Brabus Tunes Mercedes Biturbo V8s

BOTTROP, Germany — The German tuner Brabus has unleashed a tuning program for Mercedes' new twin-turbocharged and direct-injected V8 engines in the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe and 2011 S63 AMG.

For the regular-strength CL550, which has a twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8, Brabus offers a plug-and-play ECU map (priced around the equivalent of $7,000) that brings output to a claimed 483 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque versus 429 hp and 516 lb-ft on the stock CL550. With a supplementary intercooler fitted (about $8,500), Brabus will give you a map good for 512 hp and 604 lb-ft. Thusly equipped, the CL550 will top out at 188 mph, says Brabus.

For owners of the CL63 AMG or S63 AMG with the optional Performance package, there's a $9,000 chip good for a claimed 610 hp and 737 lb-ft from the cars' twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8. The tuner claims that this increase from the stock 563 hp and 664 lb-ft figures shaves a tenth of a second from the 0-60 acceleration time and adds 14 mph to the top speed, with a potential terminal velocity of 200 mph. Cars without the Performance package get an extra 39 horses out of the tune.

For the AMGs, the German tuner also offers a sport exhaust system with a flap to control the tone at the push of a button, as well as a limited-slip differential with a locking rate of up to 40 percent.

A carbon-fiber body kit is available on the S63 and includes fenders, a front lip and rear diffuser. Custom Brabus alloys wrapped in Pirelli or Yokohama rubber are on offer as well.

Inside Line says: Inherent tunability is part of the beauty of a turbocharged engine, and you can expect many more tuners to go to work on these Benz engines as they filter to the rest of the Mercedes lineup. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent