would be 722 of the cars made ... but that was wrong, too.

In the end, the 722 badge actually referred to 7:22AM - the starting time of Sterling Moss' epic 1955 Mille Miglia run in a then-new Mercedes SLR.

SO, 722 = 7:22AM, not 722 horsepower.

Got that?

While the automotive enthusiasts of the world uttered a collective (and skeptical) "um ... OK", Hartmut Feyhl took one look and announced: "this car should have 722 hp"

Now, when the average "I read Car and Driver at Barnes and Noble" enthusiast says something like that, they can be easily ignored. When Feyhl says something like this, though, it Happens.

See, Hartmut is the owner and chief engineer of RENNTECH, the South Florida-based tuning firm best known for producing incredibly powerful Mercedes-Benz automobiles that often redefine what highly-tuned exotic cars should and should not be capable of.

Case in point: last year, RENNTECH introduced their own "722" option: RENNTECH SLR Performance PKG1. PKG1 included upgraded intercoolers, a larger crankshaft pulley, and custom ECU software that delivered the full 722 hp SLR customers expected (along with more than 700 lb-ft of torque!). RENNTECH announced the package in a cleverly-titled (if I do say so myself) April '07 press release: "Here in Florida, 722 Means What You Think it Means", and SLR customers responded by sending their cars to Feyhl's Florida garage from across the Western hemisphere ...

... of course, after driving their new 722 hp rocketship for a few months, some of Feyhl's customers started asking for more, which brings us to RENNTECH's latest batch of SLR tuning options: SLR Performance PKG2 and new RENNTECH Signature 10-spoke, 3 pc. performance wheels.

Available for both the "standard" SLR and 722 models, PKG2 builds on RENNTECH's previous upgrades by adding a less restrictive, motorsports-style exhaust system and re-mapped ECU software to boost the already powerful SLR engine to over 740 hp at 6400 rpm.

Pricing for RENNTECH's SLR performance upgrades are set at 12990US for PKG1 and 26990US for PKG2. RENNTECH 20" wheels are 1950US (ea.). Contact RENNTECH for more.

more renntech for bentley

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It's my dirty little secret: I love Bentleys.

They're big and fat and lazy and slow ... but I love them in a way that makes the classic SNL "MERCURY MISTRESS" skit make alot of sense, you know? This one has over 625 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque, ZERO lag, and the kind of smooth, crisp shifts that make a Speed GT seem like little more than a gussied-up Passat (which it is, in a way). The tuning is by RENNTECH, and the sikk Sikk SIKK rims are from Uberballer.

It's not a Rolls ... but it'll do.

CLICK HERE for more pics (on Flickr).

renntech for bentley

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With the introduction of a new, 600+ hp ECU tuning package and digital lowering module, RENNTECH has added Bentley to the growing list of brands it supports.

Best known for its work with Mercedes-Benz and McLaren automobiles, the Florida-based tuning firm is taking the process of introducing new product lines very slowly. Hartmut Feyhl, president of RENNTECH and ex technical director at AMG North America, explains: "We want to be sure that these products meet the high standard set by RENNTECH Mercedes products, which is very high."

RENNTECH has worked under Feyhl's motto of "performance without compromise" since 1989, and every product offered by RENNTECH has to meet Feyhl's strict approval. "Every product has to do something that adds to the performance of the car."

With ECU software boosting the output of Bentley's 552 hp twin-turbo W12 to 625 hp and 565 lb-ft of torque, this is definitely a product that does Something!

In addition to the power-producing ECU upgrade, the RENNTECH digital lowering module for Bentley features microprocessors that constantly communicate with existing on-board systems (unlike other lowering products that "trick" the stock systems and disable the diagnostics).  RENNTECH's lowering module allows owners to set the car 50 mm below the stock setting, with 8 levels of adjustability for each of the front and the rear wheels.  "Customers can lower the car so it is level, or lower the front more than the rear for a 'raked' look.  Some customers might want to lower the rear of the car for more weight transfer at a drag strip.  The lowering module lets them do that."

Comparisons to Bentley's own Continental GT Speed (itself offering 600 hp and 553 lb-ft) might seem natural, but RENNTECH is quick to point out that the GT Speed option is not available on the Flying Spur sedan or the GTC, and there are no waiting lists and no dealer markups to contend with (sorry: "market adjustments").

RENNTECH's Bentley ECU software upgrade is available now for $6400US for Bentley Continental and Flying Spur, and $6800US for the GT Speed coupes. RENNTECH digital lowering module available now for $1395US. Contact RENNTECH for more.

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Original photo by John Neff (Autoblog).

renntech cl65 . war not over

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The last few years have seen a flood of 500 horsepower sedans almost pouring out of Germany from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this month, however, representatives from Mercedes and AMG announced that the "horsepower wars" were over, saying that outright power would no longer be the "main focus" for future sports sedans.

Apparently, no-one sent that "war over" memo to RENNTECH.

This morning, RENNTECH announced a new "stage 3" tune for the 2008 65 series AMG models, which makes use of what RENNTECH calls "next-generation ECU software" to get 695 hp and 890 lb-ft of torque from the AMG's twin-turbo V12.

