The Teutonic technicians at Brabus have put their hands on the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 S, and the results are just as you would expect: more power, more carbon fiber, and, well, more of the fanatical attention to detail that the brand built its reputation on.
Brabus didn?t stray far from its proven methods with this project, which it calls the Brabus 650, cranking up the boost to milk an additional 134 horsepower from the C63 S?s factory-issue twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. (Brabus made similar strides last year when it sunk its teeth into the C63.) More than just a simple ECU tweak, Brabus developed a pair of turbos with larger compressors, unique core assemblies, and reinforced axial bearings. To ensure the increased boost plays nicely with the fuel and spark, Brabus also cooked up some fresh datasets for the ECU, with specific mapping for the fuel-injection and ignition systems. Known collectively as the “PowerXtra B40S ? 650 tuning,” the Brabus car makes a total of 650 horsepower and 604 lb-ft of torque, increases of 134 and 80. Shifting duties are carried out by the standard seven-speed automatic transmission, which can be controlled via a set of bespoke Brabus Race aluminum paddles. Brabus quotes a zero-to-62-mph time of 3.7 seconds, which is notably stronger than the 3.9-second zero-to-60-mph time we recorded in a recent test of the 2015 C63 S. Top speed is electronically limited to 186?or, optionally, 200 mph, depending on how immortal you’re feeling....