"Power will always be important to many customers, especially torque." explains Hartmut Feyhl, RENNTECH's president and ex technical director of AMG North America. "Our cars have always been able to make considerable torque, and have been praised in magazines for their drivability. Still, we are constantly trying to improve our product."

Commitment to constant improvement is one reason RENNTECH has become known as one of the world's premier tuning firms, and America's foremost authority on Mercedes-Benz. RENNTECH believes their new software will further cement that knowledge in the public mind. "We now have two in-house engineers that are doing software full-time, and others that work with the software on a part-time or contract basis. We are always looking for improvements. The latest software takes advantage of the increased power of the new engine computers, and offers a number of small improvements that add up to a big 'overall' improvement," Feyhl explains. "It really is that 'next-generation' sort of product that is much more advanced than what we were capable of offering before. Compared to earlier versions, our new software gives customers more power and better drivability in a way that is more reliable, smoother power curve, and even improves emissions and gas mileage."

In addition to the software upgrades, RENNTECH adds a larger intercooler pump and secondary heat exchanger, as well as a pair of carbon fiber airboxes to improve the flow of cool air into the big AMG's V12. The intercooler system upgrades reduce air intake temperatures by more than 20 degrees, delivering more consistent power compared to stock and allowing RENNTECH to more safely increase boost throughout the rpm range.

RENNTECH's stainless steel sport mufflers (also part of the new package) produce a deep, distinctive growl that is suitably aggressive for a high-end luxury car. Feyhl suggests that his mufflers "let the car sound the way it is supposed to sound."

With almost 900 lb-ft of torque available from the engine, RENNTECH's upgrades deliver a real, noticeable improvement in terms power and acceleration compared to the already impressive performance of the stock 65 series AMG cars. MSRP for RENNTECH's new performance "PKG3" for 65 series AMG is $18,990 (plus installation). PKG365 is available for S65, CL65, and SL65 AMG. Contact RENNTECH for more.

renntech for porsche

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Seems to me like "the big story" is sort of overlooked here, which is that RENNtech is making tuning products for PORSCHE now, as well as Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Cars.

The official release is shown below.

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RENNtech, best-known as a high-end aftermarket tuner for Mercedes and McLaren automobiles, has recently added Porsche to the growing list of brands it supports.

"We're taking the process of introducing new product lines slowly," explains Hartmut Feyhl, president of RENNtech and former technical director at AMG North America. "We want to be sure that we can offer products that meet the standard set by RENNtech's Mercedes-Benz product, which is very high."

RENNtech has worked under the banner "performance without compromise." since its inception in 1989, and every product sold by RENNtech must meet Feyhl's strict approval. "Every product has to do something that adds to the performance of the car. With the new Cayenne Porsche, we have the digital lowering module and ECU upgrades for now, with RENNtech specific wheels coming very soon."

RENNtech's digital lowering module for Porsche's Cayenne features 3 microprocessors that constantly communicate with the car's existing on-board systems (unlike other lowering products that "trick" the stock systems). RENNtech's lowering module allows owners to set the car 50 mm below the stock setting, with 8 levels of adjustability for each of the front wheels and the rear axle. "Customers can lower the car so it's level, or lower the front more than the rear for a 'raked' look. Some customers might want to lower the rear of the car for more weight transfer at a drag strip. The lowering module lets them do that."

RENNtech's digital lowering module for Porsche Cayenne is available through RENNtech and RENNtech Authorized Resellers for $1195. ECU upgrades to 530 hp and 575 lb-ft are available for Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S models.

pkg2 (for 63)

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RENNtech has developed a new line of aftermarket performance products aimed at getting more power out of the 63 series AMG Mercedes-Benz.

RENNtech, generally regarded as the nation's foremost authority on Mercedes-Benz performance tuning, took something of an "old school" approach towards building its new high-tech products. "The new AMG motor isn't like the last generation of turbo or kompressor cars," explains Hartmut Feyhl, president of RENNtech and former technical director of AMG North America. "This new engine is naturally aspirated, like a more traditional race motor, and the way to get more power out of an engine like the 63 is to improve the engine's breathing."

To that end, Feyhl and his crew at RENNtech have built new exhaust headers and high-flow sport mufflers, from 304 TiG welded stainless-steel, and developed new engine control software to further boost the engine's efficiency - and, while "bigger pipes" might seem like a no-brainer, in this case, bigger wasn't better.

"Some people make a big deal about larger diameter this or that, but that's not always the answer," explains Feyhl. "Our headers use slightly smaller diameter tubes, actually increase the speed of the airflow out of the engine. It is important that the tubing is small enough to 'scavenge' air at lower RPM, generating more torque, while still being large enough to provide improved airflow at higher RPM."

RENNtech's results and expertise speak for themselves, delivering 48 additional horsepower and 50 lb-ft. of torque, with a deep, growling exhaust note that is totally free of unwanted resonances at cruising speeds. RENNtech's headers, sport mufflers, and ECU upgrades are available independently or as "package 2" through RENNtech's network of authorized dealers. Available for E, CLS, and S class 63 series AMG.